“There is nothing, Mamma.” I place my hand over hers as it rests on my forearm, patting it lightly in reassurance.
Steering her to an empty bench beneath the shade of an oak, we sit. She unhooks her arm from mine and turns toward me, allowing one of her arms to drape across the back.
“I worry about you, my Sly. Since you have returned from Europe, you seem discontent. Perhaps you can explore a residency here in the city? Surely your father has some sway in his hospital.”
I knew this conversation would arise at some point, but I still feel unprepared for it. How does one admit to their mother that theydopractice medicine, just not in the traditional, legal way?
You don’t, unfortunately.
“Sì,” I tell her. “I’ve planned to explore my options.” It’s the best I can say at the moment. One day, I’ll come clean about everything, but today isn’t that day.
“All I want is your happiness. Guilio told me you had a date last week. How was it?”
For the love of all things holy, Guilio,I mentally curse my brother. Such a Mamma’s boy, telling her everything unless he is explicitly told not to.
“It was…” I begin, my voice trailing off as I think back to that night, trying to think of something positive to tell her. “Well, Romèo et Juliette was wonderful. You would love it.”
“Sì, but the girl?”
Sighing deeply, I give her a weak smile. “Vapid. Nice enough, I suppose, but there will not be a second date.”
“That’s a shame,” she says lightly, patting my knee. “Perhaps the next one. How does that saying go? There are plenty of fish in the sea? Someday, you will meet someone who intrigues you and challenges you, amore mio.”
My mind flits to Vinnie, the image of her sitting at my kitchen island drinking coffee, wandering into my mind.
I begin to see visions of her in ways I never have, my brain conjuring up new ideas. Her with her dark hair piled on top of her head, wearing my gray joggers, rolled at her hips to keep them up. Vinnie laying on my couch while we watch a movie, curled up with my pillow in her arms. Us holding hands as we round the corner to Di Mercutio, grabbing a late night bite to eat.
The visions are like a punch to the gut, knocking the air from my lungs.
Mamma takes my hand in hers and gives it a gentle squeeze, pulling me from my thoughts.
Giving her a tight-lipped smile, I nod once and squeeze her hand back. “Sì, Mamma, perhaps someday.”
But I can’t help but wonder if maybe I already have.
Chapter 15
Vinnie
“And you’re absolutely positive you can’t meet me there?”
Cecilia lets out a long sigh from the other end of the phone. “Vin, seriously? I’m going to afuneral.”
“For your second cousin's stepmother,” I sass, but she knows from my tone I’m joking. Although, part of me isn’t.
Sunday brunch isn’t going to be the same without her.
Skyscrapers blur past as Ross weaves through the traffic, navigating us away from the busy roads until we can veer down a side street that leads to Central Park.
Brunch today is at Blankenship House, a posh restaurant on the edge of The Lake in Central Park. It overlooks the waters, and my mother keeps gushing about the ambiance and has been trying to get us all there for weeks now.
“Family is still family. You know that. I’ll be back at your house before you know it.”
“Home,” I emphasize. “You’ll behomelater. I don’t know why you insist on referring to it as mine when you’ve lived there since day one, too.”
Because she still sees herself as the help, even though we’re years and years past that.
“Mmhmm, I’ll see you athome, Vinnie. Try not to have too much fun verbally sparring with Joey without me there to witness it.”
