Red-eyed, haggard, hair a mess, thin as a rake, my clothes wrinkled from the drunken sleep I’d had on the couch the night before.
I was clearly the inferior one.
Evander stood there, shrugging helplessly, and opened his arms.
"Reese, I really didn’t mean to cause trouble. I’m so sorry."
He said this as he took the boys' hands and turned to leave.
Reese panicked, rushing toward him and hugging him from behind.
"Evander, I won’t let you leave!"
Evander turned around, wrapping her in his strong arms. He kissed her forehead gently, speaking in a soft, reassuring tone.
"Reese, did I make things hard for you?"
"But the kids really missed you. All hurt his head, and I couldn’t calm him down."
Only then did Reese notice the bandage on one of the boy's heads. He looked up at her with a pitiful expression.
"Mommy, my brother hit me."
Reese's heart melted instantly. She scooped him up, cradling him in her arms.
"Sweetheart, I’m so sorry. Mommy didn’t take care of you properly."
She ushered them into the house, her warmth evident.
Evander stood by the door, his blue eyes twinkling with indifference as he smiled at me.
"Matteo, sorry for the intrusion. I brought you a gift from Italy."
He unrolled a painting with casual grace.
In the painting, lush green grass spread out beneath a towering tree, its thick branches casting a vast shadow.
Beneath the tree, a thin, weary-looking donkey lay sprawled.
My pupils dilated. I hadn’t expected such a sly move; this was a direct insult and a mocking gesture.
Reese, her face lighting up, placed the boy down and exclaimed with delight.
"Evander, how thoughtful! A gift!"
She kissed him lightly on the cheek as if rewarding a child.
"You Americans really value relationships. Your family is my family, too."
Evander chuckled, slipping his arm around her waist. Lowering his head, he kissed her deeply.
Right in front of me, they showed me what a true Italian kiss looked like.
Five long minutes ticked by before Reese pulled away, her face flushed with the heat of the moment. She straightened up, annoyance creeping onto her features.
"Look at Evander. Why can't you learn from him? He's attentive, considerate, everything you aren't."
I let out a bitter laugh, grabbed the painting, and ripped it straight down the middle, then tore it again, just to be sure.
Reese’s eyes widened, her face paling as her anger quickly swelled.