UN: britto08
Time Period: early 1900s (currently 1912)
Country/ies of Origin: Italy (go to U.S.)
LN: De Fiore
DH:
Orlando Cesare (26)
DW:
Ginevra Teresa (25)
DD:
Renata Alessandra (5)
DD:
Arianna Maddalena (3)
DS:
Giacomo Orlando (nb)
Things have been going well for the De Fiore family. First, shortly before
Renata's first birthday,
Orlando had finally learned enough English to be promoted from delivery man to store clerk, with a fairly decent pay increase.
Ginevra also found a new job, teaching English to children at the the same settlement house where they once went. The pay is very little, but
Ginevra also still keeps the books for Mr.
Doyle. It was taking up little of her time, and she wanted to help out immigrants to came to
America in a similar situation as herself.
Adamo and
Teodora both continued their jobs cleaning the store, still continuing to go to high school. And
Pia finally found a place of her own in a boarding house, but she was only there a year before she married. She married an American man named
Phillip O'Day, half-Irish and half-French, who often came into the milliner's shop where she worked to pick up things for his mother and sisters. He soon began inventing reasons to come see her, and proposed to her after knowing her six months.
Pia, who had fallen in love with him as well, agreed at once, and the two were quietly married in a small church ceremony.
Phillip's family, who though they are not Park Avenue are decently well-to-do, were at first against him marrying a penniless immigrant, but
Pia's sweetness melted their hearts and they soon couldn't help approving.
Pia and
Phillip had decided to make their home outside the city, in a small town just a short train ride away, which greatly saddened
Ginevra and
Orlando and their family. But
Pia was happy, and that was what mattered.
Shortly after
Pia's marriage,
Ginevra gave birth to a daughter, whom they named
Arianna Maddalena,
Arianna because they both love the name and
Maddalena after
Orlando's mother.
Arianna was a beautiful baby, all enormous eyes and black hair against creamy skin.
Renata was fascinated by her new baby sister, and
Adamo and
Teodora were both excited to have a second niece. But her birth made a change necessary--the apartment they occupied was too small for six people.
Adamo was now sleeping on a small bed shoved under a window in the sitting area while
Renata shared the second bedroom with
Teodora.
Arianna slept in the room with
Orlando and
Ginevra for a few months, but at about a year old she too had to move to the second bedroom. This worked for some time, but then when
Arianna was two
Ginevra discovered she was pregnant again. That settled it--the family would have to move. They had saved up a decent sum of money, but it was not enough to afford a larger, decent apartment in New
York. So they talked it over, and they decided to move to the same small town
Pia wrote them so glowingly of.
Phillip and
Pia immediately began looking for jobs for
Orlando,
Ginevra, and
Adamo.
Adamo, now eighteen, had recently graduated high school and was dreaming of owning a shop like Mr.
Doyle did.
Teodora, who was fifteen, still had a few years to complete, and
Pia wrote that the local public high school was very good. Finally, just before the baby was born, the De Fiore family left their crowded apartment, said goodbye to Mr.
Doyle, and moved to the small town.
Phillip had found them a house large enough for them and cheap enough to rent, and had gotten
Orlando and
Adamo both jobs at local shops.
Ginevra he had put off on finding a job for, knowing she would have to leave as soon as the baby was born. Not long after they arrived,
Giacomo Orlando was born. Everyone was thrilled with the birth of this little boy, and his sisters and aunt and uncle and godparents all dote on him.