“Life is simply grand, Joey mou.”

*  *  *

Joey was in a Demetris hangover.

She dropped her canvas at home that Tuesday afternoon. She said hello to the statue of Bea, studying her own canvas but not painting it. In the throes of pre-show chaos, the living room was dotted in various incarnations of the menstrual flow. Leo now referred to their apartment as the Womb. He said the paintings were scarring to any man who might at any point in time wish to bed a woman.

Joey changed into a floaty white tank top, white capri pants, and her new espadrilles. Then she appraised herself in the mirror and decided to add a funky necklace. She selected one with chunky, wooden, emerald-green beads and fastened it around her neck. She went into the living room.

“Bye, Mom! Leo and I are going out for a picnic at the Old Fortress. I’ll sleep at the Winns’ tonight. You know it’s our one-year anniversary?”

“Oh yeah? Wow, one year. That’s a beautiful milestone. Have fun, sweetheart. You know what, JoJo? Have too much fun!”

Lily was an angel sprawled on the couch with zero trace of her earlier tantrum when Joey had taken her to the supermarket.

In a spurt of love, Joey picked up her sister and whooshed her around in a circle, kissing her on her soft cheek before setting her back down. “Tomorrow let’s build another sandcastle, Lil, how about it?”

Lily removed the pacifier from her mouth. “Castle!” She clapped her hands.

“Yes, castle! Maybe we can even drag Mom along with us again.” Joey laughed.

“I’m in. It will do me some good to get a break from the Womb.” Bea winked. “You thought I didn’t know? Say hello to Leo for me.”

Joey giggled. “Will do. Love you, Mom. Love you, Lily Pad.”

“Love you, Oey.”

The city was bathed in pink when they stepped out onto the cobblestones after aperitifs at Leo’s place. “Guess what? We’re going to Salto after all, Jones,” Leo said with a giant smile, like he’d been bursting with that surprise.

Salto was Taverna Salto, with the famous chef Joey had read about in a magazine and mentioned offhand to Leo weeks before. They’d booked in a reservation but then decided last week to cancel. It wasn’t prudent for such a splurge with neither of them earning money in the summers and Leo saving all of his for his yachting business plan.

“We’re not doing the picnic?” She’d been content with their low-key plan. “I like gyros.”

“Then we’ll do them another night. I want tonight to be special. It’s my treat. Are you happy?”