These events take place late in the Fall after Denae and Bill had known each other for a few months.
Relativity - Part C
The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving went by quickly. Outside of class, Bill and Denae saw each other on a near daily basis and Denae managed to bring up the upcoming holiday visit every time they got together. The plan was for Denae to leave for home after her last class the Friday before Thanksgiving and for Bill and his mother to fly down from Charlotte the Tuesday before the big day.
When Bill and Cheryl's flight landed, Denae was waiting for them at the airport. She was wearing a light dress and some sandals, which fit with the weather as it was a warm day, typical for that part of Florida at that time of year. On the drive to the Rapallinos' house, Denae told them her parents were very much looking forward to meeting them both. They imposed on Denae to make a quick stop at a grocery store so they could pick up some flowers, explaining they also had a bottle of wine to give her parents.
"Home, sweet home," Denae announced as she pulled the car up to a two-story brick house.
As they all got out of the car, Bill and Cheryl could smell the ocean. "Mmm. I love that ocean smell," Cheryl commented.
"The beach is right behind the house," Denae informed them.
Bill looked around the front of the house. It was smaller than he imagined. There was no garage. At the front door, two flags fluttered in the breeze; an American flag and an Italian flag.
Bill carried a bouquet of flowers in one hand and Cheryl held a bottle of wine in hers. As they all walked up to the front door, Denae could sense Bill's apprehension, so she took him by the hand. "Don't worry. They'll love you as much as I do," she whispered to him.
When Denae opened the door, she announced, "Mama, Papa. We're here."
They entered into a family room with large brown tiles for flooring, which connected to the dining area that offered a view out of the back of the house. A man and a woman soon emerged from around a corner to the right of the dining area. They both appeared to be in their 50s. She had a slim build, similar to Denae while he was larger both in height and girth. She was all smiles as she wiped her hands on a dish towel, but he was more reserved. They walked toward Denae who was standing between the two guests.
"Mama and Papa, this is Cheryl Collins and this is Bill," she said, beaming. "Cheryl and Bill, this Serena and Salvatore Rapallino."
The Rapallinos greeted Bill and Cherly warmly and bade them both welcome. They had accents, but not heavy ones.
"Please call me Sam," Denae's father said quickly.
Bill held the flowers out to Denae's mother. "Mrs. Rapallino, these are for you. Thank you for inviting us."
She smiled as she took them from Bill. Cheryl held out the bottle of wine, "This is for both of you. Thank you so much for having us here."
Denae's father received the wine, held it up and, in very good English said, "Ah, look, Serena. We will have this with dinner. Yes?" And then he thanked Cheryl.
Denae's mom hugged them both while her father shook their hands. While shaking his hand, Bill told Denae's father it was very nice to meet him. Serena invited them to sit down and so all five moved to take seats in the family room; Denae's father in a chair, the two moms on one couch and Bill and Deane on the other couch. Denae held Bill's hand.
Bill noticed that Mrs. Rapallino was, like Denae, very beautiful. She looked like Denae in many ways, but had larger breasts and her long, dark hair had a single streak of gray, which Bill found attractive. Mr. Rapallino looked like someone who could hold his own in a fight. He was solidly built and had big forearms. He would seem intimidating to most anyone, not just his daughter's boyfriend.
After some polite chit-chat, Cheryl remarked that they had a lovely home. Serena jumped up and offered to show Cheryl the room in which she would be staying. She turned to Bill and explained that there were no more bedrooms in the house, but he would stay in the cabana out by the pool, assuring him there was a sleeper sofa, a TV, and a bathroom. She pointed out her husband often secluded himself there to watch sports and to get away from the Denae and her.
As the moms headed up the stairs, Denae pulled Bill toward the back door between the kitchen and the dining room. As they emerged from the doorway, Bill stopped to look at a small version of paradise. There was a pool and a hot tub. The pool was kidney shaped and the hot tub was at one end, elevated above the pool, with water from it cascading down into the pool. There was plenty of concrete surface for an outdoor dining table, a sitting area with a couch and two chairs and a grill off to one side. The cabana was at the other side, accessible through a sliding glass door. Some chaise lounges were set up in front of it. There were a few palm trees lining the perimeter of the yard and a wooden fence ran along the back of the pool deck. Beyond the pool, he could see the Gulf of Mexico.
Denae watched Bill take in the backyard. "We'll walk out to the beach later if you want."
Stupefied, he only replied, "Yeah. Let's do that."
She tugged on his arm. "Let me show you your room."
She led him over to the cabana and slid the door open. As Mrs. Rapallino had said, there was a couch and a bathroom. It was furnished with towels and new soap and shampoo. There was also a TV mounted on the wall and a drafting table in one end of the room. It was not large, but he was certain he would enjoy his stay.
As they returned to the house, Bill continued to look around. "You grew up here and you wanted to leave to go to college in North Carolina?" he asked in disbelief. "Are you nuts?"
"I needed a change of scenery for a few years. There's something to be said for the mountains."
Denae and Bill and Serena and Cheryl all rejoined Sam in the family room. They visited and started to get to know one another. Periodically, Serena excused herself to check on dinner. Cheryl and Bill learned about the Rapallino's journey to the states and his work as an engineer, designing some of the rides at the parks in Orlando. They heard a lot about Denae and her formative years. In turn, the Rapallinos heard about Cheryl's life in North Carolina and asked Bill questions about him.
They continued their conversations over dinner. Serena had prepared a chicken dish that Bill and Cheryl enjoyed tremendously. It reminded Bill of some of the dinners Denae had made for him. All but Bill drank wine with their dinner; he had a beer. At one point, Serena thanked Cheryl and Bill again for coming, telling them Denae had spoken to them often about Bill and had been anxious for them to meet him.
"It's been a long time since Denae has invited a boy over for dinner," Serena observed.
"Yes. After what Papa did to the last one, I thought it would be best to wait for a really good one," Denae said cheerfully.
"Yes. I did not like that other boy. He was annoying," Sam said indignantly.
Both intrigued and concerned, Bill looked at Denae and asked, "What happened last time? If you don't mind me asking."
