Chapter 6 - The Woman Mateo Couldn’t Make Invisible Again
Three weeks later, Norah was still working at Lombra.
Mateo hated it.
“You're limping.”
Norah placed his espresso down.
“My shoe is broken.”
“Buy another pair.”
She stared at him.
“Brilliant. Poverty solved.”
Mateo leaned back.
“How much?”
“No.”
“Norah.”
“No.”
Carmelo sat opposite him, eating bread.
“Buy her shoes.”
Norah pointed at him.
“Don't encourage him.”
Carmelo tore another piece of bread.
“You need shoes.”
“I need both of you to stop discussing my feet.”
Mateo smiled.
Norah walked away.
Carmelo watched his son watching her.
“You're an idiot.”
Mateo looked back.
“Excuse me?”
“You like her.”
“Papa.”
“She likes you.”
“She argues with me constantly.”
“Exactly.”
Mateo lowered his voice.
“She deserves a normal life.”
Carmelo snorted.
“What is normal?”
“Not this.”
“You mean not you.”
Mateo said nothing.
Carmelo leaned back.
“You think danger is the only thing you give people.”
“It often is.”
“You also protected her.”
“She didn't ask me to.”
“Vincenzo never asked me either.”
Mateo looked at his father.
Carmelo's expression softened.
“When I came to America the first time, I had fourteen dollars. Vincenzo gave me half his bread.”
“You never told me.”
“I was proud.”
“Still are.”
“Yes.”
Carmelo smiled.
“But I'm old enough to know pride is expensive.”
That night, Norah finished her shift at eleven.
Mateo waited outside.
She stopped.
“What are you doing?”
“Walking you home.”
“To the Bronx?”
“I brought a car.”
“Then you're not walking.”
“Fine. Driving.”
She sighed.
They got in.
Halfway home, Mateo handed her an envelope.
Norah immediately pushed it back.
“No.”
“Open it.”
“If it's money—”
“It isn't.”
She opened it.
Inside was an application.
Lombra Hospitality Management Scholarship.
Full tuition.
Norah stared.
“What is this?”
“You told my father you once wanted to study restaurant management.”
“I told him that privately.”
“My father has no concept of privacy.”
“Mateo.”
“The scholarship existed before you.”
She studied the paperwork.
“Did you create this for me?”
“No.”
“Did you influence it?”
“I asked them to consider your application.”
“I haven't applied.”
“Exactly.”
She stared at him.
“You're impossible.”
“Apply. If you lose, you lose.”
“And if I win?”
“You earned it.”
Norah looked down at the paper.
“Why?”
Mateo answered simply.
“Because I don't want your entire life decided by what you couldn't afford at twenty-four.”
She looked toward the window.
No dramatic speech followed.
That was what she liked about him.
“Thank you.”
Mateo nodded.
“There's something else.”
She groaned.
“What?”
“My father wants you at Sunday dinner.”
“Absolutely not.”
“He already invited your brother.”
Norah slowly turned.
“What?”
“And apparently your brother accepted.”
“I am going to kill both of them.”
“He also invited Paul.”
“Why Paul?”
“I don't know.”
Norah laughed.
Mateo watched her.
Then she caught him staring.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“No. What?”
He hesitated.
“I've spent my entire life surrounded by people trying to impress me.”
Norah waited.
“You've never tried once.”
“Should I?”
“No.”
Mateo smiled.
“Please don't start.”
The car stopped outside her building.
Norah opened the door.
“Sunday?”
Mateo asked.
She looked back.
“I'll come.”
“Good.”
“But tell Carmelo something.”
“What?”
“If he insults my cooking, he's getting water.”
Mateo laughed.
“I'll warn him.”
She closed the door.
Mateo watched until she entered the building.
His phone rang.
Carmelo.
“Well?”
Mateo frowned.
“Are you spying on me?”
“Yes.”
“Goodnight, Papa.”
“Did you kiss her?”
Mateo hung up.
Upstairs, Norah stood behind her curtain laughing because she could still see Mateo arguing with his phone.
For the first time, the Valente family did not frighten her.
May you like
They were becoming something much more dangerous.
People she cared about.
