A Package Deal

Fall Blues, Letters to You (Chapter 24)

Fall was the entire family's absolute favourite season. Not too hot, not too cold; it was the perfect time for warm sweaters, puffy vests, thick socks, and hiking boots.

Waking to the sound of rain on the windowpane, Gabby turned her pillow sideways and snuggled into it. Ignazio had been gone for a month already, and though the days and early evenings were so busy with work and Addilyn's activities, she missed him the most at night and on the weekends. Spoiling her, she knew what it was like to have him near and wanted him back. Reaching for her phone and glossing over all the texts, she only opened the most important one.

"Sei il mio sogno più selvaggio, più dolce e di felicità che si avvera. Buongiorno, amore."

Hmm? Having never received a message entirely in Italian, looking for words she recognized, Gabby knew it had something to do with being happy, being a good morning and being his love.

Plunking his message into Google translate, she read, "You are my wildest, sweetest, and happiest dream come true. Good morning, love." Just for fun, she clicked on the microphone to hear how it sounded. Bursting out laughing, it was a far cry from the romantic tone of Ignazio's voice whenever he spoke to her.

Woken by her mother's laughter, Addilyn stretched herself out and groaned.

Absentmindedly listening to the TV in bed, Gabby started her message back to Ignazio.

"Buongiorno, Ignazio. Thank you for the challenge of deciphering your message. Other than felicità and buongiorno, amore, there wasn't much I could decipher, but Google helped me out. I must confess that I prefer your sexy voice, saying that you love me over a robotic Italian male voice."

"Momma, are we still going hiking today?" Addilyn asked, dropping the TV remote onto her mother's lap.

"Maybe. It's only raining a little, so..."

"It's raining, it's pouring. Poppa is snoring," Addilyn spontaneously sang out.

"You better not let him hear you sing that," Gabby said, laughing. "He'll tickle you until you can't breathe anymore."

"He'd have to catch me first."

"Oh, believe me, he'll catch you. Enjoying their own tickle time, Gabby sat up in bed. "Who cares if it is raining? Let's get this day started."

***

Pulling into the Sunshine Meadows parking lot, Gabby sent Ignazio one final text, letting him know she would be out of cell range for a few hours. Breathing in the fresh mountain air, she smiled to herself.

"Are you wishing Ignazio was here?" Elly asked, nudging her daughter's arm.

"I am. He would have loved this."

Rock Isle was crystal-clear blue-green lake at the bottom of Sunshine Valley. With a small island just offshore and encircled by mountains dressed in vibrant colours of yellow, orange, red and dark green, it could easily have been a stand-in location for Il Volo's 'Per te ci saró' video. Hiking down to the lake, the whole family gathered to take the photo that would be used for this year's Christmas card.

Arriving back home, exhausted but happy, Gabby, Addilyn and Finn all collapsed on the couch. It had been a fantastic day. The drizzling rain in the morning had dissipated, revealing a blue sky by the afternoon. Looking at the family photo they had taken, Gabby sent the image to her love with the caption, Our Canadian Lago di Tenno.

"Momma, can we make Ignazio's birthday cupcakes now?"

"We should probably wait. That way, they will be fresh."