Page 58 of Wish I Were Here
My phone buzzes with a text from Luca.
Still on for 5 p.m.?
I wonder if he just woke up on the floor. At some point, I’m going to need to figure out why it is he’s been sleeping there. But first I need to figure out my own life.
Yes. See you then.
I feel better after I hit send. Maybe Dad won’t give me answers, but I’m not on my own. It turns out I don’t just have a guy; I have a bunch of them. I picture Uncle Vito’s scowling face, and in this moment, I find it strangely comforting instead of terrifying. And then there’s Mrs. Flowers and the book club offering me food and advice. Fabrizio handing me a pair of scrubs in a dark parking lot. I have a whole group of people invested in helping me find my mother.
And it’s all thanks to Luca.
“I should go,” I tell Dad.
His shoulders slump. “I love you, Kitty Cat.”
I sigh, because I know he does, in his own way. It’s just not always in the way I need.
“If there’s anything else I can do,” he says, leaning over to hug me. “Just say the word.” He begins absentmindedly tossing one of the juggling balls in the air.
“Sure.” I head across the warehouse. When I’m halfway to the door, I pause and turn around. “Actually, maybe there is something else you could do for me.”
He nods eagerly.
“Can you and your friends perform at a fundraiser for the Bloomfield Community Center next week?” I wave a hand around the room. “Bring anyone you can find—acrobats, dancers. They need it to be spectacular. And it would be great if everyone could help get the word out. Share it with your networks and help sell some tickets. It’s for a good cause.”
Dad flashes me a huge grin, the relief evident on his face. “Of course I can do that. And I know lots of people who will help.”
The elevator seems to be working again. At 4:55 p.m., I take it down to the lobby, and I’m surprised to find Luca perched at the front desk instead of off on his usual errands. Next to him sits an older woman in a wheelchair holding a hand of playing cards. When Luca deals her another card, she sets her hand face down on the table, shuffles the new one into her stack, and picks it up again, all using only her left arm. She uses her left elbow to nudge another dollar into the pile in the middle.
Luca looks at his cards, raises an eyebrow at the woman, and then tosses them face down on the desk. “You’re too rich for my blood.”
With a look of glee, the woman fans her cards face up on the table, and from where I’m standing, it looks like a random assortment of numbers and suits.
“Damn, you were bluffing.” Luca shakes his head with admiration.
“That’s right,” she cackles, and her words come out slightly slurred.
Luca looks up and meets my eyes. “Catherine, this is my friend Mrs. Sterling.”
She smiles at me, and only the left side of her face curves upward. “Hello,” she says. My best guess is that she’s had a stroke.
“It’s nice to meet you.”
“Catherine lives upstairs,” Luca tells her.
Mrs. Sterling’s smile widens. “Is this the girl you’ve been telling me about? The pretty one you have a crush on?”
Luca turns in my direction, his lips twitching in a hint of a smile. His eyes meet mine, and for a moment, I’m back on that narrow lounge chair on the roof, his body pressed against mine.
“Well, that answers my question,” Mrs. Sterling says with another guffaw.
Luca clears his throat and begins stacking the cards. “You might have won this round, Mrs. S., but I expect a rematch tomorrow.” He helps her gather up the dollar bills she’s won and tuck them into the side pocket of the wheelchair. Finally, he raises his eyes to me. “I’m just going to get Mrs. Sterling back up to her apartment, and then we’ll head out, okay?” Grasping the handles of her wheelchair, he pushes her toward the elevator.
Just as the door closes in front of them, the one to the stairwell swings open, and Sal wanders out.
“Catherine!” he says buoyantly.
“Hi.” I gesture to the spot where Luca and Mrs. Sterling disappeared a moment ago. “The elevator is working now, you know. You don’t need to take the stairs.”
