"Are you an idiot!" Angela's angry words bounced off the walls of the kitchen. She was on the verge of choking her cousin Sylvia. Today had started out amazing and then stupid Sylvia had to go and ruin it with one stupid phone call. Angela started to rifle through the kitchen cabinets.

Caprice shook her head. "I removed all the liquor after James and Roman got drunk last Thanksgiving." Caprice then turned her attention back to Sylvia. "Wait so please explain this situation to me again. I really need you to explain how this happened again."

Sylvia took a deep breath and then explained the current situation for the fourth time this morning. "Well I was packing my bag this morning when my phone rang. I answered and it just happened to be Adrianna. She explained that she had recently gotten divorced and that she had nothing to do for Christmas. Well I don't know but I just I ended up inviting her to join me. I mean I remembered how much we all used to love her when she used to come to family gatherings—"

Angela who had been quietly seething in the corner interrupted her best friend. "That was before she dumped Tony just because he wasn't going to be able to go pro anymore!"

Sylvia sighed. She looked down at her hands before continuing. She was actually surprised that the only person screaming at her was Angela. Then again every once in a while she heard her Aunt Caprice whispering things in Italian that Sylvia probably didn't want to hear. "So to make a long story short she called me on her way to the airport. Her plane will be arriving in an hour and seventeen minutes."

Caprice sighed. "So Tony is on his way here from Virginia with his new girlfriend, who just happens to be the first girl he's introduced us to since that whore you invited here Adrianna. What the hell are we supposed to do?"

"I guess Sylvia and I will go to the airport and pick the dumb divorced whore up. You, mother, will get the horrid task of explaining to Tony that his ex-fiancée is on her way here more than likely to try and sink he claws back into him. Though I do have to wonder why the professional football player she traded our brother in for divorced. Whatever we do we can't let Tony fall for her again. Sylvia go get your purse I'll be waiting for you in the car." This was Angela's role. She fixed problems. She hated her role but she was good at it. She made a note to kick Sylvia's ass as soon as the holidays were over.

Caprice watched as her daughter and niece left. She made the sign of the cross and said a quick prayer. She was going to have to have God on her side if things were going to work out the way she wanted them to today. "Mimi, I know you are standing outside the kitchen door eavesdropping so just go ahead and join your grandmother in the kitchen."

Mimi Capriccio was short and chubby. She was the kind of girl that looked like her biggest aspiration in life was to be a mother. She walked into the kitchen slowly and bashfully. Her grandmother was the kind of woman who always knew when someone was eavesdropping. "Uncle Tony is not going to like this…"

Caprice just laughed. "No he is not. So what do you know about this Kate Todd?"

"Mom just told me that she works with Uncle Tony and that he's liked her for a while." Mimi was just as curious as her grandmother. She remembered when she called Adrianna her Aunt. Now the name made her cringe. "I really hope this Kate Todd is amazing enough to make him forget all about Adrianna."

Tony knew that there was something wrong as soon as he got out of the car. Normally his mother would already be standing on the front porch waiting for him to arrive. She would be sitting in this old rocking chair just waiting for him. Today was the kind of the day that his mother lived for. She had been trying to set him up with someone for years. Now he finally had brought home a suitable girl that he thought he could be in love with and instead of rushing out to meet them she was nowhere to be seen. He acted as if her lack of interest didn't bother him. He walked up to the house without saying a word to Kate.

Robbie walked out of the house and onto the front porch. He waved at his uncle. "Hey Uncle Tony it's about time!"

Kate smiled. Tony had been right. His nephew looked just like him. Same strong jaw, same height, same mussed hair, and of course the same cute smile that made his face light up. She could tell that he was a heart breaker.

Tony gave his nephew a hug. "Why do I fee as though your mother is presently fixing a problem?"

"You really think I'm going to be the one to spill the beans about the current heated situation. I am not going to risk my mother's wrath. Grandma is in the kitchen waiting for you." Robbie replied as he took bags from his uncle and then carried them upstairs.

Tony turned around and smiled at Kate. "Get ready to be squeezed like you've never been squeezed before. My mother is a hugger. Oh and if she goes from Italian to English to back to Italian don't worry it's just a bad habit of hers." Tony put his arm around her shoulder and led her to the kitchen.

Caprice DiNozzo may have been a little distracted by the current situation. Still she was not too distracted to squeal when her son entered the room. "Oh my bambino it's been too long! Oh you are too thin. Still enough about you let me see this girl." Caprice sort of pushed her son out of the way after planting a big red kiss on his forehead which he was not trying to rub off. "Oh you must be the beautiful Kate Todd I've heard so much about." Caprice replied as she enveloped the young woman in a hug.

Tony was right. Caprice definitely looked just like Marie Callender. He was also right about the fact that she was a squeezer. She was very beautiful. You could tell though that even though she was excited to see them she was a little nervous. There was this look in her eyes that said she was worried about something. "It's very nice to meet you. I've been told you make Martha Stewart's cooking seem like bad cafeteria food. I've been dying to try some of your Alfredo sauce." Kate said with a smile.

Mimi entered the kitchen through the backdoor. Her face lit up as soon as she saw her Uncle. "Uncle Tony!"

Tony hugged his niece and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Oh if it isn't my favorite and most beautiful niece what have you been up to?"

"Well actually I was getting the guest bedroom ready for you and Kate. So I thought if you didn't mind I would show Kate around the house." Mimi told him sweetly. She had practiced this little speech with grandma.

Kate smiled. "That sounds like a marvelous idea with me."

Mimi grabbed Kate's hand and led her out of the kitchen. She already could tell that Kate was different than the woman that her uncle usually dated. She was poised. She was sophisticated. She was special. "So tell me all about yourself Kate. Do you even mind if I call you Kate or should I call you Miss Todd?"

Caprice sighed as soon as Kate and Mimi left the kitchen. She didn't know how to say this to her son. "Tony have a seat I've got something to tell you."

"I knew this was coming. I knew there was a reason you weren't waiting for me on the front porch." Tony said as shook his head and took a seat at the kitchen table. He knew he didn't want to have to hear what she was about to say.

"Tony, Angela and Sylvia went to the airport to pick up Adrianna. She's coming for Christmas dinner. Sylvia stupidly invited her this morning." Caprice explained and then she watched as her son's face changed.

Tony let out a confused laugh that said that he was pretty sure she was kidding. "Are you kidding me? Adrianna's married to the San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback. Why in the world would she venture halfway across the country to spend Christmas with us?"

"She's divorced. I think she thinks there is still something there between the two of you." Caprice replied softly. She patted his hand. "Sylvia didn't know about Kate. She's going to fix this. Don't worry Tony. Your sister is probably going to kill her before the Christmas season is over."

Tony nodded. "Kate is so much better than Adrianna. She may not be Italian but she's so much smarter. She makes me laugh so hard. I think you'll really love her." Tony paused and took a deep breath. "I've never told anybody Adrianna or about college. Kate has no idea. You've got to protect her Ma. She's not ready to go up against a bitch like Adrianna."

Caprice smiled. "You don't know how happy I am to hear that you aren't interested in Adrianna anymore. I realize you really loved her. I realize you really felt like there was something there and she was your "one". Angela told me you're really into Kate. Stay that way. If I were I would drive the point home. I would really put Adrianna in her place for breaking your engagement and your heart when you blew your knee." Caprice kissed her son's forehead again. She loved him so much. "Now go on and find Kate. Tell her before your sister and your cousin get here. Oh and tell your bum of a father and your lazy cousins and uncles that they better be ready for dinner in an hour none of this the games on. Oh and make sure you meet your Cousin Johnny's new boyfriend Shawn. He's such a sweetheart."

Tony laughed. He loved his mother. She was crazy. He found Kate and Mimi in his mother's library. "Hey Mimi do me a favor and see if Aunt Rosa wouldn't mind ironing my dress shirt. I know she's up there ironing all of the other guys. Tell her I'll buy her a fine bottle of wine if she'll do it for me."

Kate just shook her head. "You can't iron your own shirt?"

"My Aunt Rosa loves to iron. I'm telling you if she had it her way she would own her own dry cleaning place." Tony joked. He knew he couldn't beat around the bush. "So my mother told me something that sort of complicates things."

"What?" Kate asked. She didn't like it when Tony was serious. It made her nervous. She smiled when he licked his lips. God he had such sexy lips. What she would do to plant a kiss on those lips. What was she saying? This was Tony. She just had to keep reminding herself that his was Tony. Tony the guy who threw paper clips at her and could get any girl he wanted. Not Tony the guy who wanted to make out with her.

"I used to play football for Ohio State. I was good, really good and for once I'm not being egotistical. I had a chance to go pro. My senior year we were playing in our last regular season game before bowl season started and we were running this trick play. I was a tight end. I don't know how it happened. I don't really remember but next thing I know I wake up and I'm in a hospital bed and my knee is swollen and there are doctors talking and my mom is crying. My football career was over. By the time my knee had healed I was yesterday's news. I went into law enforcement. At the time I had a fiancée. We'd been dating since high school. She dumped me. She ended up marrying a guy who plays for the San Francisco 49ers as a backup quarterback. He divorced her and she's on her way here. I guess I don't really know why she's coming but she is." He stopped talking. He pretended to be interested by one of his mother's books. He couldn't believe he had just told Kate the saddest story of his life. Long ago he promised himself he would never bring up the fact that football broke his heart and screwed his knee.

Kate lightly touched his arm and forced him to face her. "I hate this girl already."

Tony looked at her surprised.

"I think we're going to have to make this girl regret passing up a chance to spend the rest of her life with an Italian Stallion like you." Kate joked. Then she did something really shocking. So shocking she couldn't believe she had done it. She lightly kissed Tony. "I think she'll need to see a lot of those."

Tony just looked at her. He couldn't form words or thoughts for that matter. Kate was definitely full of surprises. He was looking forward to more of those light kisses.