“I’m going to try to connect Dad, okay?” I said instead.
“Oh, something is wrong. Just tell me.”
“Nothing’s wrong. We just need a family meeting.”
“Family meeting?”
At that, my sister appeared at my side and waved into the camera. “Hey, Mamma.”
Our mother scowled. “Allegra? Why are you inScozia?”
“One second, Mamma,” I insisted as I invited Dad into the call.
Wesley Howard might be a legendary film director and super busy guy, but unless he’s in the middle of filming a scene, it was rare he didn’t pick up when his daughters called. Sure enough, after five rings, my father’s rugged face appeared. “Hey!” His eyes widened in surprise. “All my girls? Wait … what are you doing in LA, Ari?”
“I’m not in LA.”
“Allegra, what are you doing in Scotland?”
“Good morning to you, too, husband,” Mamma called, pouting childishly.
Our father grinned. “I saidgood morningto you an hour ago.”
Allegra and I groaned at the innuendo in his tone and our mother’s consequent purr of approval. Good lord! I did not need to know that our parents had phone sex.
“Anyway.” I took a deep breath. “We’re calling for a reason.”
“Why are you so pale?” Mamma cut in. “Ari, you are the face of that estate. You cannot walk around looking like a dead girl.”
“Mamma!” Allegra’s tone was chastising.
“I’m used to it,” I muttered, squeezing her hand. We needed our parents on Allegra’s good side.
“And don’t mumble. A lady does not mumble.”
“Chiara, give it a rest,” Dad suggested with a bite in his tone. The one point of contention between our parents was the way my mother picked at me. “Look, girls, as happy as I am to see you, I have to be back on set in five minutes, so what’s the deal?”
Just spit it out fast. “Allegra came to visit me to explain how unhappy she is in LA, so we’ve been talking about it and think it would be best if she transferred to Rhode Island for junior year.”
Dad started speaking first. “Well, I think—”
“No!” Mamma cried out unhappily. “I finally am home to spend time with mybambina. No way are you moving across the entire country from me.”
Allegra huffed. “You’re in New York right now. You didn’t even know I wasn’t in LA.”
I squeezed my sister’s hand because antagonizing our mother would get us nowhere.
“That’s beside the point. I want you home with me. Why do my daughters insist on leaving me?”
“Chiara, they’re growing up,” Dad interjected. “I think it might be good for Allegra to go to the East Coast. Rhode Island is a top school.”
Mamma’s eyes filled with tears. “I just lost so much time with them when I was working and traveling. I want to make up for that.”
“I know, baby.”
God, give me patience. Not that I didn’t love my mother or see her goodness. But she was kind of, well … utterly and completely self-involved. It was always her first instinct to think about how a situation affected her, but thankfully, she could also be talked into seeing it from someone else’s perspective.“Mamma, what’s important is Allegra’s mental health and emotional well-being. If Rhode Island would make her happier, then I think it’s smart we all support her in that move.”
As always, my calm words seemed to hit home. Her expression softened. “I suppose that is all that matters. It will give me an excuse to stay in Boston more. I do love the Four Seasons there.”
