Page 82 of Heart

Mikey sighed into a two-handed facepalm.

“But he did dock me for it... because I broke it.”

“You can’t blame him for that, Nat. So, Concetta likes you?”

“She says I remind her of the daughter they lost. She’s very kind, and she’s teaching me the business so that she and Tony can take more time off.”

“That’s awesome, Nat.” Mikey smiled. “I’m proud of you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

* * *

“I have never seen casserole dishes so big! And we each get one. We’ll be eating pastitsio for weeks.”

George laughed. “No. The other three will be for customers tomorrow. The one we bake today—you can have as much as you want.”

“Ah! You’re a very smart businessman, George.” She pointed at him with emphasis on each word. “Planning ahead. My Giorgio would have approved.”

“Giorgio?”

“Yes. Mikey’s father.”

“Mikey’s father’s name was George? He never told me.”

“He loved his father so very much. He doesn’t talk about him. He still hurts.”

“He loves you too, Sophia. It’s obvious.”

She was ladling the meat sauce over the pasta as George had shown her. “I think there’s someone in Mikey’s life he might love more now.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes,” she said, avoiding eye contact. “Someone that might take him away from me. Someone blond... and handsome... and Greek.”

“I don’t know,” George said, topping the dishes with béchamel behind her. “A man’s love for his family is very strong. I’m thinking Mikey may never leave Baltimore.”

Sophia stopped. She set the ladle down on the casserole and took George’s face in her hands. “Then we have to change his mind.”

* * *

“So how are you and George doing?” Natalie asked.

“I, uh... We—” He sighed to stop the stammer.

“Wow. My loud-mouth brother can’t speak. I’m shocked.”

“I like him very much, Nat. He treats me—” Mikey struggled for the word. “He gets me, you know? It’s easy. With others, I’m just a cretino. No one takes me serious. They either ignore me, or they try to change me.”

“I know exactly what that’s like.”

“Is someone treating you that way, Natalie? Is it Tony? Because I’ll go to that salon and give him a what for. No one treats my sister like that.”

“It’s not Tony, Mikey. It’s you.”

Mikey froze, stunned.