I peek my head in the door of Vito’s old room. Eden is sitting on his bed, and Ma is sitting at her sewing machine. Juniper,who is about the same age as Ethan, is twirling in a very brightly colored mini-cheerleader costume.
“Yo, yo,” I say, winking at Eden.
“Hey, Benny,” she says, smiling. She gets up from the bed and clasps me in a quick hug.
I bend down to kiss my ma’s head and then kneel down to meet Junie at eye level. “What’s this?” I ask. “Halloween costume?”
Eden laughs. “Worse. Junie is obsessed with the cheerleaders at my work. Your mom decided she needed her own cheerleading uniform.”
My sister Grace’s husband runs a kids’ athletic facility, but I had no idea they had cheerleaders. “We talking kiddie cheerleaders or grown-ups?”
“Benny.” My mother smacks my arm and pushes sparkly red reading glasses up off her nose. “Thekidsare the cheerleaders.”
Eden snorts. “Running out of prospects?”
I almost curse, but then look from my mom to June and say, “No, and I’m not looking either.”
Eden lifts her brows, and even my ma looks intrigued.
“Son, you have someone special?” Ma jumps out of her chair just as Juniper tries to do a handstand on the floor by herself. “Whoa, whoa, sweetheart. Wait for Nonna.”
Ma kneels down on the floor by Junie while I wave a hand. “It’s casual,” I say, searching for the right words.
I don’t have to explain because Eden answers for me. “You only do casual, right?” There’s no judgment in Eden’s question, and unlike my siblings, she isn’t teasing me. She sounds genuinely interested.
“Ah.” I wave a hand, brushing the question away. No point in analyzing my love life with my brother’s girlfriend. Or anyone, for that matter. I know I’m the last in the family to settle down,and what’s the rush? “I’m married to a sexy beast of a restaurant. That’s more than enough commitment in my life.”
“If there is someone,” my ma says gently, “even if it is casual, you know you can always bring her to Sunday dinner. We’d love to be more involved in that part of your life. You need someone to care for you. To be there for you, Benny. You work so much, and…”
I look my ma over. She looks concerned, like maybe she’s overstepping by asking about that part of my life. I love her for it.
There’s never been a girl I’ve brought home—not since high school, and that doesn’t exactly count.
I know I have a reputation in my family for fucking anything that moves and never staying with one woman for too long. And I know my parents worry. I certainly don’t want them worrying about or even thinking about my love life.
“Ma, don’t worry, okay? I’m fine. I’ve got plenty of people to care about me. And I’m in no rush for one of these of my own,” I say, holding out my arms to Junie. She lifts her arms and demands that I pick her up, so I do then spin around with her in my arms, making the pleats of her tiny cheerleader skirt whirl. She cackles and drools on my arm, and then I catch a whiff of what’s happening in her diaper, which is my cue to hand her to her mom.
“When do they learn to use the bathroom?” I ask, wrinkling my nose.
“Not soon enough.” Eden grabs her backpack and heads toward the bathroom with Junie while I chuckle.
I’m still waving a hand in front of my assaulted nose when Ma sits back down at the sewing machine.
Since it looks like we have a minute alone, I lower my voice. “So, Ma, what’s the latest with the old man?” I ask.
She blinks her deep brown eyes, loaded with sparkly silver eyeshadow, at me and shakes her head. “He hasn’t said anything. Maybe I should stop worrying, I don’t…”
Just then, we hear Pops on the stairs. “Lucia!” he yells. “I’ve got a grandson who is dying for one of these cinnamon rolls. We got plans to frost these any time soon?”
I extend a hand to my mother and help her up. She gives me a hug and murmurs, “My boy. My heart.” Then she looks up at me, her lashes blinking fast. “Maybe no news is good news. Let’s go eat.”
I hear Eden running water in the bathroom, so it’s time to put this conversation on pause anyway. I’m about to follow my ma down the stairs when my phone rings. The caller ID readsBenito’s.
“This is Benny,” I say, not sure who from the restaurant would be calling, but I check the time on my watch.
“Benny, it’s Jasmine.”
“Hey, Jas. Everything all right?” I stomp downstairs, hoping Ma’s whipping up some cream cheese frosting for those rolls. If not, I may have to do that myself.
