Show Me

17.

May quickly drew to a close, bringing with it the final performances of Enigma and Jazz & Piano, both of which Gloria and Holly got to attend, alongside Cynthia and Joe. The meeting between the two families had gone better than Bradley could have imagined. Joe, in particular, took a liking to Gloria. He had already suspected that if anyone could thaw those icicles, it was his mother and it was evidenced by how Joe warmed to her, almost instantly.

The weekend was capped off by a closing party at The NoMad and it was there that Stefani had finally mentioned to her parents that they would be moving in together the following month.

She'd caught Joe on his third beer, almost jovial, dancing with Cynthia and to Bradley's surprise, when she had recounted the conversation later that night, she was brimming with positivity.

"He seemed okay with it? He didn't try and talk you out of it?"

She had shaken her head, "nope. And believe me, I'm just as shocked as you. It probably helped that he was in a decent mood. He said he felt better knowing you came from a good Italian family."

"He does know I'm only half Italian, right?"

"Guess that's not important," she'd smiled, taking his hands. "Your mom completely won him over, B. She's an angel. Remind me to send her flowers and the biggest bottle of Chianti I can find."

"Speaking of winning someone over, my sister is utterly enraptured with you. Can't blame her, though." He pulled her close, "because so am I."

They agreed not to begin the moving process until the third week of June, giving Stefani a little time to rest in between finishing her residency and album promotion. In lieu of submitting to the headache that was involved in finding a house they both liked, it was decided that he and Lea would move into her place, since the little girl was already very comfortable there. She had claimed the first bedroom at the beginning of the hallway as her own and when Bradley had told her they'd be moving in with Stefani and if she was alright with the idea, she had jumped for joy and in the same breath, asked if she could bring all of her toys and if they could go swimming everyday.

He had been concerned about her adjusting, that it might have been a lot of change for a three year old to handle but Lea being Lea seemed to be taking it all in stride. They spent the very first week of the month packing things in boxes with Gloria's assistance before they were due to head to New York that weekend with Stefani who was making the talk show circuit again.

"Moving is so bittersweet," Gloria remarked, wrapping some drinking glasses in old newspapers before she gingerly placed them in a cardboard box. "Lots of memories."

Bradley swept a hand over his sweaty forehead, stopping a minute to gulp down some water. "Lea, please don't play inside the large boxes! Not safe." He turned back to his mother. "The only positives about this place were the prime location and the fact Lea grew up here. It's ridiculously expensive and," he lowered his voice, "the bad memories far outweigh the good."

Gloria touched his hand. "Well, you're going to make new ones. The three of you." A melancholy look crossed over the lines of her face and she sighed.

"Mom," he shook his head, "please don't. We're still only about twenty minutes away. You'll see her all the time."

"I'm sorry," she wiped her eyes behind her glasses, "I know I will. But you've formed your own little family now. And that's how it should be. I'm so happy for you, my heart could burst, honey. She's a beautiful girl, inside and out. I love her."

"So do I, Mom. And I love you, too. Lea and I couldn't have made it these past three years without you...when she wouldn't stop crying and I called you at one in the morning your time and you stayed on the phone with me until she stopped or the night she had her first fever and you came over and sat and rocked her for hours. Her first steps and her first words and everything in between." He had to breathe through the lump forming in his throat. "All of those things, you were there for. And I can't ever tell you how grateful I am and how much I love you. Words won't ever suffice."