Now, he walked into Joey’s private room. His brother was sitting up in bed, watching a game show on the television bolted to the wall. He had a cannula in his nose and also a mask draped over the top of the bed, lying on the pillow next to his head. That meant he was having a rough day.
“Hey, Joe. How’s it going?”
Joey turned his head slowly. “H-h-h-h.” He took a breath. “Hey.”
“Hey. I brought you some guanti. And Bina made you shark socks like Trey’s. Special order from the man himself.”
Joey blinked. “Shark…socks?”
Carlo lifted them out of the paper sack he’d brought in with him. “Yeah. See? Like the ones she gave Trey for his birthday. He wanted you to have a pair, too.”
He grinned, and Carlo was glad to see it. “How’s…Trey? Okay?”
“He’s good, man. He’s really good. Starting preschool today. Would you like me to bring him by again?”
Joey watched Carlo as he sat on the chair at his bedside. Then he shook his head. “No. Bad place…f-for him here.”
“Okay. Well, you’ll be home soon, and then you two can hang out like before.”
Turning back to the television, Joey didn’t say anything for a long time. The game show was Let’s Make a Deal; Carlo had no idea that was still on television. Some black guy Carlo almost recognized was the host now, apparently.
Knowing that talking was hard for Joey, Carlo sat back and watched the inane show in silence. Then, without turning from the television, Joey said, “Sorry…s-so sorry.”
Carlo sat forward and gripped his baby brother’s forearm. “Joe. You gotta stop with that. I know I was shitty to you since the thing with the money, and I’m sorry about that. But you did everything you could that day. You took a bullet to try to protect Bina and Trey. And Trey’s safe. He’s home and he’s good.” He squeezed; there was less mass to Joey than there had been. “You have nothing to apologize for.”
“Every…thing’s…f-f-fucked.”
“It’s gonna be okay, Joe.”
“No. Wasn’t…okay…bef-f-fore this.”
Carlo didn’t know what to say to that. So, feeling inadequate, he gave his brother’s arm another squeeze and they watched silly people in silly costumes do silly things for cash and prizes.
~oOo~
When Carlo got home that evening, the house smelled like dinner preparations had not gone well. Trey was sitting in Pop-Pop’s chair, a big Richard Scarry book open in his lap. He didn’t get up, but he dropped the book and wrinkled his nose. “We had a fire and now we get PIZZA!”
Carlo dropped his portfolio at the side of the hall tree. “A fire?”
“Yeah. The teeny turkeys made a fire. Pop-Pop put it out.” He went back to his book, blasé about the whole apparent cataclysm, and Carlo went quickly down the hall and ducked his head into the kitchen.
The windows and back door were open, the fan was on, and smoke was wafting out of the room. Definitely a fire. His father was scraping black chunks about the size of his fist off a baking sheet and into the garbage, and Bina was fluttering around waving a towel through the air. Elsa was standing on the patio, watching the frenzy through the open door, her head cocked.
“Hi?”
She looked over and, when she saw him, blushed, her golden skin turning russet. “Oh, Carlo. I’m a disaster.”
“What happened?”
His father chuckled. “The game hens got away from her a little. We’re all set, though.”
“Game hens?”
She blushed an even deeper shade. “There was a sale. They were cute.”
Carlo laughed, and once he started, the hilarity mounted until he was doubled over, clutching his stomach.
“You laugh at me!”
“Oh, yeah,” he gasped. “I’m laughing right at you. This is like an I Love Lucy moment. It’s perfect. A family story for sure. You cremated the cute, discount game hens.” Another spasm of laughter overtook him. “Oh, God. I’m dying.” His father caught the bug then, and Bina was surrounded by howling Paganos.
She hit him with the towel. “See if I cook for you again ever.”
Getting himself under control, he grabbed the towel as it came at him again, and he pulled her to him. “Aw, baby. I’ll eat anything you cook.”
“Be careful, Mr. Smart Pants, or I’ll take from the bin a cute hen and put it on a plate for you. With a parsley sprig.” She was smiling, and he kissed her. She tasted a little of smoke.