Mylos cu
pped my cheek with his palm like he had earlier. “From the first time I saw you.”
I looked away. “A teenage crush.”
He rested his forehead against mine. “No, Pia. Love.”
I shook my head. “How can you say you love me? You hardly know me.”
“I know that isn’t what you really believe.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve always known how I feel about you in the same way I’ve known how you feel about me.”
We kept walking, and when we arrived at the house, I saw my mamma sitting on the terrazza.
“Buongiorno,” she said, waving and not looking at all surprised that Mylos was with me.
“Mamma, this is Mylos—”
She stood and rushed over to him, kissing his cheeks. She said something to him that I couldn’t hear, and he smiled.
“Have you eaten?” she asked at the same time Lucia joined us.
“We had pastries and fruit,” I told them.
A look passed between my mother and Lucia. Both of their eyes were suddenly hooded.
“What’s wrong?”
My mamma shook her head. “Nothing, sweetheart.”
She was lying. “Is there a problem with my eating the food from my own kitchen, Mamma?”
“Of course there isn’t.”
“Then, explain.”
“In your condition, I—”
“Wait. In my condition?”
My mother led me to the table and pulled out a chair. “Sit, Pia.”
I glared at her. “I’m not a dog.”
She looked over at Mylos, shrugged, and smiled. “Sit anyway.”
My cheeks burned in embarrassment, but I sat down.
My mother sat in front of me and took my hands in hers. “I know you’re pregnant.”
I nodded, not wanting to ask how in front of Mylos or Lucia.
“Next, I do look through the mail from time to time, Pia. I’ve known you and Mylos were corresponding for years.”
I wished my mother and I were having this conversation without an audience. As it was, I was at a loss for words.