I reach out to take it, and he glances down at my wrist. Before I can stop him, he holds my hand up high enough so he can study it. “Is this new?”
And I see the moment he realizes what the charm is.
“Yeah,” I answer.
He lets my hand fall.
“Well, anyway. Just wanted to get that back to you. And check on Margot and Anna.”
He’s closed off now. I want to chuck this bracelet across the room. It’s like Griffin marked me with this thing.
“Margot and Anna are about the same. I talked to her earlier and she sent a few more pictures,” I say. “Mom said they’ll be in the hospital a bit longer, but that’s normal, since she’s a preemie.”
Wes nods and stares off into the distance.
“Were you able to get tickets to the hockey game?” I ask.
He nods, still not looking at me. “Yeah, Dad had some tickets they weren’t using.” He gets up from the couch and moves toward the door. “Well, I guess I’ll see you there.”
I want to sayPlease come backorI think this bracelet is weirdor any number of things, but all that comes out is “Okay.”
At some point while I’ve been staring at the door, Nonna turns up all dressed for church.
“Well, I’m off. Be back shortly.”
I hop up from my chair. I need a distraction. “Wait!” I say, and Nonna stops at the back door. “Give me a few minutes to change. I’m coming with you.”
The church is old and big and really beautiful. We squeeze into an open space three rows back from the altar. I stare straight ahead, waiting for things to get started, but Nonna twists around in the pew, checking out who’s here like she’s taking roll.
I lean closer and whisper, “Who are you looking for?”
Her gray hair tickles my cheek. “This is the perfect place to scope out boys. That’s what you need, a good boy who goes to church on Sunday.”
And now I want to run for my life. She’s trying to set me upin church?
“Oh look,” she says, loud enough to get everyone’s attention in the rows around us. They all swivel around to see what she’s pointing out. “Shirley’s grandson is sitting with her, and he’s grown up into a fine-looking young man.” Nonna nudges me. “Sophie, what do you think about him?”
And now everyone is trying to check out Shirley’s grandson. I cover my face with my hands so no one can see it turn bright red.
The woman sitting in front of us leans over the pew. “He’s staying with her because he got kicked out of school for drugs,” the woman says. She whispers the worddrugsso quietly I can barely hear it.
“Oh, well, that won’t do,” Nonna says.
Peeking through my fingers to watch this train wreck, I see the woman stretch even closer. I’m afraid she’s going to topple right over into our laps. “Have you seen my grandson, Thomas? He’s a nice boy!” Her head nods dramatically to the guy sitting next to her, who looks as freaked out as I am. I give him my very bestI’m sorry our grandmothers are so embarrassinglook.
He nods and turns back around.
Nonna pats the woman on the shoulder and says, “Fine-looking boy!”
Thankfully, the organ music swells and fills the room, and the rest of Nonna’s words are drowned out by the choir in the balcony above us.
I’m at the kitchen table while Nonna stands at the stove, making a big pot of spaghetti, and it’s the calm before the storm. By noon, everyone will be here for Sunday lunch.
“Those two are getting ridiculous,” Nonna says, pointing to the date board. Uncle Sal and Uncle Michael are still fighting over who gets to pick the date for date eight. There is sticky note over sticky note, each of them trying to get his name on top.
“You’re going to have to make a ruling on that, because I’m not going on two dates in one day.”
Nonna clucks her tongue. “It’ll work out.”
