“Of course.”
“You have a rosary,” I said, pointing to it on the counter.
“Yes.”
“But… you’re married to… someone who…”
I trailed off as I saw the change in Alessandra’s expression.
Her smile froze in place – but I could see the panic in her eyes.
“I’m sorry – I shouldn’t have said anything,” I murmured.
“No, it’s fine,” she said, but I could tell it wasn’t.
“No,” I said, ashamed. “You’ve been nothing but kind to me, and I really shouldn’t have said – ”
“It’s…” Alessandra interrupted, then paused. “…it’s hard.”
I looked at her, afraid to say anything.
“You think maybe you can learn to live with it… and youcan… as long as you can ignore it,” she said, her eyes focusing off somewhere in the distance. “But things keep happening where youcan’tignore it. Eventually, you’re forced to face it… again and again and again…”
“Why did you marry him, then?” I whispered.
She stopped staring into the distance and looked at me like she was surprised to find me there.
Then she smiled sadly. “For love.”
“…is that enough?”
She tilted her head to the side. “Enough for what?”
“Enough to… to deal with the things that scare you?”
She looked at the rosary, then touched one of the beads and rubbed it like she was in deep thought.
“…I don’t know,” she said quietly. “Ithinkso. Ihopeso… but I don’t know for sure.”
I sat there in utter silence.
It was probably the most profound conversation of my entire life…
And it filled me with dread.
Then, from far down the hallway, I heard the sound of men’s voices intermingled with Cat’s.
They were coming to the kitchen.
Alessandra heard them, too. The spell broken, she looked at me again. “Giorgio’s a good man. He has a good heart.”
I nodded. “I know.”
“But in the end… you have to make the decision that’s right foryou.”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
She nodded and smiled sadly.
