“We all miss Nonna. I’m going to set this one up with Sesame Street, and we can have an actual adult conversation. Hold on a minute, Rizz.”

While Adrian waited, she heard Teesha telling Phineas about Elmo, and Phineas give a long, rolling gut laugh.

The sound boosted Adrian’s spirits. Everything would be okay.

“There. Whew. That boy loves Elmo more than I love my new laptop. And you know I love that machine.”

“I know you do.”

“And this is not yet an adult conversation. Help me.”

“I’m so glad you’re happy, Teesha. I’m so glad you have Monroe and Phineas, and they have you.”

“It’s working out pretty well. I think we got really lucky with the kid. We miss you though.”

“Mutual. Are you two still talking about maybe moving out to the burbs, or that fantasy country house?”

“Oh, we talk about it, yeah. I mean, both of us lived our whole lives in the city, and we’re good, right? But …” She looked over where Adrian could hear Elmo’s squeaky voice and Phineas’s giggle. “It would be nice to have a house and a yard, maybe some dumbass dog. Swing set, all of it. I’m becoming frigging domesticated, Adrian. I say again: Help me.”

“Not when it looks so good on you. So, here’s my deal, and it’s got a couple of parts. Part one is, I’m going to relocate down here.”

“What? Really? You’re going to stay there?”

“I’m going to ask you to arrange to have my stuff packed up. The personal stuff. The furniture—you can have anything you can use or want. I guess the rest can go into storage until whenever. But I don’t need it here.”

“This is big. This is Godzilla big. When did you decide?”

“I think when I got here, when I saw Popi. He can’t live alone in this big house, Teesh, and it would kill him to leave it. He needs me here—though he’d never say it. And I don’t need to be in New York to work. I’m lucky there.”

“All true, all, but New York’s been your base since the jump.”

“For work, but this has been home—the real deal—for a long time. I can use the lower level, with some adjustments, some design, some tech for streaming my workouts, for shooting videos, for whatever I need. And if I need to come up there, I hop in the car or on the train. But I don’t feel easy about doing even that right now.”

“I’ve got it. I do. On the practical side, you’ll save five figures a year in rent. You could earmark a percentage of that toward outfitting your work space there. On the creative front, you’d switch to using settings in and around Traveler’s Creek rather than New York, which we could market. And on a personal front, you wouldn’t worry daily about Popi because you’d be right there.”

“And this is why you’re not only my friend but my manager.”

“What did Popi say?”

“I haven’t told him yet. I’m going to once it’s a done deal. What’s he going to do? Toss me out?”

“You got him there.”

“You and I can work remotely as long as we need to. Unless …” Now she put on her best persuasive voice. “There are some really nice properties down here, some really lovely houses in and around Traveler’s Creek with yards for dumbass dogs and charming little boys.”

“Well, holy shit, Adrian.”

Then she closed her eyes as Phineas loudly echoed her. “When will I learn?” she muttered. “That’s not like moving to New Rochelle with the Petries. Rob and Laura,” she said at Adrian’s blank look. “Never mind.”

“It could be better than that.” Adrian knew how to push, when to push, and when to let things simmer. “Just something to think about. And if you do think along those lines positively, I’d drop another job in your lap. Jan Wells manages Rizzo’s. Nonna and Popi handled the business end of it, but that’s always been mostly her. It’s not that he can’t deal with it, but I think he’ll need help. That’s not something I can do.”

“Rizz, I love the man like my own. You know I’ll help with that wherever I am.”

“I was hoping you’d say that. I’ll talk to Popi, and Jan’s coming back in a day or two, so I’ll talk to her. But I need your scary smart head for business.”

“We could come down for a couple days, sort that part out. Let me talk to Monroe, see when he could manage it.”

“Thanks.” Time to add just a little to the simmer, she thought. “Hey, imagine a pretty house with a pretty yard. It has an office bigger than a closet for you. An actual music room for Monroe. A playroom for Phineas—and whoever comes after him.”

“Now you’re trying to seduce me with square footage and a lower tax base.”

“Hard as I can. Think about it, talk about it. I’ve got to get back to Popi, but I need to contact the landlord, give my notice.”

“I’ll take care of that. And I’ll find a storage place down your way. You keep the furniture for now. You may end up using some here and there.”

“You’re right. Thanks, just thanks. Kiss your boys for me, and we’ll talk again soon.”

“I can do that. Rizz? This is the right move for you. Not just for Popi. It’s right for you. It feels right.”

“Yeah, I think so, too. Really love you.”

“Me, too, you.”

After shutting down her tablet, Adrian let out a sigh. Yes, everything would be okay. Some time, some work, some figuring out, but she’d make it all okay.

She took the Coke she’d forgotten to drink with her out to the dining room. This time she slid onto a stool at the counter.

“Let me put that sub together for you. I wanted to make sure you got it home warm.”

“You’re doing a good job, Barry, helping to keep the place running during all this.”

“Rizzo’s is like home to me. Always has been.”

“It shows. Listen, don’t you have a younger sister?”

“Got three. Why do you think this is home?”

She laughed, drank some Coke while he split the long roll. “The one who’s in college. Interior design, right?”

“That’s Kayla. Yeah, she’s heading back in about a week or so. Got her first year in the bag.”

“So, this is now a Box of Confidentiality. What you say goes no farther. Is she any good?”

“Well, she sure thinks my decor in my apartment sucks wide. She’s not wrong, but it’s just me since I busted up with Maxie. She redid her bedroom at home a couple years ago, and it looks like a damn magazine. She made dean’s list, so she’s good at it. Got an eye and all that.”

“Tell her to call me. I might have a job for her.”

“Really?” He paddled the sub into the oven to melt the provolone over the meatballs and sauce. “In New York?”

“No, here. If she’s up for it, she can give me a consult, and we’ll see if we suit each other.”

“Sure. She’ll go nuts. She streams your workouts.”

“Does she?” Adrian smiled, drank more Coke. “She just got another leg up.”