o

tead, I lied to Elena. I constructed a plausible fiction of a

e telephoned on Saturday afternoon, her vo

," I

room t

N

nally ran out of domestic questions and hung up

broke my trance; Marco had to

wall," he said. "Let'

bed my sneakers, and followed him

y advanced physics notebook for an impending midterm project

s unnaturally quiet. My gaze was drawn to a pair of unfamiliar, scuffed men's sneakers, k

taircase and pushed open t

on the

e, had been torn down. In their place sat a glowing gaming laptop on a cheap metal folding table. Empty soda cans stood in little clusters

e far end of the hall as Elena hurried up the

yes widening. "You did n

my voice a monotone that seemed t

the towel

ut. "He needed his own space to feel comfortable. Victor said sinc

where my life used to be, a co

otebook," I said, refusin

d rushed down the hall to a cramped storage closet. She dug through a dis

e center of the dark blue cover, where the distinct t

dges of the dir

while we were moving the boxes

he hall toward the stairs. The tread pattern perfectl

I said, turni

na called out, following behind me d

N

Luca walked in, their arms laden with paper bags of groceries. V

hat a s

the shoulder. "Luca, say

s neck and completely ignored me,

to Victor's eyes. When I spoke, my vo

ouch my belon

d seize; the laugh lines at the corners of his eyes froze,

cker of something cold and calculating

ng me up, r

n involuntary step back. "It was just a mis

ow apologies. I changed my shoes, pulled open t

he airless foyer behind me. As I marched down the long dri

hiding in the shadows. It was

e, letting the cold wind strike my face. Without a

t suspend itself in doubt.

ice answered, low and resonant,

eo

ightening on the plastic

n the line. The Don of the Famiglia was clear

y trace of paternal warmth, becoming th

diner. We

my schedul

ne wen

ewalk, the encrypted pho

nths. Now I was summoning the most da

was dealing with

out to me

d next, there wa