I head into the main living room. Three of my aunts are present. Pia and Angela are accompanied bytheir husbands, Armando and Emesto. Zia Elenora has been flying solo since she lost her husband tocancer a year ago.
My uncle Fabio stands in a corner, nursing a huge mug of beer and being generally anti-social, as perusual.
The cousins are bunched together in various groups.
The younger ones—Dante, Gian, and Alberto—are sprawled and laughing on the lounge chairs. Theolder crowd—Marcelle, Nicola, Orlando, and Regina—are sitting around the white grand piano withdour expressions.
The French doors are open. Through them, I spy another contingent of cousins chatting out on thepatio, along with some of their spouses and children.
Aunt Pia is the first one to notice me as I stri
