“Of course,” says Joey. He stands still for another moment, and then turns to leave. Saul twists to follow him.

“This is your Jewish friend?” asks Tommy Fianzo, as Saul and Joey hold the door open.

“This is Saul Colicchio,” says Joey. “Sofia’s husband.”

Tommy stands and looks Saul in the eye. He stretches out a hand and Saul, quiet still, face unreadable, reaches forward to take it. “Pleasure to meet you,” says Saul. “Sir.”

“It’s Signore,” says Tommy. He turns his attention to Joey, and a slow smile begins to open across his face. “Eli Leibovich is going to shit himself when he hears about this.” The Jewish boss with whom the Fianzos had had a casual rivalry for years was not known for taking what he saw as cultural defection lightly.

Joey gives Tommy a wry, twisted smile of his own. “I know,” he says.

Back in the car, Joey turns to Saul and says, “You were great back there.” Saul has said a total of one sentence since he met Joey. He has already learned that if he is quiet, he is told more. And that if he is told more, he has more power.

“Anytime,” says Saul.

“That will be your job someday,” says Joey.

“That envelope?” asks Saul.

“That relationship,” says Joey.

Chapter 16

Antonia spends the early weeks of her pregnancy developing a pattern by which she can measure time. Wednesdays with her mamma, where if Antonia is lucky, she can convince Lina to walk with her for half an hour in the sun, and where Lina has started slipping small dried beans and bundles of herbs into Antonia’s pockets—for fortune, she says. For strength.

She spends Fridays at the butcher, the good vegetable shop, the bakery on Columbia with the softest bread.

Antonia cooks: big, lavish meals that strain their creaking dining table. Four courses just for the two of them. Paolo brings her flowers. He doodles on napkins in restaurants and brings her pictures with love notes written in his unmistakable handwriting. They are constantly presenting each other with gifts—look, this meal; this clip for your hair. Their home life is a choreographed waltz. Paolo is as quiet as Antonia except when he is frustrated or impatient and then he is explosive, rage boiling inside of him, and Antonia recognizes this energy from Sofia and knows how to soften it, how to soothe it.