She shut the door again, still clutching the black plastic door handle, ready to open it at any time. I turned off into an industrial area, and slowed down. When the car came to a stop, Barbara slowly opened the door and slipped her right leg out, grazing the asphalt with her bare foot, like a joke.

“What is it?” I asked. While I’d searched for a place to turn off, I’d felt a certain calmness; suddenly, her behavior felt normal.

She didn’t answer.

“Come on. It’s okay. Say what you want to say—go on, honey.”

“I don’t want to scare you.”

I took her hand. “Come on—just say it.”

“I have to be on the deed to the condo.”

I rolled down my window. I’d been sweating the whole drive; the air-conditioning in my car no longer worked and hadn’t for a long time. On the road where we’d stopped, I saw the gates to various small factories, all of which seemed to be closed that day; the pavement was worn and full of potholes. The sky was opaque; I was wearing my polarized sunglasses that made everything sharper, real and fake. I lowered my glasses and the street looked uglier. I put them back on and said: “Okay.”

Barbara started texting with someone. I felt hurt that she hadn’t thanked me, and silly for feeling hurt.

Outside Anzio, we stopped and bought a pizza and some orange soda as a snack to have with my father.

Getting out by the gate of my parents’ beach house, Barbara said: “Now, let’s see if your dad greets me.” She set the pizza on the scalding-hot car roof, hoping he’d notice and suggest we talk, and she smiled as she saw him coming down the porch steps to meet us at the gate that he was now sliding open. I took out a bottle of beer. (Barbara and I were whispering back and forth: “You know we don’t greet each other in my family.” “Yeah, I know, I know.” “It’s not like he says hello to me, right?” “He’s treating you nice these days.” “He’s terrified you’re going to leave me the week before, too.” “Poor thing.”)

When he reached us, he headed straight for the trunk without so much as a kiss.

“Dad, let’s have some pizza,” I said, but he was already leaning over a case of liquor.