alone. My mother isn’t well either. I just don’t know what to do anymore.”
He strolled over to her side and sat on the table top. “Is it work related?”
She nodded silently. “If I go, I might be able to afford a liver transplant for my mother. You see, she suffers from cirrhosis. But my siblings are under age and I don’t want child services knocking at my door when I return.”
He looked at her thoughtfully. “Go,” he said, flatly. “I’ll keep an eye out for your family. I will also tell my mama. She will be happy to help out.”
She glanced up at him eagerly. She didn’t want to raise her hopes. “But you haven’t asked your mom, yet?”
“ Bella dama ,” he said, simply. “I am the head of my family. If I tell her, she will listen. And besides we’re neighbors. If she hears I had known about your problems and did nothing to help you, she’d have me by the ears. My mama, she has a bad temper, bella dama . So be kind to this soul and let me do what I can to help.”
She looked at him amusedly. “How do you do that? You make it sound as if I would be doing you a favor and not the other way round.”
“Si ,” he nodded, sadly. “You will. You see, you put me into trouble the moment you spilt the beans on your family.”
She laughed again. “Thank you, Lorenzo. But I will also call my friend to help out as well. So hopefully, it won’t be too much pressure on you. But now I have to do a week’s shopping before I go.”
He sat up straight. “Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“To do your shopping,” he said, walking out of the store.
“But I need to wait for my wages to come through,” she argued.
He spun around. “When does it come through?”
“By the end of the day,” she shrugged.
“Fine,” he said, walking on. “You can pay me tonight. Right now, let’s go do your shopping.”
Chapter 8
“So that’s the story of my life,” she said with a sigh, as they walked back towards her apartment, their arms laden with her shopping.
“Libby sounds like a handful,” Lorenzo said, frowning.
“Libby is a great girl. Beautiful, and charming , if she wants to be.” Kate balanced her paper bag filled to the brim with her groceries. “I don’t blame her. She’s seen so much heartache and loneliness in her short life, she’s gonna have all that frustration bottled up inside of her.”
“You’re protective of her,” he said, grinning.
“She’s family. You protect your family,” she smiled back. “You must have seen her around. Slim, tall, blue eyes, blonde?”
He shook his head. “We moved in only a couple of months ago. And most of those days I leave home early and arrive late. Certainly not the hours where I would be able to casually gallivant with high school kids.”
“Where did you move from?”
“ New Jersey. Lived there all our lives. And then I got this job at Green Oak Pizzeria. Emilio, the chef offered to provide me cooking lessons if I worked extra hours. I thought it was the best opportunity for a poor boy like me. But of course that meant more travel expenses with a lesser wage. We were lucky to get this apartment,” he said, nodding at it.
They were standing at the driveway, looking up at the lit windows of the apartments above them. They had spent the entire day together, returning home at dusk.
“Who lives with you?” Kate asked, curiously.
“Two sisters, my mama and sometimes the occasional relative,” he shrugged. “My other sisters are married.”
He looked down, frowning at the bag of shopping. “You sure this is all you need? It looks quite little to manage for a week.”
“It’s enough,” she said, rolling up her eyes and thumped his arm, softly. “They’re mostly easy canned and micro-waved meals. But I’ll also leave some money with Rudy and Libby, just in case.”
She smiled and walked into the building, climbing up the stairs.
“You haven’t tried the elevator?” he said, pointing at it.
She screwed her nose
He strolled over to her side and sat on the table top. “Is it work related?”
She nodded silently. “If I go, I might be able to afford a liver transplant for my mother. You see, she suffers from cirrhosis. But my siblings are under age and I don’t want child services knocking at my door when I return.”
He looked at her thoughtfully. “Go,” he said, flatly. “I’ll keep an eye out for your family. I will also tell my mama. She will be happy to help out.”
She glanced up at him eagerly. She didn’t want to raise her hopes. “But you haven’t asked your mom, yet?”
“ Bella dama ,” he said, simply. “I am the head of my family. If I tell her, she will listen. And besides we’re neighbors. If she hears I had known about your problems and did nothing to help you, she’d have me by the ears. My mama, she has a bad temper, bella dama . So be kind to this soul and let me do what I can to help.”
She looked at him amusedly. “How do you do that? You make it sound as if I would be doing you a favor and not the other way round.”
“Si ,” he nodded, sadly. “You will. You see, you put me into trouble the moment you spilt the beans on your family.”
She laughed again. “Thank you, Lorenzo. But I will also call my friend to help out as well. So hopefully, it won’t be too much pressure on you. But now I have to do a week’s shopping before I go.”
He sat up straight. “Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“To do your shopping,” he said, walking out of the store.
“But I need to wait for my wages to come through,” she argued.
He spun around. “When does it come through?”
“By the end of the day,” she shrugged.
“Fine,” he said, walking on. “You can pay me tonight. Right now, let’s go do your shopping.”
Chapter 8
“So that’s the story of my life,” she said with a sigh, as they walked back towards her apartment, their arms laden with her shopping.
“Libby sounds like a handful,” Lorenzo said, frowning.
“Libby is a great girl. Beautiful, and charming , if she wants to be.” Kate balanced her paper bag filled to the brim with her groceries. “I don’t blame her. She’s seen so much heartache and loneliness in her short life, she’s gonna have all that frustration bottled up inside of her.”
“You’re protective of her,” he said, grinning.
“She’s family. You protect your family,” she smiled back. “You must have seen her around. Slim, tall, blue eyes, blonde?”
He shook his head. “We moved in only a couple of months ago. And most of those days I leave home early and arrive late. Certainly not the hours where I would be able to casually gallivant with high school kids.”
“Where did you move from?”
“ New Jersey. Lived there all our lives. And then I got this job at Green Oak Pizzeria. Emilio, the chef offered to provide me cooking lessons if I worked extra hours. I thought it was the best opportunity for a poor boy like me. But of course that meant more travel expenses with a lesser wage. We were lucky to get this apartment,” he said, nodding at it.
They were standing at the driveway, looking up at the lit windows of the apartments above them. They had spent the entire day together, returning home at dusk.
“Who lives with you?” Kate asked, curiously.
“Two sisters, my mama and sometimes the occasional relative,” he shrugged. “My other sisters are married.”
He looked down, frowning at the bag of shopping. “You sure this is all you need? It looks quite little to manage for a week.”
“It’s enough,” she said, rolling up her eyes and thumped his arm, softly. “They’re mostly easy canned and micro-waved meals. But I’ll also leave some money with Rudy and Libby, just in case.”
She smiled and walked into the building, climbing up the stairs.
“You haven’t tried the elevator?” he said, pointing at it.
She screwed her nose
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