I laughed, wondering what the surprise was. “Okay, I can wait. But Mom will never come. She had to walk out on Toy Story 4 for a client, so I don’t invite her anymore. Want to play pinochle?”

Nonni pursed her lips as if she wanted to defend Mom but then fell silent.

Good. Maybe she’d finally run out of excuses.

Cards were revered with Nonni, and I’d learned young how to play lots of games, from poker and war to bridge, but pinochle was my favorite. I wished I could tell her my plans for the summer, but I suspected it would be better if I let them both know later on, after I nailed my Regents and proved I was responsible. Maybe then Nonni would back me up if I could help her understand.

She nodded. “Yes, I’ll get the ice cream.”

“I thought you had indigestion.”

She gave a big smile. “And what do I say is a cure for that?”

I laughed, shaking my head. “Finocchio and ice cream.”

“Let’s go straight to the ice cream. I have bananas to make sundaes.” I helped her clean the table, and she spread out all the toppings so we could make our own. I grabbed sprinkles and crushed Oreos, and she heated up the caramel and fudge, and we stuffed them in the tall parfait glasses she kept just for sundaes. Michael Bublé crooned from Alexa’s speakers—I’d finally taught her how to use it—and we ate and played cards and chatted as it got dark. I savored the peaceful feeling being around my grandmother always brought, and for a little while, I was able to forget about everything else.

CHAPTER FIVE

Francesca

“What’s new in your schedule this week?” I asked, trying to break the awkward silence in the car. I was inundated with work, needed to go shopping to get Allegra new running sneakers, and craved a hot bubble bath rather than a quick shower, but I swore I wouldn’t break my promise for this Sunday dinner. Besides, I was looking forward to spending time with Allegra, but so far, all my questions had been met with one-word answers.

“Not much.”

I let out an annoyed breath. “Maybe you can give me a bit more than that?” I suggested, trying to keep my voice calm. “Is there something bothering you? You’ve been quiet.”

She turned from the window and shot me a look. “No. Everything’s fine. I’m just tired.”

“You slept till eleven,” I pointed out.

Her chin jerked and I knew I’d irritated her again. Breathing seemed to irritate her lately. “I stayed up late finishing my essay.”