Noelle
Eating lunch al fresco was exactly what I needed. The Russos enjoy dining outside whenever possible. Mrs. Russo is sitting at the head of the table with Maria and Angela at her sides. Belen and I are seated next to Angela, and Lana is sitting across from Belen. Elena, of course, is sitting at the other full table with the men.
Mrs. Russo is friendly and warm, yet I can tell she’s a strong woman underneath it all. She is sharing her family’s history with so much enthusiasm, and you can’t help but be captivated by her story. When she was getting to the part about how her mother and father ran away, she stopped. She was looking at a tall man who was walking toward us. She stood and greeted the handsome Maximiliano Mariano.
“Benvenuto, Mr. Marino. I was sharing my family’s story wi
