Our story began many years ago in Portsmouth, England. A dog with his head caught in a gate, a pretty young blonde and a cheeky paperboy laughing at the poor dog’s predicament, are the circumstances that first caused our families to meet.

Joseph was out delivering papers with his dog Skipper when he came upon a very upset young girl who was trying to free her dog.

Carol was mad at Joseph for laughing at her dog whose head was caught in the gate. It was in the days that followed that Penny, Joeseph’s sister, and Carol would meet, while walking their dogs. Carol recognized Skipper as the “boy's” dog and had to tell Penny how mean Joseph had been. Penny probably agreed with her and that was the beginning of a lifetime friendship. Leonard was a Manager of a TV rental shop and was a window blind hand crafter on the side. Sheilah ran a little Bed and Breakfast in Portsmouth.

Joseph was a merchant seaman and Phyllis was a strong determined woman whom ran a Guesthouse for foreign students. Years went by and these two girls became fast friends. They had no idea at the ripe old age of 13 that their lives would be intertwined forever. Sergio’s mom Carol was the beautiful blonde who became a hairdresser and fell in love with a dashing, tall, fair and handsome Italian named Rolando Salvadori.

My mother, Penny, was a lovely brunette who was always quite shy and insecure about her appearance. At the age of 13 both my mom and Carol met my father for the first time when he came to stay at my Grandmother’s house. They were both excited to meet the new students. As soon as the two girls were on their own, Penny declared the one with the glasses is mine – Needless to say my mother chose my father.

As these young woman continued to blossom...

...Rolando and Tony started to take notice. In the following years, Rolando and Tony became fast friends.

My father didn’t realize that he loved my mother as much as he did until he went London to work after graduating. A short time later he realized how deep his feelings were and he returned to Portsmouth, went to my grandmother’s house and proposed through a bathroom door while she was soaking in the tub. Their happiness was short lived as my grandmother did not share their enthusiasm and would not give her permission for them to wed. Many years earlier my grandmother had promised my grandfather that she would not allow my mother to marry one of the foreign boys she had staying in her home. Because of this my mother and father we compelled to get the courts permission to marry. The judge told them that my father must be able to prove that he could support my mother. They were told to return to the court in 8 months with proof of his ability to support my mother and the court would then give permission for my mother to marry. They did what they needed to do and were given the court’s permission to wed.

My grandmother did not attend the wedding, but she prepared the food for the reception and helped my mother dress. My grandmother always said she gave her word and could not go back on it. It was my grandmother’s only true regret in her life.

Shortly after my parents left their family and friends and moved to Hong Kong. My father went to work and my mother found herself being made over by his mother and learning quickly about this amazing new world she found herself in. I was born in June of 1965 in Queen Elizabeth’s hospital over looking a hockey field where my father was playing field hockey.

Sergio was born in November of 1965 in St. Mary’s hospital in Portsmouth England. His sister and my sister would also be born there in the next couple of years.

The two families were re-united in England when my family moved back there in 1967. Sergio and I played together and read Pippin magazines while we were small.

In October of 1967 my sister Julia was born. Shortly after that the families separated again for what would be a very long time. My family moved to California in search of the American dream. Sergio’s family remained behind. A few months passed and Sergio’s sister Simona was born in June of 1968. About 6 months after that, they decided to move to Rome and live near Rolando’s family.

Many years of Christmas cards and occasional phone calls to keep the families updated were all the communication our two families had. Rolando came out once to California and for a fleeting moment the possibilities of the two families being together again may have crossed his mind; however he asked his 13 year old son Sergio what he thought about living in America, and Sergio said no. (I am sure that this was not the deciding factor; however, it makes the result to so much more enjoyable.) Carol was also not so keen on the idea; little did she know that 22 years later she would choose to live near her grand children.

As the years went on my family grew by three more. My parents had two more daughters, Kimberley and Lisa and my grandmother (Phyllis, whom will now be referred to as Granny), came to live with us.

During the World Cup one year my sister and I had the opportunity to back pack around Europe. One of our stops was Rome and that was the first time the two families had seen each other in years. Sergio was very unimpressed with me. I had a perm and he said I looked like a broom. I was not impressed with him either. He was this stereotypical cool Italian male with a suntan, a gold chain, shirt unbuttoned (ever so strategically) wearing sunglasses in the house. Needless to say it was not love at first site.

In 1995 my career gave me the opportunity to go and work in Rome on a film. I took it in a heart beat and my mom called “Auntie Carol” to let her know that I would be coming. My first night in Rome I called her and she and Sergio came and picked me up to go to dinner. What a difference a few years make. Sergio was in the driver’s seat well dressed in a beautiful Italian suit talking on the cell phone. His long blonde hair was pulled back to a sleek well placed pony tail and he seemed strong and shy all at once.

To me, this was my cousin, not really, of course, more like someone that I had grown up thinking of as a cousin. Over the next few days the three of us met every night for dinner. One night Sergio took me on the moped. I was thrilled and scared. I had never been on anything with two wheels except a bicycle. As is the custom with European families you give a kiss good night. This is where the story takes two different roads. If you ask me, it was an innocent kiss and that was it. If you ask Sergio, because he claims our lips touched briefly (I do not remember this) I tried to kiss him. Things happen quickly with us from this point forward.