Bellissimo Angelo - Book Three

Chapter 3 - Family Gathering

The moment we park the Blazer, Nate's father, Peter, strolls out to let their little Boston Terrier, Matilda, out to pee. He waves as we exit the car, "Hey, you guys. So glad you are here. Your mother is inside cooking. Y'all can join her; I'll be inside in a minute."

Nate approaches him for a hug while I grab my purse, bag, and the container full of goodies.  Matilda jumps up on my leg, wagging her tail, "Hi, pretty girl!" I greet her as I reach down to pet her head with my free hand. 

Nate's dad bends down to pick her up, "How are you, Mr. Bergman?" I ask. 

"I'm doing fine sweetheart, how have you been?"

"Oh, you know. I'm hanging in there." 

He chuckles, "Good darlin, good to see you. Lola will be excited you are here."

"Awww, okay. I'm excited to see her as well."

"You need help with those bags, honey?" He asks. 

I smile warmly at him. Too bad Nate isn't like his father, "Oh no. I'm fine." I respond. 

His expression becomes stern, and he clears his throat,  "My boy knows better than not to help a lady inside." 

I wave at him, "Oh, it's fine. No worries." I turn and haul everything inside the house, with Nate's father following close behind me while toting Matilda.

The moment I enter, the smell of ham invades my nostrils. Nate's mother, Sue, is an excellent cook. I pull the presents out of the bag and lay them out under the tree. Nate is sitting on the sofa watching football on the television, completely ignoring my presence. Good riddance! I stroll into the kitchen to find Mrs. Bergman in her cute little apron stirring a bowl full of mashed potatoes. She looks up as I enter, "Hello, beautiful girl. How are you? Oh, I've missed you." She says as she stops what she is doing to pull me in for an embrace.

I place the container of treats down on the kitchen island, "Oh, I'm fine, Mrs. Bergman. How are you?" I ask as I match her embrace. 

"Oh please, you know you can always call me Sue." She says as she squeezes me tightly.

I begin to giggle. I always feel so welcome with Nate's family, "It smells amazing in here." I tell her. 

"It will be ready soon. What did you bring, little lady?" She asks as she lifts the container of goodies to the light. 

"I brought dulce de leche bars." 

"Oh, that sounds wonderful. I can't wait to try it." She responds as she lifts the lid to take a peek. She inhales audibly, "Oh, they are breathtaking."

I smile ear to ear, "Thank you, Sue. I didn't have time to make my cheesecake this year. I was picking up a lot of extra shifts."

"Oh nonsense, this is perfect. Never feel obligated to make anything. We just enjoy your company," she responds as she pats my back.

"It's a new recipe. I hope you enjoy them."

She snickers, "Oh honey, I can tell you right now I will. You know Lola is downstairs in the basement; if you want to go, say hi. She's been talking about you since we told her you were coming."

"Okay, I'll go down and visit with her for a bit."

I trudge down the steps to the basement to find Lola's curly black mane up ahead as she's seated on the sofa watching Jimmy Neutron on television, "Miss Lola!" I call out.

She spins around, smiling ear to ear before jumping off the sofa and running towards me, practically tackling me to the ground. "Maggie! I missed you so much!"  She's a very strong girl. Lola has Down Syndrome. She is nearly eighteen years old, and she's very high functioning.