Fate Interrupted

31. Family Matters

Ren

He just sort of stares at me for a second in shock at what I've just said.

"Fuck off," he utters low in complete disbelief, "Lauren, why would you even think that?!" he hisses quietly, his eyes intense, but then he seems to calm himself. "There's no way. He lives in Italy," he finishes matter-of-factly.

"How do you know he still does?" Unphased by his reaction.  "Your mom told you that a long time ago. Anyway, this isn't the first time I've seen him. I met this same man on my flight back from New York."

Wow. It makes perfect sense now, the look, the smile. 

"He sat right next to me."I continue. "The whole flight, I wondered why he looked damn familiar—like I knew him and didn't know why. But it's because of you!"

 Gio blinks and shakes his head, lost for words.

"The way he smiles... it's the exact way you smile! And his eyes...I didn't really get a good look either time, but I recognized them too. I saw your dad! He was having lunch at Misty's. He said he used to go there with his family. Gio, isn't that amazing? He said he's looking for his kids... he's looking for you!"

Gio was silent, his face expressionless.

"Gio... isn't that—"

"It's, it's a mistake," he says, interrupting me.

"How could that be?" I press. "Another Carlo with an Italian accent in Bayfield? Who was in the same roadhouse your mom practically lived at? Gio, you look like him... or at least you will."

Again, Gio looks lost. He starts to pace the empty dining room.

"Gio. Why can't he find you?"

He lays both hands on the counter. "I don't know," he says flatly.

"Are you going to try to find him?"

"No," he says calmly, but he is gripping the edge countertop, and his breathing is noticeable through his shirt.

"You're mad at him still?" 

He raises his voice. "Of course, I'm mad at him still, Ren! He left us!" gesturing at me with his hands, but then looks around. "Ugh! Let's talk about this in the car. I don't want the landlady thinking we fight," he mutters.

I quickly finish off the form, and we exit the house. She is sitting on the front porch in the sun, waiting for us, and I hand her the application along with the deposit. We thank her for showing us the place and that we hope everything checks out. She says she'll let us know shortly. A thousand butterflies flap wildly in my stomach as I follow Gio back to his car. 

He pulls out and gets back on the road, heading home. We drive for a while in silence, but Gio's practically grinding his teeth. I give him a bit to think about things before I ask anything more.

"So what happened... with your Dad? You've never really told me much," I finally venture.

Gio speaks without taking his eyes off the road. "I had only just turned six when he left, Ren. I don't remember a whole lot. Chiara was two, and Ben was thirteen. I do remember my mom struggling to take care of all of us. It wasn't fair! He went off to chase some dream of his, and we got stuck in Bayfield."

"Stuck in Bayfield? I thought you loved it there?"

"I love it now, but not at the time! It was supposed to be temporary! It didn't always have that addition out back. At first, it was just a tiny two-bedroom house—smaller than that house we just saw. Three kids in one little room. We used to live in a nicer, bigger house closer to San Francisco."