Nine

The state of an Italian family can be divined by looking at the dinner table. A heaping pile of gravy-smothered spaghetti, supported by sides of meatballs and sausages, Caesar salad, Parmesan cheese, and a dessert of green Italian cookies tells you that all is right with the world.

We were eating Fenway Franks and canned baked beans.

Adriana sat at one end of the table, Catherine at the other, Maria and I across from each other on the long sides. Maria absentmindedly poked at a pile of beans, eating them one at a time using a spoon. I nibbled a hot dog, put it down, had some beans. Decided they tasted like tiny kidneys, stopped eating. Adriana had cleaned her plate and was reaching for another hot dog.

“You’re stress eating,” said Catherine.

“Yah think?” said Adriana.

“Getting fat isn’t going to help.”

“Are you saying I’m fat?”

“These are really good hot dogs,” I said.

“Shut up, Tucker.”

“I’m just saying, maybe I’ll have seconds too,” I said, forcing a bite.

“Don’t take her side,” said Catherine.

Maria burst into tears, jumped off her chair, and ran to her room.

We chewed in silence.

“Maybe I should open another bottle of wine,” I said.

“Yeah, because getting drunk will make this so much better,” said Catherine.

“Can’t hurt.”

I went to the pantry, pulled a bottle of chianti out of the cabinet, worked the opener. Walked back to the table, placed the bottle on the table, and sat. Adjusted the chair, raised the bottle. Glanced at Adriana.

“Sure, why not,” she said, pushing her glass at me.

I filled her up. Catherine waved me off. I filled my glass and drank half.

“So what do we do now?” I asked.

Adriana said, “What do you mean?”

“We can’t just let this stand.”

“The suspension?”

“Yeah.”

“We’re going to do exactly that,” said Catherine.

“Let it stand?”

“Yes.”

“But it’s unjust!”

“How is it unjust? Maria gave away her password, got life ruined, and exposed a bunch of kids to porn. On top of it, she’s been a bully.”

“That’s horseshit.”

“No. It’s not,” said Adriana. “The principal—”

“Assistant principal.”

“Assistant principal was right. Maria has filled out a ton of Think About It Forms. She has been to the office over and over.”

“What did you do about it?”

Adriana looked at me, something hateful brewing behind her eyes. “What did I do about it?”

“Yeah.”

“What did you do about it?”

“I didn’t know about it.”

“How convenient.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You sit out there in your man pad while Catherine and I raise Maria, and then you judge the job I’m doing?”

“I’m not judging. I’m just asking.”

“Fuck you.”

We drank our wine. Stared at the pile of hot dogs. Adriana reached for one, brought her hand back, and slugged some wine instead.

“On the bright side,” said Catherine, “at least now Tucker will get to spend some time with Maria.”

“What?” Adriana and I said.

“This week.”

“What about this week?” I asked.

“Maria is suspended, so she’s not going to school.”

“Right,” I said. “I know what suspended means.”

“I have a job. Adriana has a job. You don’t have a job.”

“Hey, that’s right,” said Adriana. “That takes a load off my mind.”

“What does?”

“You can stay here for the rest of the week and watch Maria.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Why?”

“I’m busy.”

“Busy doing what? Bingeing Battlestar Galactica?”

“I need to prove that Peter did the life ruin.”

“No, you don’t,” said Adriana.

“Just drop it,” said Catherine.

“I’m not going to just drop it. That kid owes Maria an apology. He owes you two an apology also.”

“Let’s just get through the next few days,” said Catherine. “Just accept the suspension, get through it, and let everything cool down.”

“I am not letting Peter get away with this. Justice has to count for something.”

“Maybe it did,” said Catherine.

“What justice?”

“Karma, then. Maria has been a little bully, and the universe responded.”

“‘The universe’ didn’t respond, Catherine. Peter Olinsky responded.”

“Says you.”

“That’s why I need to prove it.”

“All right, enough of this,” said Adriana, standing. “Tucker, are you going to help us or not?”

I drank my wine.

Adriana said, “You were all pissy because the judge appointed Catherine and me guardians and left you out.”

“Because I was single.”

“And apparently, because he saw right through you.”

“Saw through me?”

“Saw that you’re still a child.”

“Fuck you.” I sat back in my chair, crossed my arms, and stared at the pile of beans.

Adriana started cleaning plates, banging them into the dishwasher. Catherine pursed her lips, stood, and started to help Adriana.

The boiling rage that had churned in me since I saw the porn on Maria’s Facebook page continued to course through me, setting off an upset stomach and an aching head. The year of First-Withouts had been a trial for all of us.

I blew anger through puffed cheeks. It caught Adriana’s attention, who glanced at me but said nothing. Nothing more needed to be said. We had all said enough. What’s worse, she was right. I had bitched about not being named a guardian, and the judge had been right to give Maria to a married couple—an employed married couple.

I closed my eyes, blew out a few more puffs of adrenaline. “Okay,” I said.

“Okay?” asked Adriana.

“You’re right. I’ll take care of Maria this wee—”

Maria came bolting around the kitchen door and jumped into my lap. “Yay! This will be so much fun!”

Adriana rolled her eyes. “Some consequence.”

I said to Maria, “You’re going to have to keep up with your schoolwork.”

“Yes, I will!” She threw her arms around my neck, hugged me hard.

I patted her back and thought again, Peter, you are going to pay.