The Old Place

Eleni

I lean back in my seat and groan. “Too…much…food…”

Gianna laughs. “Once you give birth, I’m getting you into pole. Even if you never perform, it burns calories like a mother—”

Mama starts to frown, and Gianna stops. I laugh. She’s been working on her language.

“Well, it’ll let you eat as much as you want,” Gianna says quickly.

Mama nods. “If you don’t perform, I think that would be all right with Dante.”

Gianna launches into a list of how many dancers Dante has gone out with, seemingly just to scandalize Mama, and I look around the homey surroundings. To celebrate the end of my midterms, Mama suggested we go to Zorba’s Tavern, a warm, blue-and-white-walled little restaurant back in the old neighborhood. We used to come here every time Christos or I got all As in school. I tried to explain I didn’t have my grades back yet, but she was adamant. She couldn’t celebrate my last grades, or me getting into Tandon, so we were going to Zorba’s.

“Well,” Mama says. “I suppose some…standard