[ what was maria like? it's both a loaded question and an unexpected one. but the soft smile that comes over his face should be evidence enough it's not unwelcome. ]

She was... she was a firecracker, you know. Quick to anger even quicker to forgive. She loved to dance. Loved to cook. God, was she good at it, too. Made everything from scratch for every holiday. Maria. [ since he realizes belatedly he forgot to say her name. or maybe it was an intentional omission, but either way he's correcting it. ] And she was... a great mom. The best, really, to our kids. Lisa and Frank Jr.

[ frank lays his head sideways on the topmost rung of the chair and takes a deep breath. it's like with each time he expels their names from his lungs he's a little lighter for it. ]