My eyes cling onto every word in front of me as the battle between the two Siren clans reaches its peak. “C’mon, Exi. Kick his ass.” I mumble, turning the page. I can totally finish this book. No one has come in today, so I’m all comfy-cozy in my special corner. Turning pages are the only sound filling the shop other than the occasional car speeding down the street.

As I finish the last pages my heart is filled with warmth and I let out a small sigh of content. What a great ending… I bring the book to my chest for a moment and then put it in the 30% Off shelf. There’s still an hour until I have to close up, but I think I can stock up on some more books. I put a fifty in the register and pick out the books that seem interesting, slightly humming a song from The Little Mermaid.

After closing the shop, I head down the long sidewalks of Queens. Memories of when I first arrived here from Italy pop into my mind. We moved here when I was seven, opened up a shop, and went from there. The shop turned into a restaurant that the town fell in love with since the only Italian place is a pizza parlor thirty minutes away with overpriced everything. College students go there often to hang out since we have delicious food that isn’t very much. It’s so much better than eating ramen every night.

I smile to myself as I unlock the door to the Voltolini household. “Mamma, I’m home!” I call, walking straight into the kitchen. “Oh, I smell something amazing! What are you making?”

“Wedding Soup, calamari, and mostaccioli mosta. This plate of calamari is yours since you steal so much from your sister’s plate.” She laughs a bit and gives me a hug. “How was work?”

“Same as always, but I finished a really good book!”

My mother sighs a bit. “Orion, why do you work at such a small shop? You receive so little pay. You could work at our restaurant and make so much more.”

“Mamma, I love the books. The owner is growing old, so I might get to buy the shop from her when she decides to sell it.”

“Oh, you always want to be with books. You cook like your grand-mamma! It is like every dish you make has been touched by God. I don’t understand you.” She sighs.

We converse a little longer as I help her prepare dinner, but my mind wanders a bit when she mentions my love life. She goes on and on about how I need to find a girl, get married, and have children. “What about that nice girl from the coffee shop we went to? She was pretty. Oh, or my best friend’s daughter! She’s smart, sweet, and beautiful!” She pulls up a picture on her phone and shows me.

“Mamma, I don’t want to get married right now. I’m still trying to figure out my financial situation. I need to find a steady income, buy a house, and pay off my student loans. I can’t drag someone else into all of this.” I calmly change the subject to something else as we bring the food to the table.

“Orion is a loner!” I take a deep breath, pick up an olive, and chuck it at my little sister.

“I am not! I’m just smart enough to know what I should prioritize!”

“Mom! He threw an olive at me!” She points at me and complains.

“Celia, please. You were the one looking to annoy him.” My mother sighs a bit as we all sit at the table. My father comes down from his office, we pray, and converse throughout the meal about how our day went and our plans for the week.

This is how it is every day, honestly. Come home, help with dinner, talk about the same things, and go to bed. As I head up to my room, I can’t help but sigh. It’s the same thing every single day… I want something else to happen. Maybe I should move somewhere new? Go back to college and try to major in something else? I go to my bookshelf, pick out a book, and allow myself escape from reality.