Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14 THE NEXT EVEING AROUND 6:00 P.M. THE GRASSOS' APARTMENT THE NORTH END Carmen sat in a chair watching Mrs. Grasso cook up a storm. The kids were bouncing off the walls. The apartment was filled with delicious smells—garlic and tomatoes and milky melted cheese.

Everyone was excited for the special dinner Mrs. Grasso was making in honor of Carmen leaving the hospital. Best of all, Mr. Vita was joining them, too; he was finally back from Connecticut. Mr. Grasso had gone to meet him at the train station. "When is Mr. Vita coming with Carmen's present?" Frankie asked. This was the third time today someone had mentioned a present for Carmen. "Shhhh!" Tony said, slugging Frankie's arm. "The present is a surprise." "You shhhhhh!" Frankie said, giving Tony a shove. "I want a present!" Teresa whined. "My present!" wailed Marie. Mrs. Grasso looked up from her pot. "Basta!"—enough! "Tony, please take everyone into the bedroom. Make sure the beds are made." "But, Mama…"

"Go!" Mrs. Grasso said. Tony looked at Carmen, who could only shrug helplessly. She wanted to help him with the kids. But the doctor had warned that Carmen had to rest her leg. Mrs. Grasso had ordered her to stay put in her chair. Tony herded the kids into the bedroom. The door closed, and Mrs. Grasso looked up at Carmen with a relieved smile. "Some peace!" Carmen smiled back. Tell her now, Carmen thought. They were finally alone. Now was her chance to tell Mrs. Grasso that she wasn't going back to Italy. Carmen cleared her throat. She was afraid Mrs. Grasso would be mad, that she wouldn't understand. But Carmen still had to tell her. "Mrs. Grasso," she said, "I need to talk to you…" "Yes, dear," Mrs. Grasso said. Carmen took a breath and blurted it out.

"I know about the plan. For me to go back to Italy." Mrs. Grasso's eyes widened in surprise. Carmen swallowed hard but didn't lose her nerve. "I'm sorry but…" Carmen went on. "I overheard you and Mr. Grasso talking about the ship. I know you want me to go back to Italy, to be with Nonna." "Carmen…" "I'm sorry but I've decided," Carmen said. She sat up taller in her chair. "I want to stay here." There. Carmen had done it. Mrs. Grasso rushed over. She bent down so she was eye to eye with Carmen. "Carmen," she said. "We never said you were going back to Italy. You aren't getting on any ship." "But I heard you say—" Carmen's words were cut off by the sound of footsteps climbing the stairs and Mr. Grasso's

booming voice. "We're back!" The bedroom door burst open, and the kids spilled out. Carmen and Mrs. Grasso would have to finish their talk some other time. Tony rushed over to Carmen. He beamed at her. He looked like he was about to burst with excitement. "I hear them!" Frankie cried. The little girls were jumping up and down. What was going on? Carmen knew the kids liked Mr. Vita. But you'd think Babe Ruth and the Red Sox were coming for dinner. The apartment door swung open. Mr. Grasso strode in, followed by Mr. Vita. The room went strangely quiet. But the air seemed to crackle. Carmen noticed that nobody was looking at Mr. Vita. They were all looking at her. And then someone else appeared in the doorway. A smiling gray-haired woman whose

eyes blazed like candles. Carmen blinked, sure she was dreaming. But then before she even realized it, she'd leaped out of the chair. She was rushing forward, hurt leg and all. Two strong arms came around her in a crushing hug. It was Nonna. "I missed you too much," Nonna said a few minutes later, when she and Carmen were alone in the bedroom, when they'd finally stopped hugging and crying. "I wrote to Mrs. Grasso. Mr. Vita was kind enough to come to Italy, to help me make the journey." So there had been a secret plan. Just not the one Carmen imagined.