Summer, 1983 (I'll call you by mine)

Not a kid!

"Hey kid, want to head into town later?" David came barreling down the hill were Christopher laid in the sun.

"Yeah sure just tell me when you wanna head out." He didn't even look at David and he knew he was staring at him. David was always observing our family, he often sat back and watched our family operate. He often told me your family is so different, and boy was we ever.
Jona sat on the edge of the lake, feet in the water and playing his guitar. He had two of the local girls swooning over him while he played a song Elio had taught him. If he would have known this was how you got girls to notice you he would have played in front of people more often. He was always too shy to play in front of others but this is how you get someone to notice you. Elio often put emphasis on the You part. He often told Jona that if you let someone in while you play your heart out they won't just notice you they will see who you are.
At the house the mood was a little different, Oliver was waiting by his phone. He wouldn't tell Elio why he was so uptight today so he left him alone.

"What is he doing?" Marzia asked pointing to Oliver staring at him phone sat in the study.

"Waiting for an important phone call. He sent out what I'm assuming was a manuscript two weeks ago so I'm guessing he's waiting for his editor to call." Elio said glancing at Oliver.

"You assume? I thought Oliver told you everything?"

"He does but for some reason, this book he's been working on all year is a passion project. He's been really protective of it."
Just then Oliver's phone started to ring and he quickly grabbed it, it apparently wasn't who he was expecting. As soon as he answered his face fell, and he walked to the back of the house and began yelling for Jona and Christopher.

"Their mother." Elio states to Marzia, they had been sitting in the living room drinking coffee.

"You don't seem to impress by her."

"No she's fine, she made it very clear where I stand with her. She pretty much can't stand me. Which is fine I'm not the biggest fan of her either, she treats the boys very differently. She coddles and shields poor Jona and doesn't look twice at Christopher."

"Elio, you have to treat each child differently, if I fussed over Valentina the same way I fuss over Nicola. She would hate it, she would hate me but I love them the same. You're an only child you don't know these things"

"That's the problem I don't think she loves them the same. I think it's because Christopher is so much like Oliver, even looks almost exactly like him. Hell, sometimes I have to look twice when I speak to him to make sure I won't say something off-putting."

"I think you're imagining things, no mother can love one child less than the other."

"You don't see what I see Marzia."

"Have you spoken with Oliver about it?"

"No, it's a line I don't wish to cross with him. I only observe things and keep them to myself, at least for now. Never thought I would love children the way I love those boys."

"They are apart of Oliver, of course, you love them. If you didn't I would call you heartless."
Christopher and Jona ran to the back door, Oliver handed the phone to Christopher. He talked to his mother for no more than a minute and then handed the phone to his brother.

"Did you once see him smile during that short conversation with her?" Elio asked Marzia.

"I don't like it, you need to talk to Oliver."

"And say what? Oliver, your ex-wife is treating your oldest son like dirt?! No, he will either see it or hate me for saying it."

"The day Oliver hates you is the day all joy in the world dies, my dear."
Elio watched as Jona spoke with his mother, he was being candied as Oliver's children were prone to be. Soon he handed the phone back to Oliver who only spoke to her for a moment.
Christopher came into the living room, followed by David.