As the guests mingled, Lane and Ben did introductions for people who hadn’t met at their wedding reception last month.  Everyone was encouraged to taste the antipasti and appetizers.  Ben opened and poured the wine.

Ben spoke quietly to his father and uncles, asking them to join him briefly in his office. He closed the door and asked them to sit.  As usual, their conversation was entirely in Italian.  He placed the paternity test on his desk.

“It’s a long story, but the Bambino is my son.  My biological son.  I can answer questions later, but Lane and I just found out yesterday and we told Jamie.  Jess figured it out and last month and had DNA tests done.  Lane and I have talked and figured out the ‘what and how of things’, we were surprised, but thrilled.  I don’t know what Mama’s going to say, but at least Lane and I are married now.”

At first, his statement stunned the audience who were silent as the news sank in.

“I wanted to tell you all because Jamie could say something about it today.  He talked about being a Bellini in front of Joey this morning.”  Ben looked to his father, “I’ll talk to Mama, but any insight you could give me, is appreciated.”

Dante shook his head.  “So it happened after her husband left her and when you were in college in Omaha?”  He knew there was no other explanation.

“Yes.  As I said, it’s a long story.  We spent one night together and the next morning, she disappeared.  I spent a week in an unsuccessful attempt to find her.”

Sal and Vinnie looked at him in confused disbelief, they had met her when she was four years old and hadn’t seen her again until a few months ago and yet they had recognized her immediately.

“May I assume there was alcohol involved?” Sal asked.

Ben ran his hands through his hair.  “A lot of it, and she gave me a false name and her hair was cut very short and it was blonde.  I really had no idea the woman I spent years trying to get out of my system was the same woman I finally fell in love with.  But none of that matters because through the grace of God I did find her again and we are finally married.”

There was a knock at the door and Jamie stuck his head in.  “Mom said you all disappeared. I figured this is where I’d find you.”  He looked at his father, “Mr. Tanner and Daniela are here, and Mom says that you should come carve the turkeys.”

Dante Bellini looked at Jamie, his first grandchild and walked to embrace him, “Mio nipote.”  He kissed Jamie on each cheek.

Jamie looked at him.

“My grandson.”  Dante repeated, this time in English as he hugged Jamie.

Jamie was a little confused, he’d heard Uncle Sal and Uncle Vinnie call Ben nipote, but he wasn’t their grandson.  Now that he knew he was a Bellini, he really was going to have to learn Italian.

Ben walked over and put his arm around Jamie’s shoulders.  “It’s a word used sort of generically for nieces, nephews, and grandchildren.  You’ll figure things out.”

Yeah, or I’ll actually order the Italian Rosetta Stone Mom keeps talking about. Jamie thought.

Dante Bellini turned to look at his son and in English said, “In my experience with your mother, the truth usually works best.  Just take her aside and tell her.  Better she hears it from you, and soon.”

They walked out of Ben’s office heading toward the kitchen where Ben carved both turkeys as Lane handed platters and bowls to Jake, Jamie, Jess, and Gabe to carry to the buffet table.  On the dining table were bottles of wine, pitchers of water and iced tea.  It was an Italian thing, and coffee they’d have coffee with dessert. It wouldn’t be the Keurig single cup coffee either, Ben would fire up the cappuccino machine, and real Italian coffee would be served.

Ben’s mother was going to have the seat to his left.  So, before everyone went into the dining room, he approached her in the hearth room.  She was talking to Evie Parker.  Ben knew that Lane had spoken to Evie earlier, telling her about Jamie’s parentage, shortly after they’d gotten back from Sunset House.

“Can I steal my mother for just a minute?”  He asked Evie as he put his mother’s hand in the crook of his elbow.

And, in Italian, he began his confession, “Mama, Jamie Parker is really my son.  My biological son.  We just found out yesterday.”

Teadora Bellini looked at her son. “Ah, that.”  She patted his cheek. “It’s about time you figured it out.”

Ben was dumbfounded as he looked at his mother.  He’d expected yelling and maybe crying.

She smiled and patted his arm.  “I’ve been looking into the eyes of the Bellini men for forty years; you think I couldn’t recognize them when I saw them in my grandson?  Now let’s not keep your guests waiting.”

For God’s sake, were Lane and I the last two people on the face of the earth to know the truth?  He turned and walked his mother back to where Evie stood.  Ben released his mother and took Evie’s hand.  “Shall we go?”

Ben escorted Evie Parker into the dining room followed by his parents.  Everyone found their place card and took their seats.  Ben at the one end of the table and Lane at the other took the hands of the person seated next to them and while Thursday was usually Jake’s day to say grace, since it was Thanksgiving, it was the head of the household’s responsibility.  Everyone bent his or her heads and Ben began.

“Most gracious heavenly Father, we come before you today to give thanks for the bounty before us and for the family and friends who are here to share it with us.  We ask you to bless this food and our family and friends, both those who are here with us and those who cannot be here today. In Jesus name we pray.”

Everyone said, “Amen.”

He had debated over saying something about Jamie being his son.  Almost everyone knew anyway, but after seeing Tony’s date, he had decided the less said in her presence the better.  What was Tony thinking anyway, bringing her here for Thanksgiving?  He had meant to talk to Tony in September after Liza had told him she’d been seeing Tony off and on for some time.  But, between the trial he had going on in September and the month long break he and Lane had taken, until he found out she was pregnant and rushed her to the altar in early October, Liza and Tony had been the last things on his mind.  Still he looked to the end of the table at his wife, hoping Liza’s presence wasn’t making Lane feel uncomfortable.  She hadn’t said anything, but then he knew she wouldn’t.  She was too gracious a hostess to say or do anything that would make a guest feel anything but welcome in their home.

“Please, help yourselves.”  Ben said gesturing toward the buffet table. Everyone got up and formed a line at the buffet table.

Ben and Lane waited so they were at the end of the line.  He pulled her into the hall and put his arms around her.

“I love you,” he said before kissing her.

She laughed. “I love you.  Why are we out here when he have guests in there?” she asked, as she inclined her head toward the dining room.

“I wanted to tell you I talked to Mama.  She said she’d been looking at the eyes of Bellini men for 40 years and it was time we figured it out.”  He kissed her again, “And I wanted to be sure Liza isn’t making you uncomfortable.”

Lane reached up and held his face in her hands.  “It’ll take more than one ex-girlfriend to make me uncomfortable in my own home.”  She took his left hand and ran her finger over his wedding ring.  “I have the real thing, she has the facsimile.”  She brushed a quick kiss on his lips before turning around and pulling him back into the dining room with her.

Jess was sandwiched between Joey and Gabe at the dining table and in the buffet line.  Why did her mother keep doing this to her?  She shook her head.  Joey had hustled to her car door when they got back from Sunset House.  He’d discovered he’d butt dialed her and was fishing to see if she’d actually heard anything he’d said.  The call had ended as soon as Gabe had turned the ignition off, and her phone had been safely in her purse the whole time making it easy for her to feign innocence.  They’d have a talk about it all right, but not when the house was full of friends and family for Thanksgiving dinner.