Enter Maggie Francesca Harrington.
Moved to America from Italy when her father struck it big there.
Lives in Hawkins, Indiana for awhile, she goes into high school and meets Richard “Rich Dick” Harrington.
They fall in love and get married early(she’s 18, he’s 20). Her father, Francesco Giorgio Ricci, despises Richard and doesn’t give his blessing.
Francesco doesn’t approve of Richard, but he’ll be damned if he can’t walk his Pippi down the isle.
They have a beautiful wedding, beautiful reception, everything is paid for by the Harrington family(of course).
Her Maid-of-Honor is none other than Joyce Byers. Joyce was Maggie’s first American friend and has been with her through everything.
Mama and Papa Ricci move back to Italy for 4 years before moving back bc Maggie is pregnant.
April 29, 1967 - Stefano “Steve” Otis Francesco Harrington is born.
Maggie’s mother, Serena Paola Ricci, is full on in love with her little grand baby, her tesorino.
Spoils little Stefano to the max.
Francesco took to teaching him how to cook when he got a little older, as well as teaching him Italian.
Back when Serena still lived in Italy, she was a full-on fashionista: making dresses, taking in the waist, adjusting the lengths, adding, subtracting, the full shebang.
Serena would make Stefano little clothes, accessories of all type whether it be supposedly meant for girls or boys.
Richard had the most problems with this bc his son was not going to become a queer from his grandmother’s influence.
Maggie and Richard fought the most about Serena’s influence on Stefano.
Maggie all for the clothing, she didn’t spend money on clothes, even though they were well off, when her mother could make them for free.
Richard against Serena dressing Steve with whatever she made.
“The clothes make him look like a queer, Maggie! What are we gonna do when people start talking?! If anything, their influence on him needs to stop-” “Who cares?! He’s dressed and gets to spend time with his grandparents! They love him, Richard! Do not take that away from them. Don’t take it away from Steve.”
After that, Grandma and Grandpa don’t come over as often as they used to.
Steve’s confused on why grandma and grandpa aren’t around a lot and Maggie explains that they’re old and wanna have some romantic dates before coming back.
So, Steve starts watching his mother draw and paint and what-not and decides he wants to try too.
She teaches him the works and he takes off, in love with the hobby, then Richard finds out.
He goes off about these kinds of things making children queer and berates him for it.
Richard signs him up for baseball the same day.
Maggie knowing this, still draws with him in secret, teaching him more, both occasionally doing drawings together.
This is the start of Richard’s business trips.
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Italian!Steve has a very special place in my heart.
Also, someone said they envision Sophia Loren as Steve’s grandmother and I can’t unsee it.
Like, I can imagine this is one of the only pictures Steve has of his grandmother.
And someone sees it and interrogates him about it (maybe Robin), and he just gets all sad like, “That’s my grandmother, Serena Paola Ricci. She passed a little while back before all this happened…”, just telling her about how she’s had a big impact on his life, all the activities they used to do together, what she taught him, etc. etc.. And Robin is immediately pulling him into a hug and he sobs cuz he loved his grandparents so much, Serena especially.
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