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“Yes. That would help a lot.”
“You got it.”
Several minutes passed as they continued eating.
“So what kind of kid were you?” Elio asked, tossing the question she’d asked back at her.
“I was a good kid. Boring, actually,” she admitted.
“Never snuck out of the house to go to parties? Never snuck Sam in? No drunken frat parties in college?”
“None of that,” she answered honestly.
“Seriously?”
“I told you, Grandma and I didn’t have a lot of money. I knew I wanted to go to college, so as soon as I was old enough, I started working, saving as much as I could. When I got my first paycheck, I tried to give some to Grandma, but she said it was her job to pay the bills and my job to get into college. I wanted to help her because she worked so hard and because her life had been so difficult. So…since she wouldn’t let me help with the money, I just made sure she never had to worry about my behavior.”
Elio considered that, falling quiet for a minute or two. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“If it’s too personal, you can tell me to butt out and mind my own business.”
She grinned. “You’ve seen me naked more than dressed the last couple of days. I’d say we’ve crossed a line as far as getting up close and personal.”
Elio brushed her argument away. “Sex is a different kind of personal,” he explained before asking what he wanted to know. “You were raised by your grandma.”
She nodded, even though that wasn’t the question.
“Where are your parents, Gee?”
“Oh,” Gianna said. “That’s not personal at all, really. I don’t know who my dad is. My mom got pregnant with me when she was still in high school. Sixteen. She was not the ideal child. My grandma was a single mother too, and, like I said, she worked two jobs, so she wasn’t home a lot. My mom’s one true talent was finding trouble, always running with a bad crowd. She’d been arrested for shoplifting three times before she was twelve. Anyway, one night, she got drunk and high at a party and the result was me. Grandma never told me who my father was, and I’m pretty sure it’s because my mom didn’t know.”
Elio put his fork down. “I’m sorry.”
She shook her head. “Oh my God, don’t be. You can’t miss something you never had. My mom told Grandma she was pregnant, and Grandma Mary put her foot down on my mom’s behavior. Told Mom no more drinking, drugs, parties…and I think for the first time in her life, my mom listened. Until I was born.”
Gianna hadn’t talked about this in years. In fact, she hadn’t told this story to very many people at all. Sam, Liza, and Keeley knew most of it.
And…that was it.
It wasn’t because she was embarrassed or ashamed. The truth was she hadn’t really had anyone else to tell.
“Let me guess,” Elio said. “She started doing drugs again.”
Gianna touched her nose with the tip of her finger. “You got it in one. Mom was one of those people who was her own worst enemy. She and Grandma never saw eye to eye, so if Grandma disapproved of something, Mom would go all in, just to spite her. I hated the way my mom acted, the way she constantly hurt Grandma. I was only young, but I could see how much Mom’s actions and words hurt.”
“Kids are very perceptive. I’ve seen it in my nephews. Billy is probably the most empathetic kid I’ve ever met. If someone is hurting, that kid can sniff it out and then he goes out of his way to make them feel better. Sounds like you were the same?”
Gianna lifted one shoulder. “I don’t know if I make things better. I definitely couldn’t help Grandma Mary when it came to Mom. I hated it when they fought, so I always hid in the closet in my bedroom until they stopped yelling. Usually, Mom would storm out and then Grandma would come find me, pull me out of the closet, and give me my favorite treat.”
“Favorite treat?”
Gianna hid her face with her hand briefly. “God, you’re going to think it’s weird, but I love soft butter on saltines. Real butter. It was one of the few things Grandma and I ever splurged on.”
Elio glanced toward the kitchen. “That actually sounds pretty good. And as always…”
“We only have half the ingredients. Butter, but no crackers.”
