Page 50 of The Deadly Candies

She reached into her desk drawer and pulled it out. She clutched it to her chest when she realized what it was, holding onto it like a lifeline. But before she could even unfold Carmelo’s pages, she read Debbie’s news again—andLord, was it surprising even the second time.

Debbie had lost her cherry. To Matteo, of all people.Matteo Ricci,not Chester, like she had always planned.

Now they were at Mama Stewart’s, in love, and planning their own future together. But it wasn’t just the confession of love that made Kathy’s jaw drop—it was the way Debbie talked about sex.

Kat, it’s good and weird all at once. Matteo got a real fascination with my body. He wanna put his tongue everywhere on me. And I like it too. I make him pray with me afterwards. I know it’s wicked. I can’t tell you how good and nasty he can make me feel. Do you think our parents do it a lot? It creeps me out to think of Mama and Pa doing what Matteo does to me. I feel like a pretzel sometimes when he gets going. He says I’m his first, too. I didn’t believe him from the start, but now… not so sure. He acts like a sick puppy when I don’t touch him or let him touch me. And he talks in his sleep, about me. Say my name. I really do love him Kat. I haven’t told him, but he is not what I thought the Italian boys would be. He special. Like your Carmelo. I’m sorry it took me so long to see.

Kathy had laughed until she cried. Leave it to Debbie to be bold enough to talk about such things as if they were discussing the weather. It felt good to laugh like that again.

But once her giggles faded, she smoothed out Carmelo’s second letter and read it.

Then she read it again.

And again.

The phone call brought her the most joy in nearly seven months, but the letter was her treasure.

He was alive.

That alone was enough to make her heart ache with relief. But there was more—he loved her.He missed her just as deeply as she missed him. And he still believed in their future.

Instead of Sicily,he had chosen Oregon this time, west, as far away as they could get from the families that had torn them apart. They had a plan: she was to save every penny, learn the train schedules, andbe ready when he was ready.

Hope.

For the first time in months,hopefilled her chest like breath in starving lungs.

There was just one problem.

The future—her future—was no longer just about being a wife.

Kathy wanted something more. She had a dream she hadn’t dared to say out loud yet. She wanted to be a teacher. That was something she’d share with Carmelolater. Right now, she just wanted to soak in the joy of his words, of his love, and of the hope that they could finallydo somethingto change their fate.

“Kathy!”

Big Mama’s voice snapped her from her thoughts.

Kathy quickly, gathered Carmelo’s letters and tucking them into the slit she had carefully made in her feather-stuffed pillow. Big Mama never came into her room, but she did inspect it from time to time. The bed was the safest place to hide anything; Kathy always kept it neat and untouched.

“Yes, ma’am!” she called back, smoothing out the blanket.

“Come downstairs, sugar!”

Kathy scrambled. She pulled on her robe, tying it at her waist as she hurried down the stairs. But the moment she reached the last step, shefroze.

Sitting on the sofa was a woman who looked so much like her mother that it nearly stole her breath.

Her hands gripped the banister, fingers trembling.

Big Mama beamed. “Got a surprise for ya.”

Kathy’s voice caught in her throat.

Mama?

The woman stood, her dark eyes full of warmth, her smile hesitant but kind.

“It’s your Auntie Jane,” Big Mama said.

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