The Loner and Her

Chapter Seven : Family

The Moretti Residence is a two story penthouse apartment in Manhattan, New York. A place where Salvatore and Filomina Moretti stay now in their retirement.

It's a very beautiful place. Often admired by family and friends. Gia has her own bedroom, and it's pink. She doesn't like the color much, but it's a color her grandmother picked out specifically for her.

The elevator ride up to the penthouse, Rosa's hand kept shaking as she constantly shifts around, holding her duffle bag in one hand.

Gia notices, "Mom, calm down."

Rosa sighs, "I'm just nervous. You know how your grandparents can get."

Gia nods her head, "Yes, but we're only staying the night, then leaving tomorrow afternoon. What's the worst that can happen in such a short amount of time?"

The question was meant to be rhetorical, but was sadly answered when the elevator doors opened to a screaming match in the penthouse living room.

"Filomina, he's my son- "

"But he's my grandchild, Donna. I should have a say in what occupation he takes up."

Gia and Rosa's eyes widen at the sight in front of them. Gia's Aunt Donna- her uncle's wife- and her grandmother, Filomina, are having one of their usual fights.

Rosa sighs. She expected something like this to happen.

Donna shakes her head, "He has every right to be what he wants. If he wants to pursue in singing, I won't stop him."

Gia sighs quietly to herself. They're fighting over her cousin, Tommy. He's always been very good at singing, and he finally wants to make a career out of it, but she can see that her grandparents do not agree.

Clearing her throat, Rosa grabs their attention, "Hello."

Donna turns her attention to Rosa and Gia, "Rosa, Gigi! How are you, girls?" She asks with a smile on her face as she makes her way over to them, giving them each a big hug.

"We're all right. How have you been, Donna?" Rosa asks her sister-in-law.

Donna gives a sad smile, "I'm okay. You know, what's it's like. You'd think after three years the pain would go away...but it never does."

Gia suddenly finds the floor very interesting, as she stares down at it. She didn't like seeing her aunt in pain, especially over the death of her uncle. It's been three years- today marking the death anniversary- and it still hurts to think about. It's hard for her to believe her uncle is truly gone.

When Gia's father left her, her Uncle Carmine stood in as a father figure for her. He took her places all the time, picked her up from school whenever her mom couldn't, and even took her shopping. He was there for her on her every birthday. They did everything together, especially with his own children.

Tommy is the oldest. He's eighteen and took his father's death the hardest out of the children. Then there's Vinny, who's fourteen-years-old. Last is Sofia, who just recently turned five. She doesn't remember Carmine very much, since she was only two when he passed away.

Filomina gives her daughter a tight smile, "Rosa, dear, have you lost weight? Are you not eating?" She says, in a worried manner, as she looks her daughter over.

Rosa sighs, "No, mom. I'm eating fine. Ask Gigi."

Gia smiles at her petite, brunette, grandmother. "Hi, Nonna," she says.

"Ah, Giuliana! You look so pretty. Pretty, pretty, girl," her grandmother grabs her cheeks, gives them a soft squeeze, then kisses each cheek after.

Gia sighs.

"I miss you, Giuliana. You need to come visit more often. I don't like you gone- so far away."

Gia scratches the back of her neck, "Sorry, Nonna. Mom really likes her job, though- "

Filomina shakes her head, "No. Your Mama could have worked here. There's many job opportunities in New York. She's too secretive."

Gia tries to smile, "I actually kind of like Oakwood."

Filomina rolls her eyes, "You don't have to lie to me, Giuliana. It's ridiculous. Your mother making you move so far away. Right in the middle of your school year- "

"Mom," says Rosa, grabbing her mother and daughter's attention. "Please, stop talking about me to my daughter."

Filomina huffs, "I'm just saying- "

"Mom, where's Dad?" Rosa interrupts her, changing the subject.

She sighs, "He's on the phone with your cousin Tony."

Rosa scowls, "What does Tony want?"

Filomina gives her daughter a pointed stare, "We'll discuss this later, Rosa." Then she calls out into the direction of the doubled doors that lead to the large kitchen, "Robert! Can you bring Rosa and Giuliana's bags up into their bedrooms, please!" She asks her butler.

Gia and Rosa give each other knowing glances. This is going to be not so fun visit.

•••

When dinner time rolled around, the entire Moretti family squeezed themselves around the very big dining room table.

Rosa sat on the right of her father, "So, Dad," she starts before taking a bite of the steak on her plate, "Did you visit Carmine today?"

Sal nods his head stiffly, "Of course I did, Rosa," he says in his thick Italian accent.

Sal is a very intimidating man. His hair is lightly gray, and his eyes are dark, almost the color black. Giuliana swears you can sometimes see your own reflection.

"So, how are you liking Oakwood, Giuliana?" Sal says, directing his question to his granddaughter.

Gia looks up, and smiles slightly his way, "Uh, it's nice, Nonno."

He shake his head, "But do you like it, Gia?"

She sighs in return, "I don't care for school in general."

Her cousin Tommy laughs from across the table, "A true Moretti."

A throat being cleared grabs Gia's attention. She looks in the direction of her aunt Caterina, "Your graduation is this year, Giuliana. What do you plan on doing?"

After a moment, Gia shrugs, "I don't really know."

She just wants to graduate high school and be done all together. She's dreading college, but she's only going to community next year.

"What about college?" Her aunt pushes.

Rosa sighs, "Catie, can you not?"

"What?" Her aunt says, innocently.

Her aunt Caterina has no children, no husband, and is the baby of the family. She's truly just a really nosey person, who think she's better than everyone, because she's Vice President at a fashion company.

"I'm gonna be the President!" Little Sofia breaks the tension by her random outburst.

Gia laughs, "Really? You've got a while before you can be one. What will you do before then?"

Sofia hums as she thinks silently to herself. She eventually says, "I can be an asternot!"

"Astronaut," Donna corrects her daughter with a smile. She always reminds her so much of Carmine.

Cousin Tony, who was three minutes away from being late to dinner, says, "Hey, Uncle Sal, can we go talk in your office, now?"

Sal nods once, then wipes his mouth, and pushes his chair out. He gestures towards the hallway, and then Tony stands up. He walks out the room and Sal follows slowly.

Rosa sighs, mumbling something under her breath that Gia couldn't quite hear.

Donna kept shaking her head, while Tommy looks around the dining room, and into the door entrance to the kitchen. He says to Filomina, "Nonna, do you have any beer?"

Filomina gasps, "Gaetano! You're underage! And besides....I only have wine."

Donna scolds her son, "Why would your ask your grandmother that?"

He shrugs, "I was just curious."

He catches Gia rolling her eyes. "Oh, please, little miss goody-two-shoes." Gia shoots him a glare in return.

Vinny sighs before asking, "Is there any more steak?"

•••

The next day, Gia and Rosa left the penthouse around two in the afternoon. They reached their house in Oakwood around six, due to traffic.

The two of them walk in, completely exhausted. They throw their duffle bags onto the living room floor.

Rosa asks her daughter, "Want any tea, Gigi?"

Gia shrugs, "Sure."

They both head into the kitchen, Rosa beginning to pour water into the kettle.

"Mom," Gia starts, wanting to ask her mom about something that's been bugging her the past twenty-four hours, "Do you know much about Griffin's family?"

Rosa sighs, turning around to place the kettle on the stove, then back around to face Gia. "The only person I saw visit his mother was him, honey."

"It's doesn't make sense," Gia mumbles.

"What doesn't?" Rosa asks, with interest.

Gia explains to her mother about Lexie and what she said about Griffin's mom.

Rosa was shocked, "How can someone speak of another person in such a way?"

Gia shrugs, "Apparently, Lexie Prescott."

Rosa shakes her head, "Why does that name sound so familiar?"

"This is a small town," Gia says.

"True," says Rosa. She asks Gia, "So, you and Griffin seem to be getting along well. He still doesn't speak much around me. How about you?"

Gia smiles brightly without even realizing it, "He talks quite a bit. I've only seen him do that around me," she blushes.

When the kettle begins to whistle, Rosa rubs her daughter's shoulder, "I'm glad you've made a good friend, Gigi."

She turns around to grab it, and Gia whispers to herself, "Me too."

•••

The tea made them both realize that they're out of milk. After having a small chat about meaningless things and mostly gossip, Gia took her mother's car and drove to the grocery store to get some milk.

She's still not familiar with the store, so she walks around aimlessly, trying to figure out where the dairy aisle was. It's not a small store, it's quite large for a semi-small town.

Walking, or more like searching for something sweet in the candy aisle, Gia hears her name be

called out.

"Gia!"

She turns her head, and her eyes widen. "Oh, hi, Andrew," she speaks, politely.

He laughs, "Look at this. Us two...meeting at the grocery store. It's fate, isn't it?"

No, Gia screams loudly inside her own head.

"Or just a coincidence," she smiles to be nice.

He ignores her, "So, have you changed your mind about our date?"

"There is no date," She says, quite forcibly.

He rolls his eyes, "Come on. This playing hard to get thing, is starting to get a bit annoying."

Gia's eyebrows rise to her hairline, "Excuse me? I'm not playing anything!"

Andrew tries to laugh it off, "Come on, babe- "

"Giules."

Both their hands turn in the direction behind Gia. Standing right there, in all his glory, is no other than Griffin Kane.

Gia can't help but smile in relief, "Griffin."

He tilts his head, slightly to the right, and Gia quickly understands. She walks towards him, and stands to the right of him.

His eyes continue glaring straight into Andrew's direction as he whispers to her, "You okay?"

"Yeah," she replies.

She doesn't know Andrew much, and he had seemed nice before hand in Physics class, but now, he seems a bit...hostile?

She didn't like the crazed look in his eyes when she rejected him again. Why can't guys ever take no as an answer?

Andrew raises his hands in defense as he looks at Griffin, "Hey, man, I didn't do anything. I was just trying to asking Giuliana here out."

Griffin only crosses his arms in response.

Andrew rolls his eyes, "Why you hanging out with him, Gia? He doesn't talk much or even have friends- "

"That's none of your business," Gia speaks up.

Andrew scoffs, "I thought you were cool."

Gia shrugs, "I thought you were nice enough to be my friend. I guess, I was mistaken."

Andrew rolls his eyes once more, then turns on his heel, and walks back down the aisle.

Gia shakes her head in disbelief. He turned out to be nothing she thought.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that, Griffin- "

He shakes his head, and mumbles softly to her, "Don't apologize, Gia. It wasn't your fault. I know Andrew. He's a dick."

With a tilt of his head down the aisle, the both swiftly walk down it. Griffin pushing a shopping cart in front of him.

"Wow, that's a lot of food," Gia says, out loud.

Griffin nods his head, then he asks Gia, "So, Andrew asked you out? You guys were talking?"

Gia shakes her head, "No. We talked one time in Physics because he wanted to pair up with me. He asked me out after that class and I rejected him. I guess he doesn't take rejection well." Looking around the grocery store, Gia asks Griffin, "Do you know where the dairy aisle is?"

Griffin smiles slightly, "Yeah," then Gia follows him a couple aisle over where the refrigerators are.

"There they are," she says as she picks out the milk her and her mother like best.

Gesturing to the carton of milk in her hand, Gia says, "I was just here to pick up this..."

Griffin nods his head, "I'm done, too."

They both walk together to the check out lanes.

"Here, you can go in front of me," he tells her.

She thanks him and stands right in front of him as they wait patiently. Gia's surprised to see so many people at the grocery store at seven o'clock at night.

Gia turns her head slovenly, asking him curiously, "Do you know Andrew from school?" She remembers his comment earlier.

Griffin looks shocked at her question. He doesn't reply quickly.

After a while, he shrugs, "Yeah."

She nods, then turns to face the front again.

He asks her. "How was your uncle and your grandparents?"

Gia gulps, "I had a nice time. I miss being close to my family."

"Would you go back to New York if you could?" He asks, almost hesitantly. Griffin's gaze is locked on the side of her face.

Gia needs no time to think, "No...I think I actually kind of like it here."

And it's all because of you, she thinks to herself.