Summer, 1983 (I'll call you by mine)

So this is Love

The summer of 2008 had started like any other. With both boys graduated and in college, Oliver and Elio went on holidays. Jona had decided last year that he wanted to live in B and go to film school, it was hard for Oliver. It was easy to have one son living just two hours away but it was painful to have the other, the baby being thousands away. They were put to ease when he said he was going to be living in the guest house at Annella's. Jona had waited all summer to tell Elio and Oliver he thought it would be best not to start the summer with bad news. He was grown, graduated high school and he hadn't told them he applied to a school in Italy.

"You waited until now to tell us Jona, why?' Oliver was hurt that Jona would keep it from him.

"I knew you would act like this, dad I got into one of the best film school in the world. Plus I don't want to leave Lea. You told me when I was 16 that if it was true love you and papa wouldn't say anything."

"But I didn't know it would result in you being here, thousands of miles away."

"You and papa will be fine. For the first time in almost 25 years, it will just be the two of you again. Think of how great that would be."

"Yes I know that but we thought you'd be going to Columbia and living at home"

"I thought that too until I got my acceptance letter from here and seeing Lea again. I couldn't leave her again dad not when I had a choice to stay. I don't know how you did it, it must have torn your soul apart."

Oliver looked down at his left hand were a simple silver band sat on his ring finger. He and Elio had no ceremony, the just sat on their back patio drinking wine vowing themselves to each other for eternity.

"It did, which is why I can't be mad at you for doing this. I just wish you would have told me sooner."

                                                                      ***********

The Perlman-Adler house was in full swing, people were coming and going all hours of the day. Annella had the best caterers, florist, chief, and clergymen that B had to offer. If she would permit a wedding planner to enter her home Oliver thought they wouldn't do better than she was doing. Their lives had been uplifted not once but twice in the last few months. In May Jona called his parents to inform them that he had proposed to Lea and they had already set a date July 30th. Oliver and Elio were over the moon for their youngest. Even though he was 19 they were not going to tell him he was too young to get married. Jona was not a child anymore, no matter how much Oliver wanted him to be.

On the second night that summer everyone had been at home the outside table was full of family, friends and soon to be families. Jona stood with a glass of wine in his hand.

"We want to thank everyone who's ever supported us, I'm glad everyone made it home ok. I know next month it's going to be hectic around here. Plus we have some other news Lea and I are pregnant!" Jona braced himself he wasn't sure what the reaction to their announcement would be. He watched everyone's face, joy erupted around the table. Oliver nearly knocked the both of them over with his embrace.

"A grandbaby, oh I'm going to be a bubbeh!" Oliver let go of Jona turning to Elio. "Elio, I'm to be a bubbeh and you are going to be a?"

"Nonno," Elio answered embracing Oliver.

Christopher walked toward his little brother grabbing hold of his shoulders.

"You're going to be a dad?" Christopher asked almost tearing up.

"Yeah, I am. Sounds weird huh?"

"No, not weird at all. It's exciting. Love you, little brother."