And an adult.
“We'll pick out a few things from the market we're going to.If we find anything with a rabbit on it, she'll forgive us instantly.”
“Oh, that makes sense.She loves that little stuffed bunny she carries around.”
He nodded.“She does.”
As we drove, Stefan pointed out certain places to me.Like the farm where he got his eggs.“Oh, can we go see the chickens sometime?”
Stefan turned his head to me and gave me a curious look.“You want to see the chickens?Why?”
I shrugged and smiled.“I love chickens.One time when I was a kid, I brought one home.”I laughed at the memory.“There was a free petting zoo that one of the charities had sponsored,” I said with a nod.“It was at the food bank.In their parking lot.”
We slowed down, and Stefan turned onto the side road.“The same one you went to when you were looking after me?”Stefan asked as we headed in the direction of the farm.Was he taking me there?Now?
“Uh, yeah.That's the one.”I frowned and asked, “Where are we going?”
He laughed and answered, “To see the chickens.My wife gets whatever she wants.”
And that was exactly what we did.We pulled up in front of a cute house.And older woman came rushing out.She spoke Italian to us.I smiled and relied on Stefan to translate what she was saying.He introduced us in Italian, but that was easy to figure out.
I reached my hand out to Vera, and she laughed heartily.Then she yanked me in and gave me a tight hug.“Ah, sei bella, Francesca!”Then she quickly grabbed my arm and pulled me to the back of her house.
We walked along a short path to where two chicken coops sat.“Oh, my,” I said, smiling at all the chickens.She let me into the first coop and showed me how to pick up a chicken.But I already knew how.I bent over and followed one beautiful hen.It didn't take me long to pick her up.Vera laughed, and so did I.
When I turned to show Stefan, he took a picture of me.Or, I guess, of us.The best part of it was the grin on his face.I wasn't sure I'd ever seen him smile like that before.
Vera showed me around the coop while the hens protested.She kept it clean.Well, as clean as a chicken coop could be, anyway.We didn't stay long, but before we left, she gave me a small basket of eggs.
And another really tight hug.
When we got back into the car, I said, “Should we drive back home?I wouldn't wantthese eggs to spoil in the car.”I looked down and touched one of them.It was still warm.I bet Vera had just gathered them this morning.
“Use them to bargain with at the market.Someone will make a trade for them.”He nodded at my purse.“I put some money in your wallet.In case you want to buy something.”
Ugh.That icky feeling came over me again when he started talking about money.“I don't need anything,” I told him quietly, feeling more than awkward.
“Are we going back there again?”He sighed and put his hand on my knee.“Did you get quiet because of the money?”His hand squeezed my thigh when I didn't answer.
I glanced over at him.“I don't know why you did that.I don't need anything, Stefan.And you've already given me too much as it is.”
He let out an exhausted breath.“And I'm going to give you more.And more.And after that,” his hand gripped me tighter, “even more.You're just going to have to get used to it.”
I shook my head and sighed.“No, I won't.”
He shifted the car and turned off the main road onto a narrower side road.“Do we have to go through this every time money comes up?”
I looked out the window at the beautiful pastures surrounding us.“No, because we never have to talk about money.”
He grumbled under his breath.“Honest to Christ.Most women would love it if I gave them money.”
I snapped my head to him.“Well, Stefan.I'm not most women.Maybe you should go find some other wife at the market to marry you.Throw her an extra fifty bucks and make her really happy.”
He let out a deep, sarcastic laugh.“Oh, wife.Keep talking.”He gave me a dark look.“Your ass is going to be a very pretty shade of pink when we get home.”He raised an eyebrow and went back to driving.
Yikes.
8
