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“Delfina?” I called from my bedroom door, my voice echoing through the entire house. “Delfina!”
“Yes, yes! I’m here. What do you need?”
“IsBabbohome?”
“He just returned. He’s in the garden with Santo.”
“Thank you.” I said, rushing downstairs and out through the back door.
The gardens were my mother’s favorite project around here. She had spent hours looking over every bush, every flower, every patch of grass, and dad indulged her passion for plants. The gardener was doing a pretty good job at maintaining it, but it just wasn’t the same as when she was alive.
I found Father in the gazebo, sharing a brandy with Santo.
“Hello.” I said, letting them know I was there.
“Grazia, dear. How was your shopping?”
“It was good. Umm,Babbo, can I talk to you?”
“Now?”
“Yes. I don’t want to interrupt, but I have something on my mind.”
Dad looked at Santo and the guard got up. “I can go find Delfina and beg her for more sweets while you talk with Miss Caputo.” He said, and walked away.
“What’s bothering you, Grazia?”
“You.”
He looked at me confused and slightly annoyed. I had to stir the pot a little to get what I wanted.
“Explain, daughter. What have I done?”
“I was just thinking about our conversation.”
“What about it?”
“You really don’t care about my ballet, do you?”
“What? Of course I do. I have built you an entire school.”
“I know you did, but now you don’t care. You talk about my trip to Milano like it’s just a weekend getaway. You rarely come to see me dance… When Giovani was playing soccer, you were much more excited.”
“Grazia, that’s not fair.” But it was true. I didn’t care, but I needed the leverage.
“It’s ok,Babbo. You’re busy, I know, but it would be nice to see you actually are proud of me.”
“I am!” He sighed. “Tell me what I have to do to show you. Do you want me to buy you something?” That was his answer to every problem I ever had.
“You don’t have to do that, but maybe, I don’t know… we could have dinner.”
“Dinner?”
“Yes. We could call the boys and the Bernoulli family. I just think it would be nice to have you call a gathering for me for once, and not one of your sons.”
“Would you stop with that? I love all my children. I’ll tell Delfina to have a banquet fit for a queen in your honor. Be ready at eight.”
Before I knew it, I was jumping in his arms.
