Chapter 8

I thought it prudent to call Janet to alert her to the additional guest we would have. And I sat in the living room of the Federici's home while Amelia packed enough clothes, accessories and toiletries for a month-long excursion to China.

I put my foot down when she started back up the stairs for the fourth time.

"Kiddo," I said. "Let's be realistic. I have a small car with limited trunk space. You're not moving in with me. You're staying for a couple of days."

Amelia glared at me.

"And, by the way, if the clothes you packed are anything like the ones you were wearing Friday, there is no way I'll allow you to wear them at my house," I stated firmly. "I don't care if you do think you're an adult. You're not and your Mom is leaving you in my care. Do we understand one another?"

The glare turned into a smile. I will never understand teenage girls.

"We do, Michael," Amelia said. "I did bring some of that stuff but mostly so I can sort through it. Mom said I could miss school Monday — if it is OK if I stay at your house."

I glanced at Linda, who was taking in the scene with bemused inattention. She nodded her agreement. I pinched my nose tightly to stem the headache that I knew was waiting for me in the near future.

"Michael," Linda said. "I've been thinking. Would it be OK for me to come there tomorrow? I might stay a day or two until things cool down. I mean, I could go see my brother but I would rather not."

I remembered her brother, too.

"Yep, he hasn't changed a bit," she said. "He's still a whiny little poof. He lives in L.A. now and the last time I saw him he had about two dozen piercings."

"It's OK, Linda," I said. "There is plenty of room. I think my other guests are going home tomorrow."

I sighed at the end of my statement.

"You'd rather they stayed?" Linda asked.

"I don't know," I replied. "It's been nice to hang out with someone who wasn't Marcus. Maybe that is what it is. I'm able to be myself around Janet and Lila."

"Lila Conroy?" Amelia asked.

I nodded.

"We go to the same school," she said. "Did you let her know it was me who was coming? She and I don't get along very well."

I had not informed Janet of the name of my incoming guest.

"Well, I mentioned the Federicis few times and Lila's mother knows your name, so I would suspect that Lila has put it together," I said. The headache was moving closer and closer.

"My last name isn't Federici," Amelia said. "It's Cardelli. Rico didn't adopt me. I'll just stay here with Mom if you want."

The last was said with resignation.

"It will be fine," I said. "You'll behave yourself. I'll make sure of that. If Lila has a problem, her mother can deal with it or she can stay in her room."

"Do I get to pick out my own room, too?" Amelia asked excitedly. "I mean, I've never had a choice before. It'll be cool."

"They all pretty much look the same, kiddo," I stated. "But you can have any unoccupied room in the house as your personal space — within reason, of course. You can't have the kitchen or the laundry room, unless you want to cook or wash the clothes."

Amelia stuck her tongue out at me.

I was expecting fireworks when I got to my house. But Lila was extremely nice to Amelia. A couple times I glanced at her when no one else was looking and I could see it was tough for her. I pulled her aside before everyone headed off to bed for the night.

"I can't tell you how extremely proud of you I am, Lila," I said. "Amelia told me you didn't get along with her but you could have never proven that tonight. Your mother has done a wonderful job of raising you."

I punctuated the sentiment with a small kiss on the top of her head.

She seemed to swell with pride.

"It's because of you," she said quietly. "Mom told me what happened to Amelia's stepfather. As soon as she said the name I was sure it was her. She's right, I really don't like her. But she's had a terrible day and I remembered how sweet you were that first night. It made things so much better for me because you were nice to us. You didn't have to be. I don't think anyone else would have been. I figured I could treat Amelia the same as you treated us."

I felt a tear in my eye for some reason.

"Thank you, Lila," I replied. "It means a great deal to me that you felt better and that I had a part in it."

She gave me a kiss on the cheek and scampered up the stairs. I turned to find Janet watching us from the shadows.

As I approached, I noticed she was wiping away a tear, too.

"Mac, you may never know how much those few kind words you said to her will mean," she told me. "They mean a great deal to me, too."

I patted her hand gently.

"She is a good kid," I said. "You really deserve a great deal of credit for how well-rounded she is."

"Amelia seems nice, too," Janet said. "Who knows, maybe they'll become friends."

I didn't see that happening but I held my tongue. Perhaps if Amelia ever let the little girl beneath the façade peek though, there was a chance. But as long as she pretended to more worldly than her peers, there would always be issues with people like Lila — who rarely took crap from anyone and who seemed, at least to me, to be far more mature for her age than other teens I had met.

"I'll certainly do whatever I can to facilitate that," I said. "Or, at the very least, I'll make sure that Linda has your number so you can facilitate it."

Janet's gaze wavered for just a moment before she smiled, kissed my cheek and headed to her room down the hall.

I sat alone in my study and pondered the future.

Sunday is my "sleep until I wake up" day. I am not a regular churchgoer and I see little use in waking up earlier than I have to — usually in time to catch the NFL game at 1 p.m., a Major League Baseball game or some other sporting event. I rarely make it to the shower before noon.

This Sunday was an exception. Well, it was an exception in that everyone else in the household seemed to expect me to be up and about at 8 a.m. At least they were. And two teenage girls can make quite a racket — despite the fact that neither of them weighed 100 pounds.