I Just Want to Be With My Wife

Mia Shows Her Hand, and It Backfires

"Are you ready, amore?" Mia asks as they approach a nondescript building.

"What for?" Giovanni asks, looking up from the newspaper he'd been attempting to read, despite it being written in Italian.

"Follow me!" Mia opens the door and rushes right in, so Giovanni has to hurry to catch up.

"Mia, what is this?" Giovanni's confusion doesn't clear as Mia just keeps excitedly leading him further into the building, then promptly pushing the double doors open, revealing an empty apartment.

"Ta da!" Mia throws her arms out.

"What is it?" Giovanni wonders, looking around.

"Sofia's parents own the building." Mia explains. "It was just vacated, so no one's fixed it up, but I was too excited to wait."

She keeps walking around the apartment, "Obviously we need to take care of the paint ourselves, as well as some simple repairs, but look at this!"

She goes to the windows. "Look at that fantastic view!"

Giovanni comes over, nodding, "You're right, it is fantastic."

"And look!" Mia points. "That's the café you like. Just a block or two away."

"Wow." Giovanni nods along.

"It has two bedrooms, a bathroom, and an adorable kitchen." Mia moves away from the window.

"That ceiling is something else." Giovanni looks up.

"I know." Mia agrees. "I honestly wouldn't mind them leaving it as is."

Then she keeps pointing around, "A sofa right by the fireplace. Chairs. We even have a balcony for you to play your accordion on!"

"Ooh." Giovanni's eyes light up.

"We can put the dining room here." Mia moves to another empty space. "Easily fit 10 or 12 in here.", then moves to another part, "Perfect place to put your drawing table."

"I agree." Giovanni nods. "Night or day, perfect light to draw up blueprints."

"Bookshelves, radio, record player." Mia lists, pointing this way and that.

"Cat friendly?" Giovanni asks. "That's a must."

"Of course." Mia says immediately. "Plus there's other cats, so she could socialize with them and still know where her home is. Isn't it amazing?"

"That Mollica is such a social butterfly? Of course it is." Giovanni says.

"No, the apartment."

"Oh! Yes, that's amazing too." Giovanni agrees.

"I'm so glad you agree." Mia smiles. "I love where we are now, but if we're going to start thinking long term. Can't believe we'll have our own bathroom again! And hot water!"

All at once, the real reason Mia brought him here sinks in, and Giovanni's sighing in resignation. "Mia...Mia!"

"Yes?" Mia comes out of the other room.

"We're not buying this place." Giovanni hates having to say it like that, but there it is.

"Why ever not?" Mia demands.

"We don't live here." Giovanni reminds her.

"We will once we buy this apartment." Mia clearly isn't understanding Giovanni, so he clarifies,

"We don't live in Italy. We need to go back home."

"We are home." Mia says.

"No we're not." Giovanni shakes his head.

"Tell me why." Mia orders.

"I have a construction company back home in New Donk." Giovanni says like it should be obvious. "I have so many projects I'm behind on. And if I'm not back home, I'll lose my new job at Columbia University."

"And what's waiting for me if I go back?" Mia asks defiantly.

"Mia..."

"I need to make curtains." Mia goes to the window again.

"Mia, please." Giovanni begs. "We belong in New Donk. You have friends in New Donk. Your social clubs are in Brooklyn."

"I made new friends here." Mia turns around. "So did you, remember?"

"No I didn't." Giovanni denies.

"Have you forgotten about the men in the café?" Mia reminds him. "They've accepted you into their circle. You're one of the boys."

"No I'm not." Giovanni insists. "I can't even speak their language! For all I know they're laughing at me about being a traitor that stopped speaking Italian and lost his accent to come to America!"

"They wouldn't do that." Mia shakes her head. "They understand how tough it can be to come to a new country."

"They all drink espresso in the morning, wine in the evening, and have multiple lovers, one of which is presumably their wives." Giovanni says. "I don't want multiple lovers. Heck, I don't even want a male housekeeper! My Italian roots are gone."

"You can get them back." Mia promises. "You're picking up some words."

"I learned one word since first coming here." Giovanni corrects. "I'm ready to leave."

Now he paces around the empty apartment.

"Don't get me wrong. I loved this little respite." He says. "But that's all it ever was to me. I want our life back."

"You mean your life." Mia points out. "Our son shuts me out. You don't pay attention to me unless it's something you want or need. Who do I have in New Donk? Here, I have my cooking. I'm seen as a strong Italian woman. No one dares to insult or ignore me."

"Mia, no one--"

"'Aw, poor Mia. No one tell her anything. Her fragile little heart can't take it. She'll be heartbroken'" Mia mimics. "Here in Italy...I'm strong."

"Mia." Giovanni says now, taking her hands. "I never should've lied to you. I'm sorry. It will never happen again."

Mia won't look at him as he keeps talking, "Mia, I promise, we will figure something out when we're back home. But we can't do it here."

Mia pulls away from him to look out the window by herself.

"Mia, are you understanding me?" Giovanni demands. "Mia. Mia!"

Mia only turns around, marches towards where she dropped her coat, picks it up, and walks out.

Giovanni gives the apartment one last look, then follows.