A Package Deal

Lesson Failures (Chapter 21)

All too quickly, the summer holidays for teachers were over. Sitting at her kitchen table, eating the leftover fruit salad from the night before, she flipped through pictures from the last eleven days. There were so many. Looking through them all, she thought of a fabulous idea. She would create a photo book of their time together. Looking at her calendar, she counted the days until his birthday. Even if she worked on it every waking moment this entire week, there was a high probability it still wouldn't get to him in time. Deciding it would be better to do it well than to rush, she changed her deadline to Nov. That would give her more than enough time to finish it and send it to him for Christmas.

"Hell-ooo," Ignazio said, entering the house.

"I'm in the kitchen," Gabby hollered back.

"Buongiorno amore mio!"

"Buongiorno, Ignazio, come stai?"

"Sono molto felice, Grazie, e tu?"

"Io non sono felice... umm," breaking into a giggle, Gabby finished in English, "that I have to go to work today."

Translating, Ignazio replied, "Non sono felice che devo andare al lavor ooggi."

With wide eyes, Gabby's mouth dropped open. Repeating, "Non sono felice," she said some incoherent nonsense sounds, copied his hand gestures and ended it by nodding.

Throwing his head back, Ignazio burst into a belly laugh.

"Are you still feeling good about looking after Addie today?" Gabby asked.

"Definitely."

"Good. You know where everything is; if you don't, Addilyn can tell you." Noticing the time, Gabby muttered, "Rats!"

"What?"

"I wanted to get Addilyn up before I had to go so, she wouldn't wake up with me already gone."

Heading up the stairs, she was surprised when Ignazio passed her and said, "I will get Addie. You go do whatever you need to get ready for work."

Leaning against the wall, Gabby enjoyed the view.

"I like my man's butt—" she sang—"and I cannot lie. You girls better not deny..." Always enjoying making Ignazio laugh, his contagious snicker made her day.

Walking as a family out to the Beast, Gabby opened the driver's door and, brushing Addilyn's curls away from her face, she kissed her daughter's cheek.

"I love you. Be a good girl for Ignazio and listen to him." Hopping up into her truck and powering the window down, she looked at Ignazio. "I love you," she said. "Have fun today. I promise to keep my phone on me, so call or text, and if it's an emergency, my mom is on speed dial in your phone under the name Nanny."

"Gabby, honey, you're stalling. Go! We'll be okay."

Leaning his head through the open window, Ignazio kissed his sweetheart goodbye.

****

"All right, my love," Ignazio said, ready for a new adventure. "What all do we need to make sunshine toast?"

Dancing around the kitchen, as she spoke, Addie pointed to the place where each item was.

"You need a pan, some bread, some butter and eggs, and cookie cutters."

"Cookie-cutters?"

"Yup." Opening the pantry door, Addie pointed to the top shelf. "They're up there."

Reaching for the canister and setting it on the counter, Ignazio asked, " Is there anything else?"

"Nope," Addie smiled, her full dimples showing.