𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧.

Birthday Dinner.

𝐉𝐚𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞

"Babe are you sure this is all Dad will be eating for breakfast?" I asked uncertainly as I watched Carol place a platter of biscotti on the table. "It seems a little...small."

"Yes I know. Italians don't eat very much for breakfast. Most people just eat a pastry with a cup of coffee or some bread and butter for breakfast," Valentino explained. "Father wanted a traditional Italian breakfast so we'll be having fresh bread with ricotta, biscotti with strawberry jam, Cornetto and cappuccino."

"Lunch and dinner are always more complex in Italy. Some people eat a very small breakfast and some even skip breakfast altogether," Damen said as he stretched his arms above his head. 
"When is Dad coming down?" Sabrina asked.
"He'll be down as soon as he and Uncle Enzo are done talking to grandfather, Aunt Aimee and Uncle Vincenzo."

"For every special occasion Father and Uncle Enzo spend a few minutes alone with pictures of our grandfather, Aunt Aimee and Uncle Vincenzo. They were very close to the three of them so they made it a tradition of theirs to remember them on birthdays, anniversaries and any significant dates," Valentino said to me.

I nodded and sat next to him on the couch as we waited for Dad and Enzo. After a few minutes they came down together. I thought they'd be sad but instead they looked...happy. When they entered the living room Valentino and Damen got up to hug their Father and tell him happy birthday in Italian.

Then it was Sabrina's turn. She hugged him and kissed his cheek and let him rub her stomach and say a few words to the baby.
"When you're born your Nonno will throw you a big welcoming party. After all you're my firstborn nipote. You deserve it."

Sabrina smiled and moved to the side so I can get a chance with Dad. "Happy birthday to my favorite father-in-law," I said with a giggle as I kissed both his cheeks and hugged him.
"I'm you're only father-in-law Jasmine," Dad scoffed playfully.
"All the more reason for you to be my favorite."

I grinned and stepped away so everyone else could greet Dad. When he received hugs, kisses and congratulations from all around we moved to the dining room for breakfast. The maids served Dad first and respectfully offered their congratulations. Dad acknowledged their words with a 'thank you' and they started serving the rest of us.

I asked for a double serving of everything since there was no way I'd be satisfied with just a regular portion. The same for Andrès. We came from a big family and had an even bigger appetite. When we went to our Abuelo's house for the weekend he'd fatten us up like a Thanksgiving turkey.

"Now that you're approaching old age what are your plans for the future Luciano?" Marcello asked. "A cruise around the world? A pilgrimage? A sabbatical? You're no longer the Don of the Sangue Mafia, aren't there any hobbies you'd be interested in pursuing?"
"The only hobby I'm interested in is spending time with my family," Dad confessed. "And spoiling my grandchild of course."

"That's all very nice but are you sure there aren't any other things you might be interested in?" Emilia pressed. "Plenty of folks pick up a hobby or a project when they get older, something they enjoy doing. Painting, sketching, collecting antiques and rare items or even gardening. Some people even get back in the dating game."

"Thank you Emilia but that is one thing I will not be doing," Dad said. "I'm not going to rope myself into a relationship at this age, especially now that I'm going to be a grandfather. I'm perfectly happy with being single."
"So was I before you started pestering me to settle down but that didn't stop you did it?" Valentino snorted.
"That was different. The main reason I wanted you to get married was because I wanted you to have some form of stability in your life. Now that you're married to Jasmine you found that stability."