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The small round woman brushed a wayward strand of graying brown hair away from her pumpkin shaped face, and washed her hands in the deep-welled sink. She glanced at her son over her shoulder.
Nick eyed his mother. She had aged much too quickly in the last ten years since their father had left. He wished he could turn back the clock for her. Now if he could convince her to quit worrying.
"Always hungry. Hey, I got another job today, Mama."
"A job! Wonderful Nicky. Does it pay good?"
He shook his head, "Not as much as I wanted. But we'll manage, and it won't interfere with the time at the garage on the weekends."
"Ah yes, your garage." Mama sighed heavily. "The job where everyone takes advantage of Nicholas Leonetti. Nicky, Nicky, you work too hard and have too little time for yourself. You should be married by now. I want grandchildren."
Nick itched to tell her about the job he could have had, but she would never believe such a thing. He wasn't sure he believed it. "Jo-Jo is good for the money."
Wiping the sweat from her brow, she looked at him fondly. "He won't pay. He'll give you another hard luck story, and you'll believe it, or pretend you do. But no matter."
"We'll get out of here. I got my eye on a place in Queens. I'll get the money, Mama."
"Such a dreamer, Nicky. Just like your father."
Nick started to protest the effigy, but she rattled on.
"I've lived here all my life, seen a lot of changes. Some good, some bad. We do what we gotta do. We can always go live with Cousin Louis, if things don't work out here."
"Things aren't going to work out here Mama. The building is practically sold. We gotta move." He picked up a toothpick and rolled in into the corner of his mouth.
Tina dashed through the kitchen, distracting everyone in her path. Her dark hair swished gently over rosy cheeks. Her books clutched in her hands, she headed straight for the kitchen door.
"Don't hold supper for me. I'm going to Gloria's."
"Come on, I'll walk you over, princess."
"Oh, please, just once, can't I go by myself? It's only across the s
treet, Mama. It's Gloria's, for Pete's sake. This family, honestly."
"We've had this discussion before. Now, let's go."
"Mama?"
"Walk her over, Nicky," Mama said chuckling softly, not giving either of them a second glance as she stirred her sauce. "Nicky knows what he's doing, Tina."
"Good grief, why couldn't I have been a boy?" Tina pouted and jumped out of the door trying to escape her brother.
Nick grabbed her round the neck, pulling her to a slower pace. "Look, sometimes, I wish you'd been born a boy too. It would be easier for both of us."
"I told you Nicky, the car only stopped once, and asked to take my picture. They were going to pay me, Nicky."
"And you're old enough to know what they were paying you for. I catch you messing with those skin pushers again, I'll . . ."
"I'd never do it. If I'd known you'd act this way, I wouldn't have told you about it in the first place. I'll probably never be able to date because of you."
"Who's to say you can't date? But you know the rules as well as anyone. First you gotta bring him home."
"Yeah, to be inspected."
"A hazard of growing up. You think Mama doesn't inspect whoever I bring home? Don't kid yourself."
Tina smiled her anger fading.
