Mr. La Bella made a gargled sound like a wounded animal before speaking up, “So, we’re all just going to pretend like we’re okay with this? Like my daughter and your son being together doesn’t go against everything both of our families stand for and represent? Our great-grandfathers are probably turning over in their graves right now, disgusted at what we’ve allowed to happen.”

“They probably are,” my dad agreed before adding, “but that doesn’t mean we have to.”

“What are you saying, Russo?” Mr. La Bella pointedly asked my dad.

I felt myself stand a little taller, wondering the same thing.

“I’m saying that maybe everyone who came before us was wrong.” My dad blew out a breath, and I hid my surprise. It was the last thing I’d expected to hear him say. “It’s exhausting, hating you. Aren’t you tired?”

Now, that was a sentiment I could relate to.

“No,” Mr. La Bella said with confidence.

I felt myself deflating like a balloon with a pinpricked hole in it.

Sucking in a quick breath that started to taste like defeat, I raised my hand into the air to get everyone’s attention before speaking, “The hatred and the feud end with me. I’m not participating in it anymore, and I won’t raise my future kids to either.” Scanning the group, I noticed both of the moms smiling, and it gave me that little push of confidence to continue. “I mean it. And, if your daughter will have me, I plan on having those future kids with her, so you all can either get on board or live the rest of your lives without us in it.”

It was a bold move, my speaking for both Julia and myself. And hell, for all I knew, I could be way off base. Julia might restart this feud simply based on what I’d just said. But my instincts told me otherwise. They told me that this was a fight worth fighting and that Julia wanted it just as badly as I did; she was just way too scared. She felt like she had too much to lose.

When no one argued or said a single word in response, I faced Mr. La Bella one last time. “Can I ask you one more thing?”

“Why stop now?” he responded coolly.

I nodded with a slight grin because I knew somewhere deep inside of me that I’d won this round.

“Do you even know about the bet? Like, what really happened between our families? And I’m only asking because I know for a fact that Julia doesn’t. She doesn’t even know half the story. So, I’m betting that you don’t either.”

“Is that true?” my dad questioned, his tone filled with disbelief. “You really don’t know? How can you not know?”