I watch him until he gets all the way to the top and disappears down the hallway. Then I turn right, glancing into the kitchen as I pass. Giovanni is sitting at the island, drinking. He looks similar to Frankie, except that he’s been through this before.
Our eyes meet, and Giovanni gives me a nod. I pass him by without comment. We’re on the same page, and nothing needs to be said. I know he’ll be okay, and that I don’t have to worry about chasing him to bed.
Inside my office, I’m comforted by the familiarity of the place. I remember how much I hate being stuck here day after day, working on monotonous things. Suddenly, it doesn’t seem so bad.
I put in a call to Carmine in Italy. He picks up on the third ring, and I can hear the noise of Bella’s restaurant in the background.
“Cousin!” Carmine salutes me.
“Hello,” I respond, dropping heavily into my seat.
“How was your flight?” he asks.
“Fine,” I say. “There’s been some developments.”
“Tell me,” he wonders.
“We were attacked by Andretti’s crew,” I say, not getting into the specifics. “Your men were a big help.”
“I’m glad,” Carmine replies.
“We managed to find Marlena’s brother, and he’s here now, but he’s got some medical complications,” I report, trying to keep any emotion out of my voice.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Carmine says. “Is there anything I can do?”
“Yes,” I respond, pleased that he’s opened the door for my request. “I don’t think it’s safe here for them at the moment. I’d like to put them on a plane and send them back to Italy.”
“Of course,” Carmine replies. “Marlena is always welcome here. And I’d like to meet her brother, my other missing cousin.”
I nod to myself, feeling a whole lot better now that I know Marlena has a safe place to go. “I’m going to send them back with a gift for you.”
“No need,” Carmine says.
“Come on,” I insist. “I want to thank you. What do you want from America?”
“How about a cheeseburger?” Carmine jokes.
“I’ll send a chef,” I say, upping the ante.
“Better not,” Carmine declares. “My sister would pitch a fit if there were any competition.”
I smile. “Alright then, I’ll think of something.”
We hang up, and I sit staring at my desk, not seeing any of the work waiting for me. My mind is a blur, and I know I won’t be doing any real business today. I check my calendar just to make sure there’s nothing pressing. A few texts later, and my schedule is clear.
I go to the kitchen to join Giovanni for a drink. He takes one look at me and pours a second glass. We don’t talk. We just sit there drinking in silence.
“Go to bed,” Giovanni suggests.
“I’m good,” I mutter.
“I’m not,” Giovanni says. He stands up and puts his glass in the sink. He doesn’t need to; we have a cleaning staff that will take care of things for him. But he’s contentious like that. “It won’t hurt to admit that you’re human.”
I laugh. He’s got me pegged. Here I am, trying to fix everything for everyone else and not paying any attention to myself, but I’ve got one more thing I have to do before I call it quits for the day. I have to make sure Marlena’s alright.
With a heavy sigh, I rise from my seat. On second thought, I pour myself two more fingers of scotch and down it in one gulp. Then I march upstairs to find my wife.
Marlena is still in the hallway. I wave her away from Brandon’s room. “Come on,” I say. “Time for a shower and then bed.”
