“Listen, Aunt Marcella has never asked me for anything, so when she called me to get paperwork in line for you, I gladly did it. Whatever trouble you’re in must be deep. I get that. Keep it away from Gino though, okay? And if you smell danger of any kind or need anything, let me know. She considers you family, so I will too. That’s how we work. I won’t tell anyone your real name. We’ll keep you safe here.”
“Thank you,” I say in a quiet voice. I’m embarrassed that he is the one to help me, and overwhelmed with his sincerity and kindness. I shouldn’t be surprised though. He is related to Marcella.
We walk into the house. The living room is adorned with nick-knacks and family photos. There are black and white photos from Italy, similar to pictures I saw at Marcella’s. When I look around, I smile because so much in here is similar to Marcella’s. The sisters definitely share the same taste, down to the doilies on the armrest of the couch. The room isn't tacky though, it looks lived in. Off the living room is a dining room with a table large enough to seat twelve. Clear plastic covers the chairs and the walls are painted a rich shade of red.
“We have family dinners every Sunday.”
“No surprise there. Your cousin Nina makes the best gravy I’ve ever tasted.”
“Ha ha! I can tell you’ve been with Marcella! Most of us would say meat sauce. Don’t let Angie hear you say that Nina’s sauce is the best; she swears her gravy wins awards. We even have a second kitchen in the basement for when more than just the immediate family comes over. Usually, all of the cousins hang out down there.” Carlo has such a relaxed nature about him. He really has made me feel welcome in just minutes.
He shows me where my room is, and lets me know that Jenny left some clothes for me. We continue down the hall to an open room where Ari is playing with Gino. The room is painted a soft pink and the comforter is a light shade of lavender with a swirl design on it. There are a few girl stuffed animals on the bed along with a new soccer ball and a pair of cleats.
“Can you believe this Au...Mom? It’s awesome! Gino showed me some of the clothes they picked out.” I’m so happy for her. I know that this is nicer than any place either of us has ever lived. Tears fill her eyes for a brief second as we stare at each other silently communicating the magnitude of this.
“Hello?” A voice similar to Marcella’s calls out from downstairs, stopping our emotions from breaking free.
“Up here, Ma! Just showing her the rooms. I’ll be right down,” Carlo calls.
“Grandma!” Gino bounces out of the room with an excited Ari right behind him. Carlo starts to walk down the hallway. Before he reaches the stairs, I step out of my comfort zone again and grab his arm.
“Carlo, thank you. It’s really more than we’ve ever had. Thank you.”
He pauses and looks me over curiously as if he is dissecting me, then shrugs, “I just picked out the soccer ball when Marcella mentioned that she played. Angie, Marcella and Jenny did the rest.”
We walk down the stairs and I see Gino in his Grandma’s arms, holding Ari’s hand introducing her. Ari is sheepish at first, but with prodding from Gino, she hugs Angie. My heart leaps! This is huge. I know that besides me, Ari hasn’t hugged many other adults. I watch her carefully, ready to step in if she needs me. When she wraps her arms tightly around Angie, I feel my body relax. I think we are going to be okay here.
“Sorry, I had to send Carlo. Did he show you around, at least?” Angie asks breaking away from the hug and shrugging off her jean jacket.
“He did. Thank you so much for your hospitality,” I smile at Angie, “Wow, you look so much like your sister.” She has similar features to Marcella and a little less weight but her face gives off the same warm smile and trusting eyes.
“No need to thank me. It’ll be good to have you here. At one time, I had seven kids in this house! Even with Gino, it’s way too quiet. Make yourself at home. Carlo, I have some groceries in the car. Why don’t you be a good son and grab them for me?” Carlo kisses his mother on the cheek and walks out the front door. “Want to help me in the kitchen and let these two kids play? Marcella said you helped her a lot at the restaurant.”
“I did. I really liked it. But don’t let her fool you. She helped me way more than I helped her.” My eyes break contact for a second, “She’s still helping me.”
I follow Angie into the kitchen and help her put the groceries away that Gino brought in. The kitchen is on the smaller side and is completely packed full with dishes and food. What a strange concept for me; more food than space. We weren't hungry at Rich’s house, but we didn’t have much variety either. Oatmeal, pasta, or cereal was what my diet usually consisted of.
“I’m thinking we could make Chicken Parmesan for dinner. Do you know how to pound out the chicken?”
“Yes, Marcella taught me.”
“Good. Let’s get cooking. Carlo, keep an eye on the kids will you?” I hear Carlo whine, a noise an adult man shouldn’t be making. “Don’t make those noises at me, young man. You want to eat? You watch the kids. Or you go home. No dinner for you.”
“Relax, Ma. I got this.” Carlo throws his hands up in defeat.
I help Angie prepare the dinner. While the pasta is boiling, I ask her if I can help set the table. She motions to the cupboard where her everyday plates are located. Apparently, Sunday dinners have special plates. I set the table and catch Ari in the living room playing a hand held video game with Gino, and let out a sigh. This seems almost too good to be true.
We sit at the table with Ari and Gino right next to each other. I am on Ari’s other side and Angie and Carlo are across from me.
“Carlo, have you thought more about working for Marco’s shop?” Angie asks her son.
“No, Ma. I’m happy and perfectly fine with what I do now,” he answers in an annoyed tone.
“I know you’re happy, but I can see you being so much happier. I don’t like what you do.”
“Ma! Enough okay? Or I can go.”
Angie lets out a sigh, “No, you don’t need to leave. I’m sorry.” She fidgets with her napkin and then turns to me, “Aubrey, I left info on the fridge for the school. They said you could bring Ari in and complete her registration with her tomorrow while you are waiting on her transcripts. I have to bring Nana back to the hospital tomorrow for more tests, though so I can see if Jenny is available to take you.”
Transcripts! Shoot! Why didn't I think of that? Of course, they’re going to want something from her last school. My eyes dart to Carlo showing him the fear that I don't have anything like that. He gives me a nod letting me know he understands and that he will take care of it. I breathe out a sigh of relief.
“That sounds great, thank you.”
“So, Ari. Are you nervous about a new school?” Angie asks. Ari looks unsure how to answer. I tilt my head to her, prodding her to respond.
“I guess so, but I’m kind of excited too.” Her head shifts downwards to the table. “Kids weren’t always nice.”
Hearing that stabs at me. I left my sweet Ari, and she had to go through things alone. A huge part of me feels guilty for leaving her. I know she didn't have anyone. But you would be dead if you stayed, I remind myself.
“Don’t worry Ari. If anyone is mean to you, you tell me right away. I got your back,” Gino says to her in a much more authoritative way than a kid his age should. She smiles at him, a big genuine smile. Marcella knew what she was doing when she sent us to her sister’s house.
We finish dinner and I call Ari in to help us clean up. She rushes in and wraps her arms around my waist, as I stand at the sink elbows deep in suds.
“I’ll dry,” she says. Doing the dishes together was something we used to do. I know I have time to make up for with Ari. Lost time that I will never get back, but I’m going to do my best.
Carlo walks into the room with his keys in hand, “Aubrey? Ari? Nice to meet you. I usually bring Gino to school in the morning, so if you want, I can take you to register her and then I can introduce y
ou to Jenny.”
“Thank you! That would be nice.”
Carlo leaves and Angie lets Ari and I have some space to get settled. I walk into Ari’s new room with her.
“Wow! It’s really nice in here, isn’t it?” I say to Ari.
“So nice. How did you find these people? Not that I’m complaining, ‘cause I’m not, but, where ya been? How’d we end up here?” I knew that Ari would ask the hard questions, but I wasn’t quite ready for them yet. I try to sugarcoat it as much as possible.
“I ended up living on the streets and a nice woman named Marcella helped me. This is her family, Angie is her sister. We’re going to be safe here.”
“Oh Aub...Mom! You have no idea how upset Rich was when you didn’t came back. He cornered me for days, and took me over his knee. I swore to him I had no idea. I didn’t tell. Never. Not once.” Tears begin to well in her eyes. I pull her close to me.
“Come here, honey. I’m so sorry I left you. I know it was scary.” I lay on her bed with her in my arms and cradle her close to me.
“It was scary, but I knew you wouldn’t break your promise. I knew you would come for me,” she says in between sobs.
“Always. Pinkie swear.” I stick out my pinkie and we swear like we used to, her small finger twining with mine. Soon, both of our eyes grow heavy and we drift off to sleep. For the first time since I left Ari, I sleep knowing that she’s safe.
*
Carlo and I walk up a dimly lit hallway towards Jenny’s apartment. I am double-fisting caramel lattes from Starbucks that Carlo swears are the secret to his sister’s soul. When we brought Ari to school, it went easier than I expected. Gino clung to her side until Carlo had to practically force him to walk into his classroom. I was calm and at ease after dropping them off but now, my heart is thudding heavily, thrumming through my entire body as we climb each stair. I’m not used to being this close with a man and not having anyone else near. Panic starts to overwhelm me and I feel my vision start to tunnel. My palms are sweating and it’s not from the coffee. Before I know it, Carlo is unlocking his sister’s door and we are inside.
My panic attack ceases as the onslaught of all things girly surround me.
“Sis! Get up and get out here,” Carlo calls out to Jenny.
A tall, dark haired, extremely beautiful woman comes walking out of the bedroom, scrunching her hair into a towel.
“Carlo! How many times do I have to tell you to knock, and only use that key if it’s an emergency? What if I wasn’t alone? I could’ve been banging a barrage of men in here, and then what would you have done?”
“Sis!” Carlo hollers to shut her up. “If there was a “barrage of men” in here, you all would be screaming because your brothers would be up here so quick kicking everyone’s ass, including yours.”
Up until that moment, I think I was actually invisible and she didn’t see me. Her eyes light up at the sight of me.
“Whatever, Carlo. Is this her?” Jenny asks shrugging off her brother’s threat.
I give a wave of my hand. “Hi, I’m Aubrey,” I say, my voice coming off more meek than I would like.
Jenny throws her arms around me, giving me a hug, “I’m so glad you are here. As you can see, all these guys around here are driving me mad!” She gives a death glare to Carlo that would make me shiver if it were directed at me. Luckily it’s not, she is putting off a ton of positive energy in my direction making me feel comfortable in her space.
I look around noticing that she has a bit of an eclectic decor mixed with messy. Clothes are thrown over chairs and shoes are all over the place. Besides the mess, there are all kinds of artwork covering the walls. All different, some art is abstract and some are landscapes. Then, I notice a small picture, almost hidden. It’s a drawing of Jenny. Her face looks flushed, but so real you’d think it was a photograph. I walk over to it pausing, “Wow. This is really beautiful.”
She smiles at me, “I love that you saw that one among all of the rest. It’s my favorite too. Carlo, I got her from here. Why don’t you go get some sleep. You been up all night?” She asks her brother.
“Yeah, I got off and headed straight over to get Gino and those two,” he says motioning towards me.
“How’s Gino seem to you?” Jenny questions.
“He seems alright. Actually, once he met Ari, he’s pretty much been glued to her side. I’ve never seen him take a liking to someone like that, especially a girl.”
“Really?” Jenny’s eyes light up. “I can’t wait to meet her. That’s fantastic news. Okay, you go sleep.” Jenny kisses her brother on the cheek and rushes him out the door.
“See you later, Aubrey,” Carlo smiles at me before walking out the door. I continue to look around the room, not quite sure what to do next and then it dawns on me that I forgot to hand Jenny her coffee.
“We got this for you.” I stretch my hand out, handing her the caramel latte. I swear, her eyes roll back in her head as she takes a sip.
“This is heaven. I knew I would love you. Have you eaten yet this morning? There is a diner a few blocks down, if you want to grab something,” Jenny asks me.
“Umm…. I don’t really have money to spend at a restaurant, I’ll just grab something at Angie’s.” I’m slightly embarrassed. I’ve saved some money from working with Marcella. She also handed me a wad of cash before I said goodbye to her, but I have no idea if I will have to take off so I need to save every penny I can.
“Nonsense, I’ll buy. With all these guys around here, I’ve been dying for another girl. You’d be doing me a favor! I need girl time like you wouldn’t believe. My best friend, Maura, is off with some hot guy she just met.”
“Okay,” I give in, getting the feeling that Jenny is not going to take no for an answer.
We walk into the crowded diner that has a huge Italian flag hanging over the front door, and an Italian boot painted on the window. Inside is bustling. It’s loud and energetic. Actually, the atmosphere reminds me a lot of Jenny. We grab one of the only remaining booths in the corner of the room. I look over the menu, unsure of what to get.
“Any suggestions?” I ask Jenny.
“I’ll order us both the Fritatta. It’s so good.” Jenny orders for us and starts in on casual conversation.
“So, what is on your agenda today?” she asks me.
“I’m not really sure. I really need to find a job. Know of any work?”
“Wakeman has been hit hard. There aren’t a ton of jobs, but I’ll ask around for you. I know a lot of people, so hopefully we can find you something. What kind of work have you done in the past?”
“I really only worked for Marcella. I wish I had more experience. What do you do?”
“I’m at a salon, I do hair and nails. It’s okay. Pays the bills.”
As we chat, I get the courage to ask about something that has been plaguing me. “Can I ask you what happened to Gino’s parents?”
“His mother, the dick guzzling cum dumpster, left him with his dad right after she gave birth, spouting off that she couldn’t handle it. And sadly, we lost my brother last year. So, Angie has been raising him, but we all take turns helping out. Carlo tries to take him to school and I’ll pick him up sometimes, or Marcus, or Vito will grab him. My other two brothers Julius and Al have a ton of kids, so we try to do what we can. We’ll help you with Ari, too. I mean, if we’re picking him up, we’ll grab her. Did she like her room, by the way?”
“She loved it so much. Thank you.”
“While we’re on a serious subject...I don’t know what you’ve gone through, and it’s okay, I won’t push you, but if you ever want to talk about it, I’m here.” I give a weak smile acknowledging her kindness but it took me a long time to open up to Marcella about what I’m running from and there is no way that I can open up to Jenny. She seems nice and I want her as a friend. I don’t want her pity and I’m afraid that if she ever knows the truth that she will pity me.
The rest of the breakfast goes fast. Jenny is a wh
irlwind of energy, talking enough for the both of us. She doesn’t press me on my past anymore which I am grateful for. Once breakfast is over, we walk back to Angie’s house. Jenny says goodbye, leaving her phone number for me and telling me that she will see me soon. She also informs me that she will see me Sunday, if not sooner, and to be prepared for a lot of people.
The rest of the day flies by. Ari comes home with Gino, and a new guy that I haven’t met yet follows them in the door. He stops and stares at me for a long minute before saying anything. He is good looking. His dark hair is cut short. He has dark eyes and tanned skin. I can also tell that he is in shape.
“The famous Aubrey, I presume?”
“That’d be me, hardly famous though. And you are?”
“I’m Vito, in between Marcus and Jenny. Nice to meet you.” He holds out his hand for me to shake. “The way Jenny wouldn't shut up about you, I would of thought you were famous. But she definitely failed to say how pretty you were.” OMG, is he flirting with me? I am not ready for anyone to flirt with me. The last thing I want is a relationship. I dart my eyes away from his and look down hoping he will pick up on how uncomfortable that just made me.
“Thanks?... Ari how was your first day?”
“Gino had me sit with him at lunch. He has a ton of friends. They were nice. Oh, and soccer starts next week. Can I play, Mom? I brought home the sign-up sheet.” Ari sounds enthused about her day. I sit down on the couch with her and go through her backpack.
“Of course you can play.” I gulp when I see the sixty dollar fee on the form. I am going to give it to her because I want her to have as much normal as she can, but sixty dollars will bite into my meager savings. It’s just another reminder of how I need to find work.
Fight You Page 2