"Come on Gio, we're going to be late! I told Papi we'd be there for dinner, not tomorrow's breakfast!!" Betty yelled. "If you keep smelling that cheese, there'll be nothing left of it! Don't worry; it'll still be here when we get back." On that note, Gio reluctantly wrapped the cheese back up in the cotton cloth and put it away in the pantry. Outstretching her hand, Betty said, "Come on now." Gio took hold of Betty's hand and they walked out of the apartment together.
The drive to Queens flew by. Before they knew it, they were parking the van outside Betty's family residence.
"Ooh, they're here" Justin screamed to Ignacio as he pulled away from the front window. "Aww, they look so cute together Papi. Look at that, such a gentleman, opening the door for Betty...Aww" Hilda said as Ignacio walked over to the window to see for himself.
The door bell rang, Hilda adjusted herself and stood in the middle of the lounge room, whilst Ignacio went back to check what was on the stove and Justin ran to the door. He flung the door wide open, "Aunt Betty! Gio! So nice to see you guys again. I've missed you guys so much" Justin said as he hugged Betty tightly. Eventually prying herself from Justin's grip, she walked over to Hilda and gave her a kiss on each cheek, leaving the last welcome hug for her father. Gio followed Betty, giving Justin a little nudge on his right shoulder, an open hug and a kiss on Hilda's cheek and a manly handshake with Ignacio.
Gathering in the lounge room, Betty stood next to Gio and he put his arm around her waist. Justin offered to be the entertainment until dinner was ready to be served. Ignacio returned to the kitchen to put the finishing touches on the meal he was preparing whilst Hilda, Betty and Gio made themselves comfortable on the couches to watch Justin. He performed a routine that he's been working on for an upcoming cast call; finishing just on cue as Ignacio called everyone to the table for dinner.
Offering a chair to Betty, Gio waited til she was seated before occupying the seat next to her. The smell of the food was captivating and Gio couldn't help but question the mysterious herb he couldn't place. "Oregano, chilli powder and something else I can't quite put my tongue on. If you don't mind me asking, what is it Ignacio?" Surprised by his acute palette, Ignacio simply said, "Love my son. When you love your cooking, you put your all into it and that creates a whole different taste. I'm sure you understand with your sandwiches. From what I hear, they are something else also." "Oh thanks Ignacio. We'll have you guys over for dinner also and then you can taste my proper cooking!" "Gio, that's a fantastic idea!" said Hilda. Betty agreed silently by placing her free hand on his thigh under the table. Gio turned to look at Betty and saw that she had a large smile on her face also; he couldn't help but smile as well.
Whilst eating, conversations were erupting every few minutes, so many topics, so many voices; it was hard to keep up with all the news. Finally Betty spoke up about their recent achievements. "I'm writing my first real article for MODE" she spilled out excitedly. "Whaaaaaat? Get out!" Hilda shrilled. "Oh my god Aunt Betty, that is amazing. So what are you writing about?" asked Justin. Betty removed her hand from Gio's thigh, which she had been gently moving her hand in circles on throughout the night, so she could speak with her hands. "Well, I've got to cover the upcoming crazy fashions on the runways. Y'know, the really extravagant ones and why there is so many all of a sudden." "Oh yeah, I've noticed that...but don't quite know myself, I'll definitely be reading your article to find out Aunt Betty." "That's excellent news Betty, I'm so proud of you" said Hilda. "Ooh mija you'll do great. Knock 'em dead sweetie!" This time is was Gio's turn to put his hand on Betty's lap. Her eyes widened and she quickly looked at him, a little embarrassed, but no one noticed because of the smile that was still on her face. "Gio's got great news too! Tell them babe" Betty said sharing the spotlight with him. "Ohh thanks B, but I'm sure they're more interested in your successes." "Don't be silly Gio, you're part of this family as anybody is, please tell us your news" prompted Ignacio. "Oh alright, when you put it like that. Well I was approached by The Food Network. They are running a review on the deli and also, Mario Batali is helping me out with expanding the business." "Oh my gawwwwd!!" Shrieked Hilda, "that is fantastic news Gio, how could you want to keep that from us?" "We actually only made the decision yesterday. We thought long and hard about it and agreed that it is the right time to do something, so we jumped" explained Gio. Right now, Betty couldn't be more proud of Gio. She knew he was everything she needed and wanted to complete her life, and right now, her family accepted him like he was their son.
"Ok, well let me clear the table and clean the kitchen so it's ready for dessert" said Ignacio standing up from his chair. "I'll help you out with the dishes" offered Gio. The others went to their rooms to hang out for a few minutes. Gio had his hands in the sink, while Ignacio was pottering around the kitchen, he finally spoke, and "I can't believe how much great news the two of you have had in a matter of weeks. It's fantastic. You make a great team." "Yeah I know, it's great news and we do make a great team, I appreciate Betty a lot" said Gio half turning around from the sink. "I can see that" Ignacio said looking at Gio, smiling smugly and raising his eyebrows. "Ahh, Ignacio..." "Yeah Gio..." "I love Betty. I want to spend the rest of my days with her and start a family..." Cutting him off, Ignacio answered, "YES GIO!!!! Even more exciting news to look forward to!" "So I can have her hand in marriage?" Gio questioned. "Of course! When you came round to fix the basin in Hilda's shop, I just knew there was something very special about you and Betty. I am so glad it has worked out for the two of you." Ignacio turned Gio all the way around and gave him a strong hug. "Ahh, I'd hug you back, but my hands are wet!" "That's alright. So when are you planning on asking her?" "I haven't planned that far ahead; I wanted to get your approval first." "Well now that you've got, start cracking!" Both men chuckled and the rest of the family walked into the kitchen. "What's all the noise about?" Justin enquired. "Oh you know, two grown men sharing a good laugh." Ignacio replied, not wanting to give anything away.
After having dessert with an evening drink, Gio saw Betty yawn and decided that they should head back home. Getting up and heading to the door, they said their goodbyes and Ignacio winked at Gio, luckily no one else saw. Gio was thankful for that. He wanted to give Betty the biggest surprise when the time was right to pop the question. Getting into the van, Gio started the engine and then felt Betty's hand on his lap. He looked down and then looked at Betty, who was smiling with a sleepy look on her face. "Go to sleep babe, we'll be home soon." Putting the gear into first, the van left the curb side and they were on their journey home.
The drive home was quiet, and Betty fell asleep with her head leaning against the window, her hand still attached to Gio's thigh. He glanced over every now and then to watch her angelic face. She looked so beautiful with the moonlight shining on her face perfectly.