Mifalda drained her glass and went to the sink to rinse it. Later, after everything had happened—after she'd learned that Paulie wasn't watching out for Lu, and Lu wasn't watching out for herself—she would wonder if Lu would have done what she did if Carmine had still been alive. Lu loved Mifalda—for all of their fighting, Mifalda knew that—but the girl had worshipped her father. She wouldn't have wanted to hurt him.

But those were questions that would come later. At that moment Mifalda checked her kitchen clock and saw that it was time for Lu to start her performance at the wedding. And even though Mifalda had never seen her daughter sing in public, she pictured Lu pulling herself up straight and tall so she'd have that extra little bit of height that mattered so much to her, and then, with her eyes shining, walking out in front of a crowd of people.

Chapter 10 - New Haven 1943

LU WALKED OUT onto the little raised platform that served as a stage in the Villa Veneto restaurant and looked out over the crowd. Before the war she would have thought it was small for a wedding reception. But these days, with the rationing and with so many families having boys overseas, people weren't giving big parties like they used to. Any size gathering was impressive in 1943. And even though there wasn't any butter for the table and most of the guests had traveled to the restaurant via the trolley instead of wasting precious gasoline, there was a band complete with a pianist. And there was Lu. She'd been asked to perform by the bride, who was none other than her beloved Miss Gaspari. Lu had been thrilled by the honor—until she'd seen the list of selections Miss Gaspari wanted her to sing. Lu sighed and looked out at the room full of her teacher's friends and relatives. She was about to try to entertain them, and they were not going to like it. Even Maestro DiTullio, who loved Miss Gaspari—her name was Mrs. Benedetto now, although he called her by her given name of Adele—had been dismayed when he saw the first piece on the bride's proposed list.

“She wants you to sing church music at a wedding reception?” he'd said.

Lu had nodded miserably. “She taught me the Panis Angelicus when I was just a kid. She says it has special meaning for us.”