“One of the things I remember my parents arguing about when I was younger was the Vietnam war,” Tina said, squinting her eyes against the glare of the bright sun. “My father supported Johnson, which made my mother furious. He said she didn’t understand anything of the reality of the world, and so forth. At first I sided with my father, thinking that because he was a man he must know better. Then I knew that my mother’s feelings were correct and I hadn’t trusted her just because they were a woman’s feelings. I was a kind of Uncle Tom against my sex. That’s how confused our roles are in this shitty society.”

“We’ve all been up to here in tensions. My family’s no different. My parents have practically not been speaking to each other for the past few years. My mother is Canadian, you know, and says Dad is an American imperialist; and he, of course, has to keep somewhat decently quiet because he’s a government representative after all. The whole thing is pretty rotten, and it’s a hell of a mess to be working for the government and having to hold your tongue. I can see both their points.”

“Who can stand being American these days! I’m glad I’m half-Italian. There’s a marvelous word I just learned for my lot: ‘quaquaversal.’ Isn’t that great? You can hear the qua in it. The OED defines it as ‘whithersoever,’ but it’s a turning here, then there, and back again here . . . forever on. It doesn’t apply to you and your family because you’re assigned duties when you go from one place to another. But me and my family—we have no rhyme or reason, my mother just kept papà moving back and forth. It’s a paradox: My father’s Venetian ancestors were roaming sea-captains, but all he ever wanted to do was to stay still someplace and take walks in the country. So what happens? He marries someone demonic like my mother who keeps us on the move like a band of gypsies. And the best-laid plans of her family in Gloversville went astray, too. She didn’t marry an American doctor or lawyer in her hometown but an Italian poet, and started a life of shuttling back and forth between the States and Italy.”

“Very sensible, I would say,” said Jason cheerfully.

“But you don’t see the existential problem, Jason!”

“I think too much is made of this whole family business. After all, once you’re grown you can live where and with whom you choose and have the life you choose.”