Nadia's POV
Today is finally thanksgiving.
The house gradually got fuller over the past two days. The grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles and inlaws all showed up in large groups. That meant that I was interrogated by several people multiple times a day.
They all looked so defeated after I clarified that I wasn't Mateo's girlfriend. I was simply his friend. We were friends.
Right, friends. Friends who kiss, fuck and practically live together.
I heard stories of POC who experienced racism in Italy but I haven't so far. Well to be fair, I haven't left the house. We're going sightseeing tomorrow so I guess that will be the actual test. As for the elders in the house, I am yet to see a nasty side glance. They came to terms with their family being interracial since I'm not the only POC here.
"You know Italians don't traditionally celebrate Thanksgiving," Mateo said while I got ready for dinner.
"Really?" I asked in disbelief while holding up two sweaters for him to choose from.
He pointed toward the cream one so I put it on over my bra. My outfit consisted of light blue straight-leg jeans, a cream sweater and beige loafers. I put my hair into a side part halo flat twist and added gold accessories like a necklace, bracelets and stud earrings.
"Why?" I asked sitting down at the vanity to put on my makeup.
"They don't see the need for a specific day to appreciate people in your life. We're generally family oriented so it doesn't change anything. Many refer to it as La Festa del Tacchino which means The Turkey Party. It's more of an American thing but since our family is so interblended, we do thanksgiving," he explained and I hummed in response.
I knew Thanksgiving was a predominantly western celebration but I didn't know that there were countries that chose not to celebrate it. America really is a place of its own.
He stood up and walked toward me. I just watched him from the mirror while blending in my concealer. He stood behind me and caged me in his arms while I sat dumbfounded.
He just watched me tentatively before turning my head to face his. The kiss was as unexpected as it was quick. I would have thought I simply blinked if he still wasn't in my face when I opened my eyes.
"I didn't want to mess up your lipstick just yet. That will be my mission later on tonight," he moved back to his seat on the bed and I tried my best not to turn to fairy dust on the stool.
His phone started ringing and he answered it.
"Yes," I rolled my eyes at his response.
I told him numerous times that he can't just answer a phone like that but he claims that he has no time or concern for pleasantries.
The conversation was from there on so I couldn't understand anything after that so I focused on my makeup.
I put on a wine red lip stain to give my lips some colour without worrying about lipstick while I ate. My look was minimalistic but gave me a sense of safety for what I was about to walk out to. It was made up of concealer on any uneven patches, mascara on my bare eyelids and lip stain. Natural and clean.
"Just send it over to my email," Mateo hung up and I laughed at his annoyed expression.
"Trouble?" I asked turning to face him.
He simply hummed but brushed it off. I assume he didn't want to talk about it so I won't pressure him.
"Let's head down. Everyone should be arriving soon,"
We walked downstairs and he was right. Five minutes later, cars started rolling into the driveway.
I stood with Isabel and seven other women in our age range. Two of them were Mateo's cousins but the other five were married into the family.
I remember the two cousins from Luisa's baby shower. Mari is the taller and more sociable brunette while Gina is more introverted. Both lovely women regardless.
Luisa is here with the kids as well. She and Sebastian have three beautiful kids. All girls. Apparently, female kids have been running the Hernandez family for the last generation because I can count the number of boys on a single hand.
"Dinner's ready. Come to the backyard," Marcello shouted and everyone shuffled to the backyard.
The backyard had been decorated and now looked fit for outdoor Gala dinner. The patio was cleared and a buffet-style setup was there with a variety of food on display. The actual backyard had many white linen-covered tables put close together. The main colours were white and gold. The chairs, cutlery and dishes had gold accents to them.
I stood next to Isabel in the front of the half moon we formed facing Marcello.
He called forward one of the grandmothers to say grace and after that, the buffet was opened.
The mom's served the kids before everyone else took their food and set down.
I decided on two pieces of lasagna, garlic bread and stuffed olive salad on the side.
"Aren't you going to take more food? You last ate during breakfast," a voice asked in my ear making me jump.
"Geez Mateo. For someone so big you're quiet. You nearly gave me a heart attack," I scolded and he just smiled sheepishly.
"And no, I'm okay with what's on my plate,"
"Hmm, okay. Let's go sit down," he took my plate from my hands and started walking to the table.
Seeing as my food was in his hands, I had no choice but to follow. He stopped at the end of the table next to his parents and siblings along with his siblings' partners.
I met them earlier today so I greeted and sat down in between Mateo and Isabel. Opposite me were Sebastian and Luisa. Next to each of them were the kids. The youngest sat on Luisa's lap, babbling about something in baby language.
The table was filled with chatter, conversation and laughter and I couldn't help but miss my own family.
Every Thanksgiving my mom would let me spice the turkey and make dessert. Cassandra would do the salads because of her luck in the kitchen. The tradition carried on even after our parents passed. We'd set the table with a place for everyone. Two empty chairs and plates for my parents. This year, however, I'd have three empty spaces at the table. It would just be me. Grace would of course be there but it would actually just be me. I'm the last of my direct family that I know of and it kills me. I don't have the privilege of hosting a Thanksgiving with a turnout of this number. I only had myself left.
"Are you okay?" Mateo whispered to me and rubbed the hand on my lap.
I nodded and looked back up to my food.
Before he could question me further, the sudden silence of the backyard made both of us look around for the cause.
"Ciao Famiglia, did you miss me?" a man who strongly resembled Mateo asked through the silence with a proud smirk.
(Translation: hello family)
My eyes bulged out of my head as I turned to Mateo to make sure it wasn't him standing there and this wasn't a glitch in the matrix.
A very pissed Mateo confirmed that this indeed was not a glitch in the matrix but my current reality. He was having a staring, well more like glaring, contest with the man in front of the patio.
"Isaac," Marcello said in slight shock.
I assume that the man's name is Isaac because he turned his gaze to Marcello. He walked to the table and sat down next to Sebastian. Lily had left to play with the other kids so the seat was empty.
"Where the hell have you been? You just disappeared from the face of the earth" Marcello shouted and Isaac simply shrugged his shoulders before reaching for the bottle of wine in front of Sebastian.
"I needed time to reset," he stated and sipped from his drink while holding Mateo's glare.
"We'll talk about this after dinner. Go serve yourself," Julia stated and Isaac claimed that he wasn't hungry.
The entire backyard watched this interaction quietly. The only sound occasionally made was that of cutlery on plates.
I decided to ignore the drama around me and finish my salad. Sadly that made Isaac's gaze shift to me.
"Aren't you going to introduce me to your new girl brother? Or is the wound still fresh?" Isaac asked Mateo and I looked up to face him.
Isaac looked exactly like Mateo. The only difference was their nose bridges. Isaac had a more crocked nose bridge. His eyes were different too. The same colour but they were uneasy. Like he has hidden agendas. He was slightly more slender compared to Mateo's build.
"No, I won't," Mateo nearly growled out and I gulped in fear but Isaac seemed unfazed.
"Hmm, well I'm Isaac. The Hernandez family black sheep and this guy's number one enemy. After himself of course," Isaac greeted and extended his arm in my direction but it fell back along with Isaac.
Mateo punched him from over the table and stormed off into the house.
"Still throwing tantrums I see," Isaac shouted while holding his tie to his bleeding nose.
I looked at Isabel and she nodded toward the house and I went in the direction of Mateo.
He had stormed out of the house and got in his car before driving off. I was left defeated as I watched his lights disappear into the night.
The rest of my night was spent avoiding Isaac like the plague. He got his nose cleaned up and his parents brought him into the office. After their meeting, he waltzed around the house looking like an elephant in allergy season.
I hid away in Mateo's room. I hoped that he wouldn't come in here and he didn't. That plus I was waiting for Mateo to return from wherever he went.
He wasn't picking up his phone when I tried calling so I gave up.
"Please be safe," I sent in a text and that went straight to delivered too.
It was now almost 1 am and Mateo's door finally opened.
I laid there in silence as he walked in and began undressing. He climbed in behind me and cuddled into my back.
He sighed and I lifted my hand to rub his around my waist.
"Isaac is my twin brother," he started and I just listened.
"He was always better than me at most things as kids. Sports. Academics. Popularity. He got all the girls when we were younger too. We went our separate ways for college. I went to study business and technology while he went to play football," he took a deep breath and I squeezed his hand in comfort.
"College is where it all went downhill for him. He suffered a permanent injury that stopped him from playing. That's when my parents found out that he wasn't that book smart either. He moved back here while I continued studying. I met a girl in my first year of university. Her name was Zoe. She was everything I wanted in a woman. Beautiful, funny and so smart. She had goals and that made me believe that we were meant to be. I was wrong about that part,"
"Everything was going great and I proposed to her after we graduated. I used my first paycheck to buy her her dream wedding ring and I was willing on spending my entire savings just to give her her dream wedding. I brought her back to Italy with me to meet my parents and Isaac. She also mentioned wanting us to wed in the place I grew up in. I was so proud of what I accomplished. I graduated and I had a beautiful fiancé. My degree and Zoe were my prized possessions. They were all I had that Isaac didn't. Sadly a month into being in Italy, I caught Zoe cheating on me with Isaac. I ended things there and then but Isaac has a way of one-upping me and Zoe ended up pregnant. The timing stated that it was his"
I'm pretty sure I stopped breathing at this point because I took a deep breath in before Mateo continued. He sounded so hurt talking about this but I could tell that he needed this.
"Pregnancy changed Zoe. Isaac changed her. She became depressed and it worsened when she lost the baby halfway through carrying. She couldn't take it anymore after that and killed herself. Overdose,"
It just keeps getting harder to hear.
"In her note, she stated how unbearable it was living with the fact that I would never forgive her and the only reason she didn't do it sooner was that she was pregnant. I blamed myself for her death for a very long time. I still do," he finished and let out a small sob into my neck.
I turned and let him cry into my chest while I hugged him and ran my hands through his hair.
That's how he fell asleep. Holding onto me while I held him and let him be the broken man that he is.