Caio grabbed a cart inside, and I knew we were going to be here longer than I wanted. He pulled out his list, and I recognized it as the one from the fridge and I had to bite back a chuckle. Caio looked over the list a few times before he spoke.

“Anything else you didn’t add to the list that you want, Matteo?”

“At this second, no, but if I get an impulse for something, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

“Alright. You don’t have to hold back. Alessio said he sent extra. If you need something, get it.”

“Just how much did he send you?” I asked. 

He pulled out his phone, after stopping out of the way, and after a few moments, he spoke again. “More than enough.”

“That tells me nothing. What is more than enough, in numbers?”

“If you’re that nosey, ask your brother.” 

I was nosey, but not that invested that asking my brother was warranted. But it wasn’t like my brother had any shortage of money. His husband was rolling in government funding and he had more than enough money of his own. Alessio was more than comfortable with the money he had. He had to be.  

Caio was slow to get his groceries, so I wandered off. Caio was quick to find me, but not quick enough. I had a pack of cookies, a block of Italian coffee, and a knife set that caught my eye. 

“Matteo, you disappeared. I came to find you just a moment later. How did you find all this stuff, with a broken foot, no less?”

“I found the cookies first, the coffee was pretty close by, and the knives, they were on an end cap.”

“Put them in the cart.”

“Are you sure? They were a little on the pricey side.”

“Put them in the cart.” He said again. 

I set them in the cart, with the intention of running off again, but he grabbed my wrist. And pulled to see how tight his grip was on my arm.

“Matteo, please wait for me. It’s not safe for you to run about.”

“Fine, But walk faster. You walk slower than my grandfather did before he died.”

Caio looked offended and didn’t say a word. He just followed behind me. Grabbing the things he needed. Caio avoided the aisle with the alcohol and moved onto the next one. 

“What, no cheap booze nights for you?” I teased him. 

“Alcohol is pointless.”

“I could take it or leave it. I’m not a large fan of it, but a drink every now and again is nice.”

“Alcohol does no good for anyone.” Caio said, a tone to his voice that was more abrasive than I was used to. I knew Caio wasn’t a drinker, but I didn’t realize he felt so passionate about not drinking. 

Caio and I finally made it to the tech and electronic section, and it was hard not to look at things I really didn’t need. I was happy to find they had my exact watch in stock, and it was on sale. Purchasing it right at the counter, Caio and I had words in Italian when I pulled out my bank card and tapped it before he could insert his. 

His mood soured further. 

“Caio. I know Alessio gave you money to pay for me, but I am quite used to paying for my own things. I don’t mean to offend you, I am just used to it.” I said, choosing my words carefully. 

It did little to help, though; he was still mad. Walking behind him, I let my shoulders sag and looked at the floor. I walked right into Caio’s back, not paying attention to the fact that he had stopped walking. 

Caio grabbed my arm before I could fall. His eyes narrowed. 

“Pay attention, Matteo. You could be seriously hurt if you don’t.”

“Sorry. I didn’t realize you stopped. I wasn’t paying attention.” I said truthfully, and he sighed. He didn’t take his hand off my arm, instead he pulled me around through the rest of the store like that. He ignored the looks of other people who probably thought of me as his son. 

His grip was rough, but not painful. And even so, all I could think about was lacing my fingers with his and holding his hand. 

He let go of my arm at the check out after he paid for everything. My watch ended up in a bag with my knife set. Caio grabbed a few other things that I had looked at, but did not put in the cart. 

Caio didn’t pay attention to the total, he just paid and loaded the bags back into the cart and started pushing it. He switched to Italian suddenly to start complaining about me not getting things I wanted. 

“Caio.”

“What?” He said, in English. 

“Stop complaining. I have habits from living on my own for three years, and it’s not easy to just think of money as something I don’t care about anymore. I had to work for my money, and I don’t see it as disposable anymore.”

“Alessio paid for this.”

“I get that, and I understand that he is rolling in his cash. I am not. I refuse to spend money the way I did before. I think through all my purchases, I didn’t have the luxury to purchase things and using them for a minute then buying more.”

Caio ignored me most of the way back to the complex, only speaking when I asked him to keep the receipts so that I could pay Alessio back for his generosity. This got under Caio’s skin in such a profound way that he stomped on the brakes and kicked up the largest dirt cloud around us. 

“For the last time, Matteo. Alessio is paying for the things you need. He made that clear. If you have issues with accepting his money, then please tell him that. As you stated before, I am just his dog. I bark when he says so.”

I kept my mouth closed, despite wanting to say things back. 

He left me in the wing while he got all the bags. While he was gone, I took the chance to head to the bathroom. I peed and washed my hands. Stopping to look at myself in the mirror. My mother’s carbon copy, he had said. Looking at my hair and eyes, even my fair skin tone, it was hers, too. My eyes, just a touch lighter than hers, that was the only difference. 

Cursed to be in love with the one who loved her, while I walked around with her traits, too. 

My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I fished it out. 

“Hello.”

“Caio transferred me back all my cash. Did you not go shopping? Did something happen?” Alessio said, concern in his voice. 

“No. We did. But I bought the watch myself, and as for the other things I got, I told Caio I would pay you back for them.”

“Pay me back? Did I hear that right?”

“Yes, you lent me money, and I intend—-”

“Unbelievable. Little brother, I gave you the money to spend. Pay me back, get out of here with that nonsense.”

“Alessio, I am serious. I intended to pay you back for the money I spent. I don’t understand why Caio would pay you back the total amount.”

“You owe Caio now, not me, if you’re still so set on paying it back.”

“Of course I am.” I said, clicking my tongue in annoyance. 

“Dad is coming to bake cookies with us. By us, I mean Gabriele, you and myself.”

“Gabe. Don’t call him Gabriele.” I bitched. 

“Our brother’s name is Gabriele. He should be called his name, despite how you or I feel about him having the middle name of your father.” Alessio said, sighing. 

“Where’s Lev?”

“Smooth switch of topics, but I’ll indulge you, Lev is working on something with Sasha, and by working, I mean playing, those man children are far too happy to waste money on something that makes a loud boom and a big mess.”

“Maddox allows it?”

“Allow? Please, the man is just as bad if you can get him out of his office for a moment to fuck around.”

Caio came back, setting the bags on the floor, turning and leaving again. Not nearly as long now, he didn’t have any other bags. I tried not to watch him as he put away the groceries. I carried on my conversation with Alessio. 

“I put you on speaker, Alessio. Mind your manors.”

“My manors, please, Lev isn’t here. I don’t have manors.”

“Remind me again how long it is that you’ve been married to Lev?”

“Long enough you would think his habits would be passed along, sadly no.”

“What did you take Gabe to do this morning while I slept?”

“Lev and I took him to get lunch and ice cream before heading to the beach. He had sand in his fucking underwear. I’m positive it’s in nooks and crannies it shouldn’t be, but he hasn’t complained in the slightest.”

“He seemed excellent in the car. I was surprised.”

“Gabriele has his good and bad days. The weekends are for mom to take a break, and he sees speech therapists and Dr Martin, and mom has me watching his behaviour and progress, along with other things professionally.”

“Things are that bad?”

“Bad no. I wouldn’t say that. He gets overwhelmed easily, but things are much better now that he has settled down here.”

“Let me help Caio finish with things here, then I’ll be coming over, alright.”

“Alright, see you shortly.”

I hung up the phone and tucked it back in my pocket. Standing up, I walked further into the kitchen. Removing things out of one of the bags. 

“Why would you do that, Caio, and don’t play stupid with me?”

“You said you wanted to pay him back. You’re paid up.”

“Yes, but now we are not.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

“Give me your bank information and I will—--”

“No. I don’t feel like it.”

“Just what are you playing at, Caio?”

“Sometimes, having a Concetta to owe you something isn’t a bad idea.” Caio said, far too smug about it. 

“There are larger pieces on the board, and you pick me. How flattering. Too bad I won’t let you have that very long.” I said, tucking the several different types of stocks into the cupboard. “I don’t like being anyone’s pawn.”