Meet the Parents - Cross

Nestled amongst the ranch-style homes on Jason's street sat his family home, blending in unassumingly with the other houses down the block. A crisp American flag flapped proudly in the hot desert breeze, always swapped for one in pristine condition should it begin to fade. Jason pulled his Jeep into the driveway and Kelsi took in the deep bungalow sprawling over a well manicured lawn. As they stepped out, the front door flew open and a figure appeared in the doorway, waving excitedly at them. Jason took Kelsi's hand and led her along the path past a few ornate garden statues that kept watch over the home.

"Aaahh! Jason, mio figlio (my son)! You made it this time!" Lucia laughed as she wrapped him in a massive hug with kisses on his cheeks. Kelsi couldn't help but giggle as Jason returned the typical Italian greeting of kisses on both cheeks.

"Ciao, ma," he said, with Kelsi giving him a raised eyebrow. She dismissed it however, assuming he must know a few words here and there.

Lucia responded by abruptly pushing Jason to the side and wrapping Kelsi in a hug as well.

"Oh mio Dio, la bella Kelsi! It is so good to have you join us mia cara (my dear)!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Cross!" Kelsi replied, receiving the kisses on her cheeks although still a bit shy to return them.

"Vieni dentro!" she said jubilantly, only the wave of her hand and Jason pushing her forward by the small of her back giving Kelsi instruction on what was being said.

"Ma, per favore taglia l'italiano per ora, it's not fair to Kelsi," he said, letting the phrase roll off his tongue fluently.

Kelsi looked at him with wide eyes. "Um, when were you planning to share that?"

Jason raked a nervous hand through his hair, "it's a family thing really, I don't use it much."

"Ah of course," she said with a wave of her hand, "English only, maybe Jason will teach you a bit sometime. Well, Kelsi, welcome to our home, it's so lovely to have you. After our brief meeting yesterday, I wasn't sure you'd be up to it," she laughed as she led them down the hall to the focal point of her home. The scent of simmering tomato sauce and garlic greeted them, a familiar comfort against the backdrop of New Mexico's distinct piñon aroma. Kelsi breathed deep and it instantly clicked as to where Jason would have learned to cook so well.

"Oh and do call me Lucia, dear," she chuckled, ushering them through the kitchen. "We've all heard plenty about you at the book club, your mom and I have been going for years. She's always talking about your spectacular shows at Juilliard."

Jason playfully nudged Kelsi. "The moms really do know everything, Kels. Be warned," he said with a wink. She continued on through a quick tour of their home before they settled in the living room, some of the opulent furniture holding onto a touch of European heritage. Kelsi settled on the couch, Lucia's kind gaze making her feel at ease.

"So, tell me all about the latest show, Kelsi!" The conversation flowed easily, Lucia's genuine interest in Kelsi's life quickly dispelling any initial awkwardness. She warmed up under Lucia's attentive gaze, sharing her dreams of teaching or opening her own music studio.

"Wow that's exciting!" Lucia remarked, "Lina has always said you were quite shy, I wouldn't expect you would want to teach."

"I guess I just felt like I was at the point where I was good enough that I could start passing it on or at least help other aspiring musicians. I'm being considered for a tutoring position this fall so I guess that will be my trial by fire, but helping others grow in their musical ability is where I want to put my skills to use."

"You'd be an amazing teacher," Jason said as he slid his hand into hers, "and it's not just piano, you should hear her sing too, Ma, absolutely beautiful."

Kelsi blushed, particularly remembering his compliments on her singing in the shower.

Jason chimed in with more stories of their adventure at the farmers market the day before, his face glowing with the excitement of their new relationship. "How's the Cross vineyard doing this summer?" he asked.

Lucia's eyes lit up. "Ah yes! Come Kelsi, you must see the backyard," Lucia's said, her eyes twinkling. "They're absolutely thriving! Come, let me show you." She led Jason and Kelsi out the back door, where a small but verdant vineyard climbed gracefully over a row of trellises, a white iron table and chair set resting beneath the thick vines and lush green leaves. Sunlight filtered through the plump clusters of deep red grapes, casting an ethereal glow.

"These Montepulciano grapes are my pride and joy," Lucia said, brushing a hand over a leaf. "I brought these shoots all the way from my family's vineyard in Italy years ago."

Kelsi's eyes widened in surprise. "That's amazing!" she exclaimed, receiving a small grape from Jason that he offered for her to taste. The flavour was impeccable, sweet, but laced with a rustic tone, remnants of the old world they came from. "And what do you do with the grapes?"

"There's a wonderful family-run winery here in New Mexico that uses the traditional Italian method," Lucia explained, "they turn them into the most delicious homemade wine for us. I'll be harvesting for this years batch at the end of the summer."

"Best stuff you ever tasted, Kels," Jason added.

Lucia turned back to her trailing vines. The sight of them never failed to transport her mind back to the vineyards of Italy, their familiar fragrance rich amidst the dry desert air of New Mexico. "These grapes are like little pieces of home for me," Lucia said, her voice softening as she cradled a small cluster in her hand. "Every time I tend to them, I feel connected to my family, to all the hands that have cared for these vines before me. I'm always delighted to share it with others."

"Hey hey hey!" a cheerful voice called from the patio door, "who let this pain in the ass back in here?"

Jason whirled around, surprised, but glad to hear it. He took Kelsi's hand and strolled back towards the door with her. "Blame Mom, she keeps inviting me back," he answered. The man stepped out onto the patio and met Jason with a big hug, still dressed in his military uniform after a day on the job. Kelsi didn't have to guess if this was his father, Jason was the spitting image of him with the same dark hair and soft features. He obviously got his handsome American looks from his father and his European culture from his mother.

"Dad, this is Kelsi Nielsen," Jason said, his voice tinged with a mix of pride and nervousness. "Kelsi, this is my dad, Master Sergeant Mark Cross, Master Gunner at New Mexico National Army Guard."

"Nice to meet you, sir," Kelsi said with an extended hand, her voice a bit higher pitched than usual from a mix of anticipation and apprehension. Mark offered a firm handshake, a lifetime of discipline and experience etched into his face, though softened by a hint of amusement at her obvious nerves.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kelsi," he said, "think I heard something about you in the past few weeks." She blushed a little and turned to Jason who shrugged back.

"Yeah, so I told them how amazing you are, shoot me," he said, bringing a raised eyebrow from Mark. Jason pointed a playful finger at him, "not you. You won't miss."

"Don't tempt me," Mark snickered.

"How do you know I won't miss? I could hold my own at the fall fair," Kelsi said with a shove at Jason's shoulder, bringing a raise of his eyebrow at her.

"Maybe you should find out, Jase," Mark laughed as Lucia walked up to join them all, carrying a cluster of the ripe grapes with her.

"Ah welcome home, mi amore," she said, stepping up to give Mark a kiss on the cheek, "just in time for lunch."

"That was the plan," Mark said as he followed Lucia into the house, "sorry for the extra shift today, Lu, anything I can do?" They retreated hand in hand back into the kitchen, Jason following with Kelsi as they stepped out of the afternoon heat.

"So, you're a Master Gunner, Mr. Cross?" Kelsi asked, her voice filled with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation. "That sounds…intense and I have no idea what it means."

Mark chuckled, a deep, resonant sound that held a lifetime of experiences. "It can be. It's the division that oversees the maintenance and operation of armoured vehicles. The responsibility of ensuring all crews understand their machines intimately, can operate them effectively, and, most importantly, bring everyone home safely is my role now as a trainer."

"Wow, that's definitely intense," she said, "do you fix the vehicles too?"

"Yes and no, I'm not a mechanic, but it's part of my training to teach troubleshooting, what to do when the machine is damaged under fire."

"She asks because she likes engines too," Jason said with a playful nudge at her shoulder, smiling with a hint of pride over her hidden interests.

"Is that right?" Mark asked, a slight look of curiosity in his eyes.

"Well my dad taught me a lot, and I can do some basic maintenance stuff," she answered.

Mark shared a knowing glance with Jason, he was surprised, but impressed with her nonetheless.

"Alright everyone, let's get this lunch going! Jason, aiuta tua madre per favore!" Lucia called as she waved him over. Jason kissed Kelsi's cheek, motioning to the table for her to have a seat while he joined his mother at the counter. Kelsi watched them work as she sat down, giggling at the exchange when Jason nearly dropped a glass as he took them out of the cupboard.

"Shit," he muttered as he fumbled the glass and caught it before it could crash to the counter. Lucia promptly smacked the back of his head.

"Attento alla bocca!" she said, shaking her head, "you boys are so foul mouthed sometimes!"

Jason glanced up at Kelsi with a wink. She smiled back, they both knew his mother had no idea how foul mouthed he could get.

Mark sat down opposite to Kelsi and spread out the plates and cutlery. "So Kelsi, Jason tells us you're on scholarship at Juilliard, how's that going for you?" he asked.

"I love it, sir, music is pretty much my life," she answered, "not just the shows we get to work on, but I I'm up for a tutoring position this fall. I hope to be able to teach music for a career."

"I know how you feel about that," he replied, "there's something special about teaching the next generation what I know, allows me to continue serving, to pass on what I've learned, while also enjoying a slower pace of life."

"Yeah I don't want to keep this love of music all to myself," she said as Jason and Lucia brought lunch to the table.

"Alright, here's the famous meatball sandwiches I was telling you about," Jason announced as he sat down beside Kelsi. Lucia took the chair opposite him and the trimmings made their way around the table.

"Yes, this is another old family recipe, homemade sauce just the way my grandparents made it," Lucia said proudly, passing a garden salad to Mark.

"Were you born in Italy, Lucia?" Kelsi asked.

"Yes, I lived there until I was five years old, then my family immigrated to the States and we settled in Philadelphia for a while, until my father's business ventures moved us to Arkansas," she said as she gently took Mark's hand in hers, "that's where we met,"

"Tell her about it, you guys, it's a great story," Jason said, taking a bite of his sandwich.

"Well I grew up in Pine Bluff on a farm, just a blink and you'll miss it town," Mark leaned back in his seat as he told the tale, "we didn't have much so when it came time to go to college I decided to join the army and get my education that way. I studied engineering, but found my career in the armoured devision, guess the draw of those big machines I grew up around still lingered."

"I was in college myself when we met," Lucia added in, "just some basic business courses. I had planned to join my father's business with my brother and sister."

A ghost of a smile played on Jason's lips, watching his parents reminisce.

"A fellow soldier was throwing a barbecue," Mark continued, a nostalgic glint in his eyes. "Other soldiers and a mix of people from all over. Why were you there again, Lu?"

"My cousin was in the army and had set me up on a date with one of his bunk mates or whatever," she rolled her eyes.

"Well that brought you there and I heard her singing around the piano, one of the guys who was in the army band was entertaining on the keys and she joined in on an old love song. I can't remember what it was because she mesmerized me out of my senses."

Lucia chuckled, a blush creeping up her cheeks. "Oh, don't be so dramatic, mi amour."

"But it's true," Mark insisted, glancing at Kelsi, her eyes widened.

"Really? Had you always been a singer, Lucia?"

"Oh yes, we would gather in our living room on many nights. My mother, that's Nonna Pia, she plays the piano too, we would sing along with my father. brother, and sister, singing traditional Italian songs before bedtime," she replied, her voice warm. "They've been passed down through generations in our family."

"That's amazing," Kelsi said. "I'd love to hear those sometime, hearing traditional songs from different cultures is so inspiring."

The conversation flowed, Lucia regaling Kelsi with tales of boisterous family gatherings filled with music and laughter. Mark, ever the charmer, interjected about his persistence in winning Lucia over.

"It took him six proposals, can you believe it?" Lucia said, shaking her head with a smile.

Kelsi's eyes darted between them. "Six?" she asked with surprise.

"Lu wasn't too keen on my career choice at first." Mark's expression softened. "She worried about deployments, about the dangers."

Lucia took hold of his hand with a gentle squeeze. "I was," she admitted, her voice laced with a hint of past worry, "but eventually, I understood how much it meant to him. And his love for me...well, that finally convinced me to take a chance."

"When she finally said yes, I got stationed here in Albuquerque, it was hard those early years with lots of deployments, but we made it work," he said, "then it got tougher to be away so much, Lucia so often alone with the boys, her parents were a huge part of making it work, but it was all worth it, wouldn't you agree, Lu?"

Lucia leaned against him, her voice a low murmur. "Absolutely, we struggled for many years, it wasn't easy, but you did your service to our home and we're proud of you," she sighed, "the love and strength of family got us through."

"You must have been overseas then, sir?" Kelsi asked.

"Yes, many different places, the Balkans was my first major deployment," Mark began, his gaze turning distant. "Peacekeeping, but the reality was anything but. We secured borders, stopped arms smuggling, and protected civilians caught in the chaos." He paused, then continued, "Our tanks were shields as we assisted in a village that had been nearly destroyed. People fleeing, smoke choking. We evacuated dozens, but the fear in their eyes..." He trailed off, the memory etched deep. "Challenging times, but they made me more grateful for the peace we have." Kelsi listened intently, her earlier nervousness replaced by a wave of emotion that washed over her. The weight of Mark's experience settled heavily, a stark contrast to her own sheltered life.

"Oh my," she stammered, her voice heavy as she looked down at her plate. "I can't imagine…" The gravity of his words hung heavy in the air. She stole a glance at Jason, his expression unreadable. A new layer of understanding settled on her. Jason had mentioned his dad being gone a lot, but this glimpse into his past painted a harrowing picture. Under the table, she intertwined her fingers with his. The weight he must have carried through his childhood, worrying for his father, it was more than any kid should have to bear. She squeezed his hand gently, offering assurance that she wasn't going anywhere.

He smiled at her, the comfort of her touch conveying her heart to him.

"Well enough about that, I shouldn't get everyone hung up on old war stories," Mark said. "Before I forget Jase, I wasn't able to get the bike back yet, that chain was still slipping and Ed has to keep it a bit longer, still can't get the parts."

"That's alright Dad, there's always the spring."

Kelsi looked quickly between Mark and Jason. "You guys ride motorcycles?" she asked, wondering how many skills her guy could possibly have.

"Sure do," Mark answered. "I've got a 2001 Kawasaki GPZ900R. Guess after riding on the back with me so much, Jase couldn't wait to get his motorcycle endorsement and get to ride on his own." He turned to Jason, "Although, one of these days you'll need to stop stealing my bike and get your own." He laughed with Jason as Kelsi looked on in amazement.

"I'd like to go for a ride with you sometime, Jason, that sounds fun!"

He squeezed her thigh, his message clear. She could go for ride whenever she wanted.

Lucia stood and began to clear the plates. "Even without your reckless activities, boys, it will be spectacular summer this year. Jason, there are so many members of the family coming for the tomato sauce this year," she remarked. "Andrew and Jenny of course, and Nonna Pia, aunts and uncles and maybe your cousins! It will be so much fun, Tia Maria said the harvest was splendid this year." Kelsi smiled and squeezed Jason's hand a little tighter. She felt in that moment a sense of belonging and connection, his family who hadn't even met her was already welcoming her.