“My father teaches English at the high school. My mother’s a dressmaker. She had our front porch glassed in and uses it as her shop.”

“You look as if you all get along very well.”

“We do. I’m quite proud of them.”

“Yes, I can tell.” She twirled the olive in her martini glass. “And I’m proud of Frank. We all are.”

“I am too,” I said.

“Frank’s proud of himself too,” she said teasingly. “He’d like to think we don’t have much in common. But we do have one thing. Ambition. Leo and I started out with one lumberyard. Now we have three.”

“And you have no children?”

“We couldn’t have them. But I have my nieces and nephews. I’m satisfied with that. We’re a very close family.”

“You are?”

She picked up the surprise in my voice. “All except Frank, of course. He’s always been the loner. He’s more . . . private than the rest of us. It’s hard to tell what’s going on in that head of his. Even as a kid he was secretive.”

Yes, I wanted to say, he is secretive. That wild anger had left Frank’s face, replaced now by a look of contempt.

“Anyway,” continued Vivian, “now that he’s proven himself and done it all on his own, maybe he won’t have to be so independent. Maybe he’ll let his family do a few things for him.”

Frank laid his napkin on the table, excused himself and went to the men’s room. Immediately, Vivian opened her purse, pulled something from it and put it in my hand under the table.

“Don’t let anybody see it,” she said, “and don’t say a word about it to Frank.”

I drew my hand into my lap and looked down. It was a check.

“Vivian!” I whispered. “This is for a thousand dollars!”

“It’s made out to you so Frank doesn’t have to know anything about it. You spend it the way you see fit.”

“Oh, Vivian, I can’t. He didn’t even invite you to the wedding and now you’re giving us this—”

“In our family we look out for our own. Frank’s a strange young man. I know; I watched him grow up. Maybe that’s part of his charm. If he chooses to cut us off, there’s nothing we can do about that. But I want you to know we’re always there in case you need us.”

“Why does he feel the way he does? I don’t understand it.”

“Don’t try,” she said. “I gave up a long time ago. We’re a large family and every one of us is different. We were very poor and we all had our share of hurt, in and out of the house. I think Frank indulges himself. I think part of him enjoys hanging on to the hurt. He never forgets, and he doesn’t forgive easily. But maybe now that he’s found you . . .” She leaned back in her chair, looked me over and smiled. “You really are a beauty. You’re sure to have lovely children. You do plan to have them, don’t you?”