<div class="floatleft"><div align="center">(https://www.mediafire.com/convkey/cdc1/04s7432n614occi4g.jpg)<br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;">Chloe Dawson<br/>  ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾  </span></span></div></div><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>… Daddy orders several bottle of wine … good because the Barbera will have to breathe turn to Kimmie and make sure that Aunt Becky can hear too …</em></span></span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;">  “So no menus here. We’ll be offered a few choices when it’s time for each course and if you want something different, they’ll do that if they have the ingredients. This is a perfectly legal restaurant, health inspected and all that. They are as big as they want to be and serve as many as they want and they’re paid very well for the best Italian food west of Sardinia.”</span></span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>…  Mother’s phone buzzes … she glances at it and looks at me …</em></span></span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;">  “Huguette will be here Tuesday on the Air France flight that lands about 6:30 in the evening. She says you are to do nothing! Do we wish the locals to know she’s here? I suggest not, distracting to them. They can learn she’s here next Saturday.”</span></span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>… nod in agreement … Mother turns to Daddy and Aunt Becky …</em></span></span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;">  “I will need to be back here next Friday for a weekend with Chloe and some of my friends. So I think I’ll fly back with you on Monday morning, Honey. Will you be okay, Becky? You could come down to the city for a while, get away from the big house.”</span></span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>…  the three ‘adults’ go off into adult logistics and planning … bread and pesto and olive oil and are served … squeeze Kimmie’s hand under the table and lean close so only she can hear me …</em></span></span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;">  “What Huguette meant was I’m not to start training you. I’m unqualified anyway, even were the initiate a child of the line. There are delicacies involved and adaptations for each person in the beginning so I’ll trust the best person available and she’s soon on her way. I’m thinking that since Mother is leaving, Huguette can use our guest bedroom and you two can have the place to yourselves most of the day and I can hide out in our room in the evenings if she wishes the one-on-one to continue.”</span></span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>… the wine is delivered … a very nice vintage Cabernet Sauvignon and an excellent Barbera d’Alba … Daddy tastes the Barbera and defers the Cabernet to me … swirl and smell and taste and announce it fine … Daddy asks that the Barbera be decanted so it can breathe for at least a half hour … we each receive a half glass of the Cabernet … Daddy lifts his glass for a toast … we all lift ours … this should be rich …</em></span></span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;">  “Even in times of difficulty, wonderful things occur. We welcome Caoimhe into our company. Thank you Chloe for bringing this wonderful woman into our family.”</span></span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>…  he pauses briefly but does not drink … continues …</em></span></span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;">  “To Joel’s healing. And to Becky’s healing. May all be well.”</span></span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>… another pause …</em></span></span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;">  “To the enterprise Circe and Chloe and Caoimhe are embarking upon. May the adventures bear the fruits of your labors and to your safe return therefrom.”</span></span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>… pause again … then move the glass toward his lips for a taste … I sip mine … Mother sips last and recites …</em></span></span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;">  “Blessed Be!”</span></span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>… I echo that … Becky does not and Kimmie does not yet know to do so … dinner proceeds … I enjoy the antipasti and avoid the bread … we have small salads … my entrée is a lovely veal Osso Bucco with small side of sauteed spinach … I’m careful to cut away the parts I want so the bone can go in the soup pot … I don’t finish it … share bits with Kimmie and Aunt Becky who is having a lovely pesce … Daddy and Mother share a Saltimbocca with linguini … the Barbera comes into play too and is the perfect complement … sit back and sip my wine … Daddy finally announces …</em></span></span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;">  “I save room for a small piece of cheesecake. Who’s with me?”</span></span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>… I turn to Kimmie …</em></span></span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;">  “Shall we split one? A tiny one? My turn to wish the tip!” #<em>Giggle</em></span></span><br/>