62

Faust

“This must be the lovely Francesca,” my cousin Toni exclaimed, walking forward. He kissed both of Francesca's cheeks. — You are as beautiful as I heard.

“Thank you,” she said, then looked at me for an explanation.

We had just arrived at one of the restaurants I had in Siderno after my appointment with the obstetrician. I didn't like how thin she was, and the doctor had expressed concern about the amount of weight Francesca had lost. Although the baby was perfectly fine, the doctor had encouraged Francesca to eat more than she could handle. So I decided to bring her to lunch, also inviting Toni to discuss business. He had been pestering me for an in-person meeting for months. Two birds, one stone.

“Meet Antonio, my cousin,” I said. — He handles a lot of my business for me.

“Call me Toni,” my cousin said. — Zio Toni, if you prefer.

I pulled out a chair for her and she sat down. “You speak English very well,” she said to Toni.

— I was raised in the suburbs of Connecticut until I wa