"This is delicious," Hazel began as she looked down at her near empty plate. She had taken one bite, and the next thing she knew, it was gone. Hazel used a napkin to wipe her mouth. Her eyes moved to look at Frank. "What was it called?"

"I don't remember," Frank began with a mouthful of food. "Sorry."

Hazel smiled at him. She loved the little breakfast dates they had been having. It was full of great company and great food. Even if it was only with Frank. Who was great company of course.

"Don't be sorry. It's cute," Hazel commented. She took a sip of her drink. "How's your grandma?"

"Good. She keeps telling me to stop calling," Frank answered. Hazel's eyes widened. "Well, that sounds bad. She just doesn't want me to call her five times a day."

"Five?!" Hazel repeated. A blush came to Frank's face.

"Is that bad?" Frank questioned.

"It's not bad, but I can see why she wants you not to call so much," Hazel commented. Frank nodded and finished his drink. As the ticket was brought to them, he pulled out some cash.

"I'm just worried about her," Frank sighed. "She's all by herself. The neighbors promised to check on her, but what if something happens while I'm not there."

"Frank, nothing is going to happen. I promise you. Your grandma is going to be fine," Hazel said. "It's perfectly fine to worry, but don't ruin your vacation. Okay? She would be upset if she knew that you weren't enjoying yourself."

"I am enjoying myself," Frank promised. "I have to worry about her, though. No one else will."

Hazel frowned. She knew that Frank didn't have any siblings and that his mother passed away. She slowly spoke, "Do you have any cousins you know of?"

"Yeah. My mom's brother moved back to China with his family. I've only received a few cards for the holidays. I do have some extended cousins who live in the states. But they don't really visit my grandma. I think the last time they came over was when I was ten."

"That's terrible," Hazel said. She looked at Frank. "Maybe... I can come over for the holidays?"

"I would love that," Frank said. "My grandma would too. She loves you."

Hazel smiled brightly. She spoke, "You could try calling two times a day instead. After breakfast and maybe dinner?"

"Yeah. That's a good idea," Frank agreed. He sat back in his seat. "Are you ready for this hall of fame event?"

"No! I haven't decided on a dress. Piper hasn't been any help because she keeps showing me new dresses. I think she is doing it on purpose," Hazel huffed. "I'm excited to see Reyna's speech. I hope she doesn't throw up in the middle of it."

"She's not going to do that, is she?" Frank asked.

"She might," Hazel began. Frank laughed before quickly stopping.

"Sorry. That's a terrible thing to laugh at," Frank said. "Do you think Lupa is going to wear her blue jeans again?"

"I think the question is if she is going to wear jeans that have holes in them or not," Hazel said. Frank grinned.

"Any plans after this?" Frank asked.

"Nico asked me to go somewhere with him. He didn't give me any details and sounded almost sad. I wasn't sure. I wonder if it has something to do with Will's mom and he's just stressed," Hazel explained.

"That's probably what it is," Frank agreed. "How's your leg?"

"Getting better," Hazel said as she tapped her crutches. "Now, let's have some desserts."

"I can change," Hazel began as she stared at Nico. He was wearing a suit and tie. The suit had no wrinkles or stray hair. It looked like it had gone from the dry cleaner's bag to Nico's body. His hair was even brushed.

"You don't have to," Nico said as he led Hazel toward the car. A look inside showed that Reyna was sitting in the driver's seat. She seemed to be playing with GPS. Will sat in the backseat and looked just as confused as Hazel felt.

"Come on," Nico said. He sat in the passenger's seat. Hazel sat in the back and glanced over at Will. He just shrugged at her. Hazel looked back at the passenger seat. She rested the crutches near her and nearly whacked Will.

"Sorry!"

"Wouldn't be the first time, but it's okay."

Hazel focused back on Nico. He was staring out the window, but she could see his reflection in the side mirror. His jaw was clenched tightly, and there was water in his eyes. Nico blinked a few times and let out a shaky breath.

Reyna reached over and squeezed Nico's shoulder. Then, she started to drive. Hazel glanced at Will, "Enjoying Rome?"

"It's so beautiful," Will replied. "I've walked into a few poles staring at the skyline. Nico has laughed at me every time."

"That sounds like him," Hazel said as she stared at the mirror. Will followed her gaze. "Is your mom having fun?"

"Oh yeah. Her and Sally are getting along well," Will answered. He smiled. "Lupa, too. I think they have gone to five brunches so far."

Hazel laughed slightly and studied Nico. He looked on the verge of tears. What was going on? Her gaze moved to Reyna. In that moment, Reyna was stoic. Her gaze shot between the road and GPS. And Nico just looked ready to cry.

"I'm sorry," Nico said from the front seat. He slowly turned to look at them. "It's going to be easier to just show. I d...don't think I can explain right now."

Hazel nodded and sat forward. She gently grabbed Nico's hand and squeezed it tightly. He didn't say a word, but the appreciation was in his eyes. Hazel leaned against the front seat and spoke, "We still need to do our double date."

"We will," Nico promised.

"Need a plus one?" Reyna joked as she made a turn. When the rest of the car was silent, Reyna sighed dramatically. "It was just a joke."

"I wanted to make a joke but it felt mean," Hazel began.

"Me too," Will said. "Something about a triple date with you and your..."

"And my what?" Reyna asked. She studied Will using the rearview mirror and raised an eyebrow.

"Ego."

"Dogs."

"McDonald's."

"I don't even like McDonald's that much," Reyna complained. "And I do not have an ego, Nico!"

"It's one of our favorite parts about you," Hazel commented. Reyna flipped all of them off. She focused on the road. It was quiet for a few more minutes. Nico ended up sitting ahead and sinking more and more into his seat. It wasn't until they pulled into a graveyard that Hazel started to understand.

Reyna parked the car. Nico got out of the car and took a deep breath. Will helped Hazel out of the car, and Reyna grabbed the crutches to help as well. As they all got settled, Nico looked at them and spoke softly, "Follow me."

The four of them quietly walked through the graveyard. Nico kept his gaze ahead, but his eyes were glazed over. Reyna placed a gentle hand to his back and tapped it. She then shoved her hands into her pockets and followed Nico. Hazel and Will were a step behind.

Hazel studied the plot along the land. Some were well taken care of with roses or candles. Others were overgrown. Hazel looked at the skyline. The clouds were dark overhead, but the hill they were walking up gave them a beautiful view of the city. Nico stopped for a moment.

"Mama always said she wanted a view," Nico said. He swallowed painfully. "So that there would always be something beautiful in her life."

Will gave Hazel a confused look. She stepped closer and spoke, "His mother passed when he was younger. I guess this is..."

"Oh."

Hazel squeezed Will's elbow. They stopped at the top of the hill in front of two gravestones. There were three feet between the two, and that space was filled with flowers. The grass looked freshly trimmed. Nico looked back at the group and spoke, "I hired someone to clean it every week."

Nico opened his jacket and pulled out a long thin box. Upon opening it, there were two roses inside. Nico placed one rose on each gravestone. Hazel's eyes studied the etched names.

"Hey mama. Hey Bianca," Nico said as he took a step back. He went to continue, but his breath hitched. Reyna reached out to grab his shoulder. Hazel stepped near her and grabbed Nico's hand. Will grabbed Nico's other hand.

"This is my best friend: Reyna. She's a pain in my ass," Nico said. He choked on another sob. "You would really like her, Bianca. And this is my b..b...boyfriend. His name is Will, and I think you would have really liked him. He makes sure I eat healthy, and he hates it when I eat McDonald's. Just like you did."

"And this is Hazel. She's my half sister. You two would have gotten along great. And mama, you would have really liked her. She treats me well. Better than I deserve. I love her," Nico said with a tremor in his voice. "I wanted them to meet you, and I know you're not here and this doesn't matter. But..."

The sobs hit Nico, wracking his whole body. Hazel didn't hesitate to throw her crutches aside and pull him into a hug. After a moment, she felt muscular arms wrap around both of them. Another set of arms joined after that. And the three of them held Nico tightly as he cried in front of the graves of his mother and sister.