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

Penny for your thoughts

And then there were three.....

"Do you think I should have my name changed?" Valentina asked lounging in the ugly green chair. Chris looked at her sideways.

"What? And to What?" He asked scrunching up his nose.

"To Perlman. I mean now I know why I always felt at home here and why I was always fascinated by Elio." Valentina said picking up the book that was sat on the armrest of the chair.

"Val it's been less than a month since you found out Elio's your dad. Everything is still a little raw, I wouldn't jump to anything if I were you. Plus you need to make up with your mom, can't keep hiding out here." Jona said scrolling through his phone.

"He has a point ya know." David chimes in from the sofa.

"I'm not jumping into anything. I mean David how would you feel if found out your dad wasn't really your dad?" She asked him, he laughed.

"I am the wrong person to ask that question too. Because I would be ecstatic if I found out that man wasn't my biological father."

"Good point, alright Chris and Jona how would you feel if your mom told you Oliver wasn't your dad?"

"I don't know about Chris but I would be hurt and confused for a while. But I wouldn't completely disown the man who took care of me my entire life. Your dad didn't have to take care of you, marry Marzia and give you his last name." Jona said looking at her.

"I agree with Jona, just don't do anything that you will regret. I know your hurt but ...." Chris was cut off by Valentina.

"Don't say they did what they thought was best for me. I'm so sick of that answer. Life would have been easier if I'd truly known Elio's my dad. When I was a kid I went to him for everything during the summers. I think if I'd know from the beginning he wouldn't ever disappoint me." She said playing with the yellow stones ring that had replaced her wedding rings.

The children ran into the room screaming, they had been chasing each other all through the house. It broke the tension in the room. Then when the Perlman-Adler clan sat down for breakfast two Sundays before Elio explained to them what was going on and all the children had questions.

"So as all of you have noticed Valentina and Aurora have been coming over every day and Aunty Marzia has not."

"Why hasn't Aunty Marzia been over Nonno?" Sammy interrupted.

"I'm getting to that, Samuel." Elio looked at him sternly, the only time anyone called him Samuel he knew was close to getting in trouble. He sunk down into the chair putting his hand over his mouth. "I have something to tell you kids. So when Aunty Marzia and I were younger, we had a baby together and that baby was Aunty Valentina." Elio had been staring at the table, when he looked up to his grandchildren they all had the same look of confusion.

"But you and Aunty Marzia weren't married." Lottie said her head cocked to one side.

"No Aunty Mariza and I weren't married, you don't have to be married to have a baby. But I do love Aunty Marzia, I used to love her like I love Bubbeh. But now she's my best friend."

"Why doesn't Aunty Valentina called you daddy?" Remi asked softly.

"Uh well, to make a long story short. Aunty Marzia's husband Luca raised her, so she called him daddy. We didn't tell her that I was her daddy."

"So Aunty Valentina is really our Aunty now?" Ella Perl asked pulling on her teddy bears little ear.

"Yes, you have an Aunty now and Aurora is your cousin."