A Hart To Call Home

Chapter Thirty Six

As he walked into the house, Luca heard Andre on the phone. His letter was sitting next to him, and his eyes were bloodshot and puffy. He glanced to see Carly in the kitchen making coffee; once she had it started, she walked back upstairs silently with her letter in hand.

"Most likely, we'll wait a few weeks," Andre said, "but I need to talk to Luca about it. No, please don't come early, we'll be fine. I'll keep you posted."

"Who was that? Are you on dad's phone?"

"Aunt Sophia, I have to let everyone know. I figured it'd be easier to use dad's phone," Andre answered. "All the contacts are in there."

"Why are you doing it right now?" Luca asked irritably, "it's been like ten hours. Can we wait?"

"It's not going to get any easier to make these calls," Andre sighed, "I'd rather get it done."

"Then send a group text," Luca said dryly as he grabbed stuff from the fridge for breakfast.

"Luca, don't," Andre groaned. "We should figure out the funeral stuff. Everyone is asking me when."

"Pick a day; everything else is done already." Luca cracked some eggs into a pan and started scrambling them.

"It is?" Andre looked up in surprise.

"All you have to do is call the funeral director and tell her when," Luca confirmed.

"How about two weeks, a Saturday, work for you? It will give everyone time to make their travel arrangements."

"I don't care, Andre," he said coldly, "do it whenever."

"Of course, you care," he spat back.

"It's a funeral. It doesn't bring him back." Luca turned down the heat as he added in some cheese.

"It gives everyone else a chance to say goodbye," Andre countered.

"The same people that never came to see him alive?"

"Luca, come on, none of this is easy!" Andre snapped.

"So don't do it right now!" Luca yelled back, "give it a day too. I don't know. Never mind, do what you got to do."

He slammed the pan of eggs down on the table and started towards the door just as Kit walked back inside.

"Luca?" She looked from Luca to Andre with a worried gaze.

"I need to get out of there for a while. I'll be back later." He softened his voice as he spoke to her.

"Where are you going? I can come with you," she offered.

"Baby, I love you, but I need a second alone, okay?"

"Okay, yeah, I understand," she reached for his arm and squeezed it. "I'll be here when you get back."

He swallowed back a tornado of emotions he wasn't ready to face sober and in the light of day. He ducked out of the house, feeling guilty for leaving Kit alone with her grief. Hopefully, she did understand.

He drove right to the Willow grill, it wasn't even ten yet, so the parking lot was nearly empty. He walked up to the bar, and Stone looked up from his phone. His eyes instantly filled with pity, so Kit must've texted him already.

"Luca, I'm so sorry."

"Don't," Luca said as he sat on a stool. "I just need to forget for the day. Get me the poison."

"I'm sorry, man. Not in your state of mind, and not this early in the day."

"Stone, really?"

"Yes, really."