Chapter 30

“It’ll happen,” Joe said. With his looks and his earnest demeanor, Carlo would break more than a few hearts in his lifetime, of that he was certain. “Just give it time.”

“What happens when I run out of it?”

“What do you mean?”

Carlo lifted a single shoulder, heavy in spite of its intended insouciance. “I can only put Ma off for so long before it starts looking strange. She wants me married to a nice Italian girl. She’s already started complaining about how her friends have so many grandbabies and she doesn’t have any.”

At least Joe had never had that pressure. He had too many siblings already procreating by the time he enlisted for his parents to give him much notice.

“Would that be so bad?”

Startled, Carlo snapped straight to stare at Joe. “You didn’t get married.”

“I don’t want to earn a living pretending I’m people I’m not, either.”

“It’s not the same.”

“No,” Joe conceded. “But if it makes them happy and gets them off your back, where’s the harm?”