help with anything.”
“Well, I’m still blind. You think you can fix that?”
I chuckled. “I wish, doll. But no, sorry.”
“Aw, shucks. Well, I got math homework too.”
“Sorry, that’s sort of my disability.”
“You can do it. You’re smart. You’re just too lazy to.”
Was I smart enough? I’d graduated school - no mean feat in the midst of that misery. Maybe if I didn’t have these reflexes, I’d have been forced to do something with my brain.
“You there?” Sarah asked. “I was just teasing. I know you’re busy.”
“No, no. It was actually just what I needed to hear. Nice pep talk.”
I could almost feel a smile spread on her lips. “Since when does the Irish Tiger need pep?”
“It’s an expression.”
“Yeah, but not this time. What is it?”
Well, I had called her for a reason. “It’s a girl,” I said, heading into the bedroom and away from Silvio.
Sarah whistled in amazement as I told her about the dinner tonight. I didn’t hide any of my fears. She knew how I felt about my old town. I did keep trying to get her out of there.
“She must be really pretty,” she said when I finished.
“She’s brighter than the sun,” I said. “I always wished that I could help you see, but even more ever since I met her.”
“Oh wow, I’ve never heard you so poetic. I can feel the way she must look.”
“I guess that’s something.”
There was a pause. “You think a boy will ever say that about me?” she asked.
I suddenly remember this was my baby sister. “I’m pretty sure they already do, honey,” I said. “But you better believe I’m not letting them do anything more than say it.”
She giggled that musical laugh. “Aw, my hero. See, you have it in you. You’ll be fine.”
I crashed on the edge of my bed. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, just be that sweet, charming guy. Show that girl’s dad how well you treat the people you care about.”
Was it that simple? I imagined a little punk of a kid coming up to me and asking to take Sarah out. I’d study him the same way I’d be studied tonight.
“You make a lot of sense,” I said.
“Don’t sound so surprised.”
“I am surprised. You’re seven years younger than me.”
“Yeah, but I’m a girl, so we’re like basically the same age. Plus on top of that, I’m blind so -” she put on a breathy voice - “doesn’t that really mean I see the world clearer?”
I smiled and we chatted a bit more. I tried to get her to hang in my place and she refused again. When I finally let it go and hung up, my mind felt as clear as the streets after a passing storm.
Silvio looked up when I plopped back down on the sofa next to him.
“Your aura’s totally different man.”
“Good,” I said. “Now let’s watch some goddamn cartoons.”
By the time he left. By the time I showered and dressed. By the time I eased into my car, ground out of my gravel lot and onto the highway, I was more than good.
I was ready.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Gabrielle
I paced in the lobby, peeking out through the glass. The kitchen clinked with soft sounds from the dishwasher from the hallway behind me and the air was rich with the scent of roasted chicken and garlic.
My parents’ murmurs leaked down the hall once in a while, always too low for me to hear. I already knew the gist of them though. They were talking contingency plans.
“I don’t know what good this’ll do,” Dad had said when I’d first brought up the idea. “You’re set on being with this boy no matter what I say.”
“That’s why you need to meet him. You’ve got to see the good that’s in him.”
“Being a good man is one thing, sweetheart,” he’d said, clasping my hands between his large firm ones. “But I want more than good for you. I want you to have a bright future.”
“He’s really good at what he does,” I said. “I’ve seen him.”
“Fight?” my mom had asked.
“Yeah, but it’s not just a street fight. There are rules.
“Well, I’m still blind. You think you can fix that?”
I chuckled. “I wish, doll. But no, sorry.”
“Aw, shucks. Well, I got math homework too.”
“Sorry, that’s sort of my disability.”
“You can do it. You’re smart. You’re just too lazy to.”
Was I smart enough? I’d graduated school - no mean feat in the midst of that misery. Maybe if I didn’t have these reflexes, I’d have been forced to do something with my brain.
“You there?” Sarah asked. “I was just teasing. I know you’re busy.”
“No, no. It was actually just what I needed to hear. Nice pep talk.”
I could almost feel a smile spread on her lips. “Since when does the Irish Tiger need pep?”
“It’s an expression.”
“Yeah, but not this time. What is it?”
Well, I had called her for a reason. “It’s a girl,” I said, heading into the bedroom and away from Silvio.
Sarah whistled in amazement as I told her about the dinner tonight. I didn’t hide any of my fears. She knew how I felt about my old town. I did keep trying to get her out of there.
“She must be really pretty,” she said when I finished.
“She’s brighter than the sun,” I said. “I always wished that I could help you see, but even more ever since I met her.”
“Oh wow, I’ve never heard you so poetic. I can feel the way she must look.”
“I guess that’s something.”
There was a pause. “You think a boy will ever say that about me?” she asked.
I suddenly remember this was my baby sister. “I’m pretty sure they already do, honey,” I said. “But you better believe I’m not letting them do anything more than say it.”
She giggled that musical laugh. “Aw, my hero. See, you have it in you. You’ll be fine.”
I crashed on the edge of my bed. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, just be that sweet, charming guy. Show that girl’s dad how well you treat the people you care about.”
Was it that simple? I imagined a little punk of a kid coming up to me and asking to take Sarah out. I’d study him the same way I’d be studied tonight.
“You make a lot of sense,” I said.
“Don’t sound so surprised.”
“I am surprised. You’re seven years younger than me.”
“Yeah, but I’m a girl, so we’re like basically the same age. Plus on top of that, I’m blind so -” she put on a breathy voice - “doesn’t that really mean I see the world clearer?”
I smiled and we chatted a bit more. I tried to get her to hang in my place and she refused again. When I finally let it go and hung up, my mind felt as clear as the streets after a passing storm.
Silvio looked up when I plopped back down on the sofa next to him.
“Your aura’s totally different man.”
“Good,” I said. “Now let’s watch some goddamn cartoons.”
By the time he left. By the time I showered and dressed. By the time I eased into my car, ground out of my gravel lot and onto the highway, I was more than good.
I was ready.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Gabrielle
I paced in the lobby, peeking out through the glass. The kitchen clinked with soft sounds from the dishwasher from the hallway behind me and the air was rich with the scent of roasted chicken and garlic.
My parents’ murmurs leaked down the hall once in a while, always too low for me to hear. I already knew the gist of them though. They were talking contingency plans.
“I don’t know what good this’ll do,” Dad had said when I’d first brought up the idea. “You’re set on being with this boy no matter what I say.”
“That’s why you need to meet him. You’ve got to see the good that’s in him.”
“Being a good man is one thing, sweetheart,” he’d said, clasping my hands between his large firm ones. “But I want more than good for you. I want you to have a bright future.”
“He’s really good at what he does,” I said. “I’ve seen him.”
“Fight?” my mom had asked.
“Yeah, but it’s not just a street fight. There are rules.
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