off the desk. “How about we go out this weekend? Saturday?”
“I can’t,” said Teresa. “I’m going over to Robbie and Karen’s.”
“I haven’t seen them in ages. I could go with you,” Bernie suggested.
“Um, not this time. Sorry. Robbie needs to talk to me about something.”
Teresa tried not to squirm under Bernie’s gaze.
“Okay,” said Bernie, watching her. “Maybe next weekend.”
“Yeah. Next weekend would be good.”
CHAPTER 9
When Teresa and Ellie arrived at Rob and Karen’s house, Karen greeted them, taking their coats. She looked elegant—her blonde hair carefully styled, her slimness accentuated by tailored slacks and a cashmere sweater. “She always looks that way,” Teresa whispered to Ellie while Karen hung the coats in the closet. “Not like the rest of our family, that’s for sure,” Teresa added, looking down at her own baggy sweater hanging down over her hips to hide as much of her figure as possible. Ellie, she noticed, looked almost as dressed-up as Karen, wearing nice slacks and a tucked-in blouse.
“I love this neighborhood,” Ellie said.
“Thank you,” Karen said. “We really like Shadyside.”
When they entered the kitchen, Teresa had to stop and stare at her brother standing there in an apron, tasting from a pot simmering on the stove.
“Hey, Resa,” he said.
“Oh, my gosh,” Teresa said, reaching out to steady herself against the table.
“What?” he asked.
“You. In an apron. Cooking.”
Karen laughed. “You can train them if you’re patient and consistent.”
“Thanks,” said Rob with a droll smile. “You make me sound like a dog.”
“Not a dog, hon, just a spoiled male with bad habits we needed to break,” said Karen, winking at Teresa. “Rob, this is Teresa’s friend, Ellie.”
“Hi,” he said, reaching out to shake her hand, while continuing to stir the contents of the pan with his other.
Teresa noted how much thinner his hair was getting. “He didn’t get that from my side of the family,” Lou always said, running his hand over his own thick hair. But Teresa thought now that it made her brother look more handsome, with flecks of gray starting to show at his temples.
“Can we help with anything?” Ellie asked.
“Oh, no,” said Karen. “Just pour yourselves some wine and keep us company.”
Teresa went to the counter where a few bottles of wine were sitting. “White or red?”
“White, please,” Ellie said. “Whatever is cooking smells wonderful.”
“Thanks,” Rob said. “We’re having roasted lamb with cannellini and spinach salad.”
“Wow,” said Teresa. “I’m impressed.”
“I have managed to expand his culinary horizons beyond lasagna and gnocchi,” Karen laughed.
“Better not let Ma hear you say that,” Teresa said.
“Little danger of that is there?” Rob said, and even though his tone was light, there was a hard set to his jaw.
“When was the last time you heard from them?” Teresa asked, pouring Karen a glass of Merlot.
“My birthday last July. They sent a card. Ma signed it for both of them.”
An awkward silence filled the kitchen.
“Your home is lovely,” Ellie said.
“Let me show you around,” Karen said, taking Ellie by the arm and leaving Teresa and Rob alone in the kitchen.
He turned to look at her. “Karen said you were having a bad day when she saw you.”
Teresa shrugged. “I don’t know why I let it get to me. It’s the same old stuff. You know how it is. Gianni gets away with whatever he wants and they expect me to pick up the slack. The dutiful daughter.”
He gave her a sympathetic glance. “I didn’t know how true that was until I was away from them.” He nodded toward the living room where they could hear Karen’s voice. “She doesn’t let me get away with any of that. Sometimes I don’t even know I’m doing it, but she always calls me on it.”
“Like what?”
“Anything. From leaving my socks on the bedroom floor to expecting her to
“I can’t,” said Teresa. “I’m going over to Robbie and Karen’s.”
“I haven’t seen them in ages. I could go with you,” Bernie suggested.
“Um, not this time. Sorry. Robbie needs to talk to me about something.”
Teresa tried not to squirm under Bernie’s gaze.
“Okay,” said Bernie, watching her. “Maybe next weekend.”
“Yeah. Next weekend would be good.”
CHAPTER 9
When Teresa and Ellie arrived at Rob and Karen’s house, Karen greeted them, taking their coats. She looked elegant—her blonde hair carefully styled, her slimness accentuated by tailored slacks and a cashmere sweater. “She always looks that way,” Teresa whispered to Ellie while Karen hung the coats in the closet. “Not like the rest of our family, that’s for sure,” Teresa added, looking down at her own baggy sweater hanging down over her hips to hide as much of her figure as possible. Ellie, she noticed, looked almost as dressed-up as Karen, wearing nice slacks and a tucked-in blouse.
“I love this neighborhood,” Ellie said.
“Thank you,” Karen said. “We really like Shadyside.”
When they entered the kitchen, Teresa had to stop and stare at her brother standing there in an apron, tasting from a pot simmering on the stove.
“Hey, Resa,” he said.
“Oh, my gosh,” Teresa said, reaching out to steady herself against the table.
“What?” he asked.
“You. In an apron. Cooking.”
Karen laughed. “You can train them if you’re patient and consistent.”
“Thanks,” said Rob with a droll smile. “You make me sound like a dog.”
“Not a dog, hon, just a spoiled male with bad habits we needed to break,” said Karen, winking at Teresa. “Rob, this is Teresa’s friend, Ellie.”
“Hi,” he said, reaching out to shake her hand, while continuing to stir the contents of the pan with his other.
Teresa noted how much thinner his hair was getting. “He didn’t get that from my side of the family,” Lou always said, running his hand over his own thick hair. But Teresa thought now that it made her brother look more handsome, with flecks of gray starting to show at his temples.
“Can we help with anything?” Ellie asked.
“Oh, no,” said Karen. “Just pour yourselves some wine and keep us company.”
Teresa went to the counter where a few bottles of wine were sitting. “White or red?”
“White, please,” Ellie said. “Whatever is cooking smells wonderful.”
“Thanks,” Rob said. “We’re having roasted lamb with cannellini and spinach salad.”
“Wow,” said Teresa. “I’m impressed.”
“I have managed to expand his culinary horizons beyond lasagna and gnocchi,” Karen laughed.
“Better not let Ma hear you say that,” Teresa said.
“Little danger of that is there?” Rob said, and even though his tone was light, there was a hard set to his jaw.
“When was the last time you heard from them?” Teresa asked, pouring Karen a glass of Merlot.
“My birthday last July. They sent a card. Ma signed it for both of them.”
An awkward silence filled the kitchen.
“Your home is lovely,” Ellie said.
“Let me show you around,” Karen said, taking Ellie by the arm and leaving Teresa and Rob alone in the kitchen.
He turned to look at her. “Karen said you were having a bad day when she saw you.”
Teresa shrugged. “I don’t know why I let it get to me. It’s the same old stuff. You know how it is. Gianni gets away with whatever he wants and they expect me to pick up the slack. The dutiful daughter.”
He gave her a sympathetic glance. “I didn’t know how true that was until I was away from them.” He nodded toward the living room where they could hear Karen’s voice. “She doesn’t let me get away with any of that. Sometimes I don’t even know I’m doing it, but she always calls me on it.”
“Like what?”
“Anything. From leaving my socks on the bedroom floor to expecting her to
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