Adriana Trigiani - Brava, Valentine

“I’m sure we could have the Chinese mimic Roberta’s stitchwork, if we go that way. I would still like to do the finishing here-because I have more control-but Roberta’s finishing is fine.”

“Not great?”

“There’s a finesse to our finishing here-you know, the buckles are given an extra buff, I re-press bows when they don’t lie perfectly flat-but the general construction is excellent.”

“Maybe you could design embellishments that don’t require handwork to set them,” Alfred offers.

“Like a fabric buckle?”

“Yeah, something that can be stitched on. Simple.”

“That’s a good idea,” I say.

“Roberta’s company assembles some of the big names. She is used to high standards. You can tell her what you want-she’s used to the demands.” Alfred picks up a sample. “In the end, her overall technique really is the best.” He studies the seam along the heel.

“Well, you old pro.” I take the shoe from him. “I agree.”

“I’ve gone from a banker to a cobbler’s assistant in nine months. I think it’s apparent I’m a prodigy,” he jokes.

“Just ask our mother.”

“So it’s your call,” Alfred says. And this is the biggest change in him over the past few months. He actually defers to me. “Shall we go with Roberta?”

“Let’s do it,” I say.

“I’ll get the paperwork to Ray.” Alfred stacks the files for our attorney.

“How long will that take?”

“Quick turnaround. I made copies of these and sent them over three weeks ago when you were leaning towards going with Roberta,” Alfred says.

“Efficient. I like it.” I smile at my brother.

“I think this line is going to take off, Val.” If anyone had told me last February that Alfred and I would reach this point, this moment in our partnership where he could admit that we could make a go of this, I would have never believed it.

“Wouldn’t that be great? For us?”

“Absolutely.” My brother beams.

I hand the rest of the business files over to my brother.

“How are things at home?” I ask.

“We had a good break on the Jersey shore with Pam’s family. I really needed it-and she needed it. Things are much better. I owe a lot of that to you-for screwing my head on straight when I needed it the most.”

“Alfred, don’t give me any credit. You love your wife, and you got through it.”

“I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“And you won’t have to,” I tell him. “Nobody is more surprised than me that our situation here is working. And I owe you an apology. I didn’t think we’d make good partners, but you’ve been very generous with me. You let me do what I do best. I don’t know if I could have done it all by myself. You deserve whatever success we have as much as I do.”

“Fingers crossed,” he says. “I’d like nothing more than to fight with you over profit margins.”

“You’re on,” I tell him.

Gabriel enters the shop. “The apprentice has risen and is shining.”

“That’s what you call yourself now?”

“No, my master and mentor June Lawton calls me her apprentice.”

“Oh, please. She doesn’t care about your skills as a junior pattern cutter, she just likes to hear about your love life.”

“That too. I like to call it a combination of high brow artistry-pattern making-and down-and-dirty details of my life as a single man looking for love. There’s only so much excitement in cutting leather.”

“Can you count me out?” Alfred jokes, turning away from Gabriel and back to his work.

“No one ever counts you in, Alfred. Relax.”

June whistles as she pushes open the entrance door.

“Full staff meeting without me?” June asks.

“No staff meeting. Just paperwork. We’re going with Roberta.”

“Oh, you made your mind up when you were in Argentina.” June waves her hand at me. “No-brainer.”

“The Chinese were more expensive in the end-that really made the decision for me.”

“You see we finished cutting the rest of the samples yesterday,” June says.

“They look great.”

“Who are these for?”

“Bret needs them for the funding meetings-he wants as many prototypes on display as possible.” I turn to Alfred. “Did you send Bret the paperwork?”

“When I sent it to Ray, I sent Bret his own set.”

“I love synergy!”

“As a very wise person once noted, a fish rots from the head-having said that, it also thrives from the head. You’re a damn good boss, Valentine,” June says as she passes a stack of patterns to Gabriel, who sorts them.

“Don’t be so quick to give her all the credit. I like to give due to feng shui. That’s right-the upper levels of this building have been transformed. First we ditched the crap, and then I schemed the dream-the apartment has gone from deadly dull to dazzling, and ever since then, we’ve gotten lucky around here. Or am I the only one who has noticed?”

“It’s you, Gabe. All you,” I tell him. “And the ancient art of feng shui.”

I pick up the phone and dial Roberta. “Roberta? We’ve made our decision.” I look around the workroom at my co-workers, June, Gabriel, and Alfred. Then I say, “You got the job. It’s Angelini and Caminito from now on.”

“Thank you! We are very pleased!”

“Great. Alfred will be in touch shortly with all the details.”

“Thank you, Cousin.”

I hang up the phone.

“Congratulations,” Alfred says. “You did it.”

June and Gabe break out a bottle of champagne from the mini-fridge while Alfred goes on a hunt for plastic cups. I feel a sadness in my gut because this is a moment I have dreamed of, and worked toward, and I have no one to share it with. My eyes fill with tears of regret. How I wish I could go back to Buenos Aires and make everything right with Gianluca. I miss him. But he has not called or written to me, and while I may not be the wisest woman around, I’m astute enough to know when a man has moved on. My letter, filled with humor and hope, was not well received. If it had been, I would have heard from him by now. Silence is the most direct answer of all.

I check the clock. My Skype appointment with Gram is on. I turn on the computer and dial through. After a few moments, Gram’s face appears on the screen.

“Hi, hon! All’s well here in Arezzo. I’m going to miss Thanksgiving turkey, though.”

“You and Dominic can jump on a plane.”

“Why don’t you come and see us?” Gram asks.

“I can’t leave the shop right now. But if the Bella Rosa takes off, or the economy improves in the next couple of months-”

“Valentine, don’t put too much pressure on yourself.”

“Did you get the Bella Rosa sample that I sent? Roberta built the prototype.”

“It’s handsome. How do you like working with her?”

“On my end, it’s very easy. She’s built my shoe according to specifications. She beat the Chinese. But Alfred says she drives a hard bargain in the cost department.”

“That’s an Angelini trait,” she says.

“I need your stuffing recipe. Gabriel is cooking this year.”

“No problem.”

“Yeah, we’re having the whole family over-kids, parents, chestnuts on the roof-every dish and everybody but you and Dominic.”

“We’ll be there for Christmas.”

“I know. It’s just not the same. You know, Thanksgiving is your holiday-nobody will roast the chestnuts like you. Even Aunt Feen is coming over. I’ll hide the liquor.”

“I just called her.”

“How is she?”

“The same.” Gram sighs. “How about we have a mod holiday-we’ll Skype!” Gram says.

“Okay. Great.”

“Shall I e-mail the recipe?”