“Oooh, I’m so excited!” said Giovanni. He slid inside the cart, and patted the seat next to him. “Charlotte?” he said, “I saved you a seat!”
“Good heavens,” said Charlotte. She was trying to be aloof, but Giovanni’s clear delight was infectious. “Is this safe?” she asked.
“I’ll hold your hand,” said Giovanni. “Don’t be scared.”
“I’mnotscared,” pronounced Charlotte, though she did accept Giovanni’s hand as she stepped into the cart.
“This is basically a dream come true, right?” said Giovanni. “I mean, you love golf carts, and everyone loves Rome!”
“I wouldn’t say Ilovegolf carts,” said Charlotte. “They’re convenient and don’t use too much gasoline.”
“And the wind through your hair!” trilled Giovanni. “Don’t forget the wind through your hair!”
“Well,” she admitted, “yes, that is a nice feeling.”
“E voilà!”said Giovanni, pulling a six-pack of cans of sparkling wine from his satchel, each with a tiny straw. He opened Charlotte’s, inserted the straw, and handed it to her. “I want to be your favorite,” he said. He turned around, his smile bright and absolutely winning. “I want to be everyone’s favorite,” he said. Lee saw Giovanni search their faces, seeming confused by the Perkinses’ muted reaction to his onslaught of cheerfulness. Giovanni turned to Cord, who was staring at his shoes.
“Please, grip tight and we go,” said Donte.
“It’s hot all right,” said Lee, putting her lips on her tiny straw, but then remembering.
“The cooling breezes, they begin,” said Donte, and with a jolt, they were off.
—
AS THEY BUMPED ALONGin the golf cart, nearly missing tourists and turning sharply to pass the Colosseum, Circus Maximus, and then the Arch of Constantine and Aventine Hill, Lee touched her stomach through her new sundress. It was still perfectly taut, but she knew that would change. If she kept the baby. Was she going to keep the baby?
Everywhere Lee turned, a building more jaw-dropping than the ones she’d already seen came into view. She wished fiercely that she had taken an art history class at Chico State. But even with no idea what the buildingsmeant,or when they were built andwhy,she felt a visceral joy craning her neck and taking them in. Lee had never realized how hideous most of the world was until Rome.
Beside Lee, Regan was quiet. They’d once been close, a million years ago. But the tables had turned from the days when Regan worshipped her sister: now Lee had a lot to learn from Regan, who knew how to be a mother. Lee watched her sister, taking in her baseball cap and breezy sundress. Regan looked comfortable in her own skin. Maybe Matt had been right—she was the strongest one of them all.
This realization made Lee feel insecure. She’d always assumed she herself was the leader of their pack of three. But no matter what happened to Regan, she would have Flora and Isabella on either side of her. What did Lee have?
Regan turned to Lee, interrupting her reverie. “What do you think?” said Regan.
“You mean…about Matt?” said Lee, pleasantly surprised to be asked for her advice. She considered what to say, how to impart wisdom to her little sister. “Well—” she began.
“No,” said Regan, cutting her off. “NotMatt.What do you think ofRome?”
“Oh!” said Lee, embarrassed. Of course Regan wouldn’t turn to Lee for help. They really didn’t have a relationship anymore. Lee and her sister were like strangers, jammed together on a golf cart. “It’s gorgeous,” said Lee, recovering. She brushed her hair off her bare shoulders. “I feel like Sophia Loren,” she said, slipping her fake persona on easily.
Regan smiled vaguely. Her brow furrowed a bit, and Lee was saddened to see that her sister was looking at her with both kindness and pity.
—
THEIR GUIDE DIDN’T SAYmuch, just drove the cart at a breakneck speed, whipping his gaze back and forth to capture everything with the GoPro camera he had strapped around his head. Was he going to sell them this video footage later? Who would want to watch the whirling feed of heavenly structures? Actually, maybe Lee.
She loved Giovanni already. Although Cord had seemed to think his coming-out was a big shock, Lee had known her brother was gay since she could remember. She’d watchedWill & Grace,after all. He’d never had a boyfriend, not in Savannah, but then he’d never had a true girlfriend, either. He was always the generic popular boy.
Cord had referred to the situation only once. Lee had come home late and her drunken father had yelled at her for a while. After he’d finally stopped, Lee had gone to bed crying, and Cord had come into her room. He climbed into her bed and scratched her back under the covers. It was a tremendous comfort, and Lee’s sobs quieted.
She was almost asleep when she heard Cord whisper, “Imagine what he’d do to me.”
—
THEY PULLED INTO Asquare called Campo de’ Fiori. “Fiori,it mean flowers,” explained Donte. “Here was the executions.” He pointed to a statue of a hooded, somber man. “That guy,” he said. “His name Giordano Bruno. Burned here at the stake. Also, nice snacks for purchase. See you one hour.”
His elucidation complete, Donte walked off, entering one of the restaurants lining the square.
