“Me too,” Menotti said, looking up.

“I’ll see if I can scavenge some food for us,” José said, getting up from the floor and heading into the kitchen.

“Mamãe, do we really have to stay here?” Menotti asked.

“Nonna mean,” Teresita said over the head of her doll.

Mamma Garibaldi was not the pleasant woman my husband had made her out to be. I hoped she would take to the children, but Menotti and Teresita were acutely aware of the anger that emanated from their grandmother.

“Shh, don’t speak that way about your grandmother, Teresita.” I turned to Menotti. “We don’t have to stay here for very long. Just long enough so that we can get settled in Nizza. We will have a house of our own very soon.”

José stepped back into the room with a plate of cookies. I could tell he’d heard everything we said. His fake smile, the one that he reserved for the public, was all too plain on his face. “Did you know that this is where I grew up? I was born in this very house.”

“Was Nonna nicer then?” Menotti asked, reaching for a cookie.

“Your grandmother has been living alone for a long time. We are chaos to her. How do you think you would feel if you were her?”

Menotti looked over to Teresita. “I suppose I can kind of see how she feels.”

Teresita shook her head. “Nonna still mean.”

José pulled her onto his lap. “Perhaps, little one, your nonna will soften as she gets to know you.” Teresita wrinkled her face as she reached for another cookie.

That evening after I put the children to bed, I settled into my new bedroom. As I was preparing for bed, José slipped into the room. He wrapped his arms around me as he began to nuzzle my neck. I pushed him away.

“No, my love, not here.” I rested my hand against his face, letting my thumb trace his cheekbone. Life under his mother’s roof would be difficult; she already loathed me and if she caught me with her son, regardless of our marital arrangements, life would be downright unbearable.

“My mother is asleep and what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her. I will be out by morning.” He went in for a kiss, but I stopped him.

“I gave my word.” I didn’t like it here, and I wanted to make sure he didn’t grow comfortable in our new home either.

José pulled away. “Well, we will have to find another way.” He walked back toward the door. “Are you sure you want to let me sleep alone?”

“Go, my love, before I change my mind.”

He sighed. “Well, dream of me.”

Early the next morning, before the sun had even risen, I was awoken by a light coming in from the hallway. I opened my eyes and saw Mamma Garibaldi standing in the doorway, looking at me. When she saw me stir, she closed the door and left.