“You don’t know what he’ll do next, Vi.” Ray kept his eyes on his nephew. “Which is why I am here, hundreds of miles from home.”
The thin fingers on Viola’s right hand trembled as she gripped her coffee cup.
“I would like to hear about my sister-in-law,” Viola said brightly, giving him a rare smile. “Something happy, yes?”
“I up and left her to rush after you, Viola,” Ray said bitterly, staring ruefully into his coffee. “She’s probably furious with me. And you have never met her, Vi. It’s strange being married to someone you don’t know.”
“But I will meet her. She is very beautiful in the pictures I have seen.”
“Even more in person.”
“And I am sure she would be lovely with Luca.”
“She would love Luca,” Ray said shortly. Talking about Jem made him sad. Luca was staring at him intently, his black eyes wide. Ray cracked a smile.
Viola transferred the boy across the table, and Ray hugged him tightly, pressing his lips to Luca’s cheek. “I missed you.” Ray positioned Luca on the side of the table, propping him up with his hands and giving him his pocket watch to play with. Luca gripped it with his little fingers.
With his nephew occupied, Ray leaned over and closed the space between himself and his sister.
“Jem is going to have a baby of her own, Vi, and I cannot keep supporting you the way I have.” He watched Viola’s face blanch with guilt. “I am not telling you this because I want you to feel bad. I just want to find a solution. For everyone. I can’t provide for you and Luca and Jem and a baby on my reporter’s salary. Tony is clearly not helping.”
“If you tell him, Ray, if we explain… ”
“He’s never listened to us before,” Ray growled. “Why would he start now?”
“Ray, you must be so very excited. I am so happy. A baby. For Luca to play with!”
“How can Luca play with a baby who lives in another country? This has to end, Viola. You don’t belong here.”
“I belong with Tony.” She gripped the end of the table tightly. “But he cannot know that you are here because I asked you, Ray. I don’t know what he might do if… ”
Ray nodded. “I know. But this has to be the end of it, Viola. I am here to take you home. Tony’s chances are over. He can either reform completely and find a respectable job by the time I hop on a train back to Toronto, or I will report him to the authorities and you and Luca will come back to Canada with me.”
“Authorities?
“Tony can’t go two feet without stepping into something illegal. I just have to find out what it is this time.” Ray rubbed at his unshaven jaw. “My stomach turns thinking of his hurting you or Luca, and I have my own family now, Vi. So I can’t ever leave Jem again and rush over here.”
“You don’t understand. He doesn’t mean to… ”
“You’re right. I understand less now than I ever did.” Ray rose, tossing a few coins on the checkered tablecloth. “I would cut off my right hand before hurting my Jemima, so I cannot understand how a man who claims he loves you and Luca could treat you like this.”
Silence followed them out of the café and onto the muggy street. Ray held tightly to Luca’s hand as they walked back to Michigan Avenue.
“I need some money, Ray,” Viola said quietly. “We were turned out after you came this morning. Tony took the money you sent. And I have nothing more set aside.”
Ray pulled Luca closer, tucking a truant curl behind his ear. He pressed a few coins into Viola’s hand. “Give this to your landlord for tonight. I’ll get more tomorrow,” he said with assurance, though he wasn’t sure how or where. He handed her the watch. “If you have to.”
“Papa’s watch.”
“If you have a choice between food and Papa’s watch, you sell the watch.” He pressed it into her palm. Viola smiled at the memories evoked by its familiar circumference in her hand. She flipped it open and found a picture of herself and Luca.
“You are a good brother, Ray.”
Ray kissed her on the cheek and ruffled Luca’s hair, and then he let the night close around him. First he’d find Tony, and then he’d find whatever work he could at the docks to secure himself a bed for a night and replenish the little he had given Viola. If there was any benefit to working muckraking pieces for McCormick at the old Hog, it was that he wasn’t overly particular about where he slept. As long as he had a roof over his head, he’d be comfortable.