La Famiglia

Graysen joins the Eders in Italy for the annual Ricca clan ceremony

As they get off board the limo, Graysen encounters children running to the villa grounds holding their wooden toy guns and the smaller ones hold paper windmill toys. The bigger girls group together around the swing area exchanging knick knacks popular from their schools.

Rosa murmurs to him. "They are our nephews and nieces who came from different parts of Italy just to gather here today."

Graysen just nods his head. Rosa holds on to his arm bringing him inside. The butler greets them with a bow and leads them to the back garden and goes back to the portico.

Dravio walks ahead to the gazebo straight to an old lady sitting solo with both hands on top of an aluminum cane rapping her fingers every now and then. He hugs the old woman and gives her a kiss on the forehead. "La mia bellissima nonna (my beautiful grandmother), still looking favolosa!" He complements her.

"Il mio tesoro (my sweetie), you still have that sweet tongue of yours, Dravio," Grandma Ricca retorts.

"Of course, all for you dulzura de mi vida (sweetness of my life)."

Violet and Drago give Grandma Ricca a kiss on both cheeks. Rosa greets her the same way.

She notices a man standing behind Rosa. Rosa takes Graysen's hand and introduces him. "Nonna, I want you to meet Graysen Andrei, my fiancé."

Nonna Ricca just blinks her eyes. It takes a few seconds before she finally reacts, "Rosa mia, you are still young to get married. You still have to enjoy your freedom as a single lady."

Graysen is expressionless; lips press together, waiting, observing, thinking how to convince the old lady. He looks at Draco and Violet, his eyes asking for permission to speak. Violet nods her head in agreement.

"Madam, may you allow me to tell you something?"

"Bell'uomo (handsome man) you may, you may. Sit here beside me," the old lady agrees.

"Nonna, can I call you Nonna?" Graysen pause and wait. Since there is no objection coming from the old lady, he continues. "I know you all dearly love Rosa. I want to have her by my side to protect her and to love her with all my heart. Her marrying me won't mean she cannot enjoy her life. In fact, she would enjoy the prime of her life because I promise you, Nonna, that she has the freedom to do anything she wants to achieve and I will give her all my support."

"Is that true giovanotto (young man)?" Nonna tries to affirm.

Violet moves closely to her mother and whispers, "Mom, he is our Senator Graysen in Ronia."

The old lady changes expression. Her face lits up. "Really?"

She takes Graysen's hand and pats it. "Mio nipotino (my grandson; also nipote) do not break Nonna's heart. I will hold on to your promise to give all your support to Rosa mia."

The butler stands beside the old lady and says, "Everyone is now here, Signora"

Grandma Ricca notices that most of the tables and chairs are almost full. She slowly stands up. Dravio holds her arms to assists his Noona. The old lady takes a few steps to get a better view. She taps her cane twice indicating for everyone to give their attention.

"Buona giornata ala mia famiglia Ricca (Good day to my Ricca family). I am happy that everyone of us are here again for our annual family gathering. First, let us all welcome a new member of our family Senator Graysen Andrei, our Rosa's soon to be husband."

Rosa's female cousins and aunts look at her and move their eyes to Graysen.

Grandma Ricca proclaims, "Now the head of each family have to come in front to draw lots for the token exchanges." Once the seven Ricca men pulled the tokens from the box, she waves her hand up. The youngest brother of Violet, Antonino, picked the token with their family's insignia. He goes to where Grandma Ricca stands and raises it to her hand.

"Antonino, starting tomorrow, it is your turn to lead the Ricca clan. The responsibility lies on you to keep our family together and our companies fruitful."

The gathering is just a simple afternoon party of barbecue, pasta, pizza, grilled sausage, smores for children, and wine for adults. The Ricca cousins reunites with their other cousins enjoying some boards games while their zia (aunts) gossip comparing their children. They recognize Rosa's engagement ring. They are in awe seeing the long-lost million-dollar four carats ruby diamond found in Prussia known in auctions as the 'Love Diamond'.