The View From Lake Como

Jess does dishes after the wake, and Bobby offers to help. They go for a walk, and he says that he’ll always be there for her. When they get back, she works on her next journal entry. She writes about the morning she left Bobby; she chose the day carefully because it couldn’t coincide with anyone’s birthday or anniversary. Bobby’s mother, Babe, came over to drop off food, and she saw Jess’s suitcase. Babe tried to convince Jess to stay with Bobby, but Jess knew that she must make herself happy before she can make anyone else happy.

That night, Detective Campovilla from the FBI arrives to speak with Jess about Louie. Joe, her lawyer-brother, is present while she answers the detective’s questions. Joe and Jess drive to Lil’s so she can find Louie’s hidden flash drive, his secret laptop, and some paperwork for the FBI. She finds the small tiles of marble in his desk; Calacatta gold is her favorite. She also finds the tickets to Italy Louie bought for them.

When Jess and Joe get home, their parents want to talk. Her dad reassures Jess that they love her, but she knows she is their “loser child”—no children, no marriage, no assets. When Jess tells Connie that Louie used her name to incorporate a second company to sell marble remains without paying taxes, it becomes clear that her parents knew about it. Louie told them that Jess was his sole heir, so they didn’t see anything wrong with letting him use Jess’s name on the paperwork. They were worried she’d need money down the road and believed Louie was providing for her future.

Jess gets angry, saying her life is good for everyone except her: Connie and Joe don’t have to worry about their parents because they know Jess is there to care for them. Jess says the family does “role definition” well, and she is the new Zia Giuseppina, who cares for everyone else. Connie admits that Jess is right, that they depend on her for a lot.

Jess’s parents also tell her that they changed their will so that the house goes to her, rather than being split three ways. When Jess asks why, Phil says it’s because they used Jess’s college fund to pay for Joe’s law school. The money had been intended to fund Jess’s education at Rutgers, but then Joe got into law school, and their parents “had to choose” (123). Joe argues that he paid them back and asks where the money went. They say it paid for the new roof, the basement renovation, car repairs, family funerals, and other unexpected bills. Jess feels like she might scream. She says that she needed that chance to go away to college instead of living at home and going to a local college, but her mother reminds her that she had anxiety issues. Jess thinks that being more independent would have helped, that maybe she wouldn’t have married Bobby if she had a chance at gaining a more worldly perspective. She thinks she needed adventure. Phil admits, defensively, that they prioritized Joe.

Jess’s parents point out all they’ve done for her, and she reminds them of all she’s done for them. They accuse her of selecting a useless major and then blowing up her marriage; Louie tried to take care of her, they say. Jess protests that her degree in Italian studies allowed her to do good work for the family company, and she storms into the cellar. Everybody follows her, and Connie asks what they can do for her. Jess says that she always thought she wasn’t worthy of her dreams because they never came true, even while others’ dreams did. Jess tells her family that she’s leaving, and she’ll let them know where she is when she gets there.

In the weeks following the funeral, Jess finishes up all of Cap Marble and Stone’s current projects. Otherwise, the business is on hold while the FBI investigates the Elegant Gangster.

Jess brushes up her Italian, connects with Conor Kerrigan, works on her journal entries, and ties up loose ends for Lil. She donates her car and buys all new clothes in preparation for her trip. One early morning, she zips her suitcase shut and calls a cab. Her parents emerge from the house and Phil claims they meant no harm, but as far as Jess is concerned, her “parents are on the Island” (133). Her ride arrives, and Jess eyes the golden sunrise over the lake.

Alone on her flight, Jess finally feels free. Now, she can cry. One of the flight attendants moves her to first class; his name is Louie. She takes out her copy of A Room with a View. Jess feels calm and wonders if she will learn, as her ancestors did, how strong she is.