Lessons Learned, Healing Hearts

Too Much Food, Just Enough Company (Chapter 5)

Marlow tore open the bags with practiced efficiency, lining up the takeout containers like a chef unveiling a feast.

"I think we may have bought too much food."

"Nonsense," Gianluca said, grabbing a sushi roll before she could fully unpack it. "One can never have too much food."

"Hey!" Marlow swatted at his hand, but he dodged it easily, grinning as he popped the roll into his mouth.

Piero laughed, reaching for another container. "We should take bets on how long it takes Ignazio to steal someone's food."

Ignazio placed a dramatic hand over his heart. "Excuse me? I would never."

Marlow snorted. "Oh, please—I see you eyeing my noodles."

Caught, Ignazio only smirked before finally settling down and passing out chopsticks and napkins.

Dishing up, the four settled into the comfortable quiet of the house, the air rich with the aroma of soy sauce and fresh rice.

"This is what I miss when we're on the road," Gianluca said between bites.

"What's that? Eating sushi?" Marlow asked.

"No, just being in a quiet space with good friends, eating great food, and relaxing."

Ignazio nodded, stabbing at his chicken dish.

"When we're on tour, it's non-stop. You've seen our itinerary—imagine that for 200 days. We eat at odd hours, and even though we try to eat healthy, sometimes the only option is a drive-thru." He smacked Piero on the shoulder. "Remember the Beast Burger?"

Both Piero and Gianluca snorted, choking slightly on their food.

Amused, Marlow watched as the three shared an inside joke. "Okay, now you have to tell me."

Gianluca grinned. "Let's just say... one of us took 'supersized' far too seriously."

Piero's brow furrowed as he tried to remember where they had been. "Were we somewhere in Missouri?"

"No, in Michigan, on our way to Detroit," Gianluca corrected. Attempting to carry on the story, he was interrupted when Ignazio blurted out, "Missouri, Michigan, Mississippi, Massi-two-sets. "We were in some state that started with a capital M."

Marlow's hand covered her mouth to keep from spitting her food while the other two merely shook their heads.

"Igna, that not how you say it...repeat after me, Mass-uh," Piero said, slowing his speech. Ignazio rolled his eyes in exaggerated annoyance and repeated what was said.

"Choo..."

Marlow could tell from the smirk on Ignazio's face and the glint in his eyes that he was not taking this impromptu pronunciation lesson serious. Raising his first in the air as if pulling on an imaginary train horn, he mocked, "Massa—chuga, chuga, choo, choo—sets."

This time Marlow did not hold back, and her laughter filled the room.

"Anyway," Gianluca started again. "Stopping for lunch and piling out of the tour bus, Ignazio spots this banner that reads, 'Many have tried, but only a few have conquered. Become a Beast Burger champion,' so of course he wanted to give it a go."

Marlow nodded knowingly. "Of course. What all did you have to eat to become a Beast Burger champion?"

Piero set his chopsticks down so his hands could better show the size of the burger.

"It was a three-patty burger, each half a pound, loaded with bacon, cheese, onion rings, jalapeños, and a special spicy sauce—all on a giant brioche bun. But... to get your name on the wall, it wasn't just the burger you had to eat. The challenge also required consuming a full pound of loaded fries. We're talking cheese, bacon bits, and ranch drizzle." He paused, shaking his head. "And to wash it all down, a thirty-two-ounce milkshake."