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dinner?”
    â€œNo, not yet. I’m running late, they trans . . . I have a new office.”
    â€œReally? Wow! Cool! It’s a good thing to change every so often, right? And after all, it’s not as if you really liked the old place. I could tell that from your voice.”
    From my voice, she could tell. Women have antennae, even when they’re just teenagers.
    â€œWhat about you? How do you think you did on your Latin test?”
    â€œGood, I think I did good. I talked to Deborah about it, she’s really good, and we had the same translation. But that’s not the big news: tonight I’m going to a party! I was invited to a classmate’s birthday, she’s having a party in a club outside of Palermo!”
    A party. Outside of Palermo.
    â€œOh, really? And how are you getting there? And with who?”
    â€œCome on, Papi. What, are you worried about me? Nothing bad’s going to happen, it’s not like it’s a rave. It’s just a birthday party, this friend of mine was held back a year and she’s turning eighteen. It was just nice of her to invite me, until just a few days ago she didn’t even know I existed. And there’ll be boys! And dancing, too!”
    Be careful, Lojacono thought to himself. Try not to squelch her enthusiasm, or she won’t tell you anything else.
    â€œAnd does your mother know about it?”
    â€œOh sure, as if I’d tell her, she’d make my life miserable. Of course she doesn’t know. I told her I was sleeping over at Enza’s, and she had no problem with that, it just means she can go have her own fucking fun.”
    â€œMari, don’t talk like that. You know I don’t like it. And I don’t like hearing that you’re lying to your mother. I’m far away, I can’t help you if you need something, and . . .”
    Her voice hardened.
    â€œSo, what are you saying, that I can’t even tell you what I’m doing? Is that it?”
    â€œNo, that’s not how it is. I trust you, you’re intelligent and you’re mature. But there are people in this world . . . if you only knew the kind of things I see every day, from sunup to sundown . . . Anyway, you go ahead. Just make sure you keep your phone charged and turned on, and if there’s anything you need, anything at all, call me right away. All right?”
    She was calm again now, but cautious.
    â€œAll right, Papi. Don’t worry, I promise. And tomorrow I’ll call you and tell you all about it. Okay?”
    â€œYes, sweetheart. I’ll wait for your call. And don’t forget . . .”
    â€œ. . . phone charged and turned on, I swear.
Ciao ciao
, Papi. Till tomorrow.”
    And suddenly he was all alone again, with a silent phone in one hand and something new to worry about: he wouldn’t be getting much sleep tonight.
    Â 
    As he was walking up the narrow lane, the
vicolo
, that led to Letizia’s trattoria, he had time to ponder his total lack of emotion at hearing Marinella say: It just means she can have her own fucking fun.
    There had been times, up until a few months ago, when that phrase would have gone straight to his gut and lodged in his intestine, making him twist in pain for hours. But now, nothing. A stranger, that’s what Sonia was to him now. It seemed incredible that he had shared so many years with her, projects, plans for a future that would never come now. A stranger. He even hoped that she’d be able to form some lasting relationship, that she’d find a way to temper the resentment she felt for him; that he’d be able to be in touch with their daughter without having to sneak around, in the light of day.
    Letizia saw him come in out of the corner of her eye; she was waiting for him, the way she did every night. All she needed was a rapid glance to sound out his mood: she wondered how that could be, since she had never been very good at