Top Dog

“Um, could I get a medium caramel coffee with creamer and a small chicken salad?” I asked.

The woman at the cash register rang us up. Luisa was insistent on paying. We stood and waited for our order, silence falling between us. I felt odd around her, awkward, like I was still a love-struck teenager. She was a comforting presence during this confusing and trying time. Our orders came up, and I grabbed both of our trays, then she ushered us to a booth in the back.

Always the booth in the back with our families.

“So,” Luisa said as she sat down, “find anything good in the shops?”

“I’m more of a window shopper,” I said. “Though I saw a—”

I stopped my sentence and caught myself as Luisa unwrapped her sandwich. I was going to tell her about a toy I’d seen for Matteo a couple of blocks back.

It was so easy to talk to her.

She’d be a wonderful grandmother to him.

“You saw a what?” Luisa asked.

“A, um, pair of shoes a few blocks back,” I said. “I’m not one for heels, but I think I’d make an exception for the pair I saw.”

“I have no idea how women wear those kinds of heels nowadays. I could hardly tolerate two-inch heels in my prime! Watching some of these women walk around with their feet propped up so high? It makes my knees hurt.”

“Trust me, I know what you mean. I stick with flats and sandals. I’ve got two pairs of heels. That’s it. I can hardly walk in them, too. I still don’t know why I purchased them.”

“Well, maybe one day you’ll go out on a proper date and have a use for them,” she said.

“I’m not much of a dater,” I said.

“Romeo would like the sound of that.”

I almost choked on my salad as she took another bite of her sandwich.

“Come again?” I asked.

“Julia, can I be frank?”

My heart was slamming heavily inside my chest.

“Of course, you can,” I said.

“Romeo cares for you,” she said.

I furrowed my brow as I took a sip of my coffee.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Romeo has always cared for you. He did when the two of you were teenagers sneaking out in the middle of the night, and he does now.”

I choked on my c

offee and grabbed my napkin. I sputtered the remnants into the fabric as a grin spread across Luisa’s cheeks. I was terrified. Was this leading into a conversation about Matteo? I needed to get out of this situation. I knew this wasn’t a good idea. I didn’t know how I was going to field this if she point-blank asked me about my son.

“It’s a mother’s intuition,” Luisa said as I wiped my mouth off. “When you started coming over more frequently, I had a feeling something was going on. I saw how Romeo smiled whenever you were around, and I knew. Though it wasn’t until I caught him sneaking in one night that my suspicions were confirmed.”

“I’m so sorry,” I said.

“Why? It was ages ago. Young love. I know how it goes,” she said.

“I hate to be blunt, but why are you telling me this?” I asked.