Chapter 19

Heather called the evening before the scheduled departure to let them know that she and Adrian would be going along.  “I think it is about time that I actually see my father after almost fifteen years.  That way we can all have a holiday together.”

Greg was overjoyed to hear that she was going to come and Mandy and Traci both felt that it would be a great time as well.  They didn’t have too much time to dwell on it however, Heather also told them that a car would be by to pick up their luggage and presents early the next day so they could get them through the baggage checks.  She and Adrian would be by in the early evening to pick them up.

True to her word, there was a van out in front of the house before they were hardly awake.  The attendant collected their luggage and the boxes of presents and assured Greg that all would be loaded on the plane and waiting for them. Greg had never heard of this happening before, so it made him a little nervous.  However when he walked out with the man to the van, he recognized his mother’s luggage already tucked in the side so he calmed down a bit.

Everybody was nervous about the flight.  Traci had a couple more of glasses of wine than usual with her dinner.  Mandy’s fears had calmed down since her first flight during the summer but she was still a bit wired to be going.  Jenni picked up on the emotions and was more rambunctious during the late afternoon.  Mandy thought that was just fine since it would tire her out and she would sleep on the plane that way.

It was almost dusk and there was the threat of snow in the air when another van from the airport pulled up in front of the house.  Heather had called from her cell to let them know they would be there shortly, so Jenni had her snowsuit on and they were all standing in the doorway.  Mandy and Traci headed out while Greg checked the door and picked up the diaper bag.

The van was warm but the ride to the airport was not long enough for any of them to want to peel of their coats.  When they came on to the terminal access road, the van headed off in another direction from where the airline gates were.  Greg started to ask what was going on but his mother put a hand on his arm to let him know that it was all right.

The van pulled out onto the tarmac next to a sleek-looking private jet.  The plane’s door opened and a man in a uniform stepped out onto the moveable stairway and waved to them.  It was just a short dash from the side door of the van and up the stairs, but the cold wind hit them enough to make their cheeks sting.

As soon as they made it in, the pilot closed and sealed the door.  He watched to make sure that the crew on the ground had pulled the stairway safely away from the plane and then proceeded to make his passengers comfortable.

“Welcome aboard.  My name is Captain Stan Wilson.  My co-pilot for this flight is Dan Richards.  Go ahead and remove your jackets before taking a seat.  We will be delayed just long enough for the plane to be de-iced and then we should be ready for take-off.”

Greg was full of wonder at the small jet that would be taking them across the Atlantic.  When Captain Wilson asked if there were any questions, he spoke up.

“When we left the house, I was expecting a commercial flight.  This is fantastic.  Are we able to fly straight across?”

“The 60XR is a sweet plane, but that is one thing she is short on, distance.  We are only good for about twenty-five hundred miles.  That means we will be stopping in New York, Saint John’s, Greenland, and then London before we land in Rome.”

Mandy, who took it upon herself to be the worrywart on the trip, asked the next question.  “With the weather coming in, is that going to make the flight rough?”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that.  The storm is fairly low with the tops of the clouds at around fifteen thousand.  Our cruising altitude will be up around forty thousand.”  When nobody else had any questions, the Captain finished his speech.  “The bar is stocked with drinks and there are snack foods in the small galley.  The lavatory is in the rear of the cabin.  The entire flight should be around twelve hours, so take a seat and enjoy the ride.”

With that, he went to the cockpit.  It was only a moment until they heard the twin jet engines winding up and when they were up to speed, the plane started to taxi toward the runway.

As promised, as soon as they got to cruising altitude, the ride was smooth.  Mandy and Traci sat just across from each other in the front facing seats and held hands until after the plane was in the air.  Greg took one of the rear facing seats at the small table with a squirmy Jenni on his lap.  The noise and vibration of the plane spooked the little angel at first, but once she figured out that Greg wasn’t scared and that Grandma was smiling at her across the table, she calmed right down.

On the first leg, all of the passengers were enjoying the view of the stars.  They seemed so much more brilliant at that altitude.  It seemed like just a few minutes before they were able to spot the lights of New York City.  They stayed awake during the refueling and the pre-flight checks to the plane and then it was off to Saint John’s.

Shortly after take off from New York, Traci fell asleep in the comfortable seat she had picked out.  Mandy got Jenni asleep as well and put her in the seat across from Traci.  Then she joined Heather at one of the tables for some conversation while Greg and Adrian played chess at the other. 

By the time they landed in Newfoundland, both of the women were asleep as well.  The men had another glass of wine and then leaned their seats back to try to sleep.  Halfway to Greenland, everyone in the passenger department was asleep, lulled by the sounds of the turbines.

Greg stirred when they landed at Heathrow in London; He looked out the window to see fog surrounding the terminals of the airport.  Captain Wilson assured him everything was all right as he headed back to the lavatory.  They were taking on fuel and would soon be back in the air.  In his sleepy state, Greg was trying to figure out why it was so light out when his watch was telling him that it should be just approaching daylight.  He asked about it when the Captain came back by.  The Captain reminded him that they had crossed over a total of six time zones.  “Welcome to the world of jet-lag,” he said chuckling.

Greg roused Mandy so at least she could see what the London airport looked like.  The other adults heard them talking and roused themselves enough to figure out where they were.  By the time they were ready to take off again, they all had a cup of instant coffee or tea, and were getting anxious to get to their final destination.

When they landed in Rome, they were greeted by another van.  This one was to take them to Nicholas Scheffield’s villa on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.  The driver was from the small town near the villa and he regaled them with tales in broken English between swearing at the other drivers in his native tongue.

He showed them the famous sights as he sped past them and gave a running commentary about all the wonderful things that they would soon be seeing.  He seemed to have the opinion that the people who lived in the city were crazy and that you could get everything you could ever need right inside his village.

They enjoyed the ride once they got past the city and into the countryside.  The lush fields and the old buildings were just like out of the paintings that came from the old masters.  Whenever Mandy wasn’t staring out of the window in wonder, she was furiously sketching on her ever-present pad.  The driver was telling them they were getting close when Adrian pointed to a village off in the distance.

“That is the village I grew up in,” he said.  “My mother, a couple of my brothers and a sister still live there.  Perhaps it will be possible to visit them while we are here.”

Heather looked over at her lover.  “If you want to see them, then we will make time.  I would like to meet them myself.”

Adrian gave her a grin.  “My mother is very much the old-fashioned Catholic mother.  She is well respected around the village and nobody gives her or her family trouble.  She is a powerful woman in her own way, just as you are, my love.”

When they finally arrived at their destination, all the young people were taken aback by the size and the grandeur of the villa.  Heather remembered the place since she had visited before even though that visit had been fifteen years earlier.

Smiling at them the driver announced in broken English, “Welcome to the La Fortezza di Amore’ Vielato.  They are expecting you.  I will bring in your luggage.”

The trio who had been staring at the rock walls and the large house inside of the courtyard were brought back to the real world by his words.  Adrian thanked the man in Italian, as did Traci, which surprised them all.

“I had to take a second language in high school and I chose Italian.  I really enjoyed it and took three years of it.  I never thought that I would be able to use it though.  I think I said ‘thank you for the trip through your beautiful country, but I might have asked for his family’s first born.”

Laughing with everyone else, Adrian assured her that she had got the words right.  It was then that they noticed an older man standing just beyond the open gates.  He was about Greg’s height but outweighed him by at least forty pounds.  His hair, now nearly gray, still showed some of the black that had been the natural color of his youth.  He was dressed in a button-up shirt that was open midway down his front showing the hair on his chest.  He was smiling big enough to almost hide his eyes in anticipation of welcoming his guests.

“Heather, my beautiful daughter!  It is so good to be able to see you again in person.  You haven’t aged, just become more lovely.  I can guess that the young man standing between the two beauties is Greg.  It is good to see you again.  I remember you when you were just as tall as your mother’s hip.  You have grown into a fine young man.”

Greg reached out to shake his grandfather’s hand, finding his grip was still firm and steady in spite of his age.  Greg then introduced Mandy and Traci and of course Jenni.  It was the infant who broke the formality of the first meeting by leaning out of her mother’s arms toward the older man, her arms reaching for him.  They could tell that Nicholas was shocked at Jenni’s trusting nature, but he took her in his big arms and held her close.

Heather also introduced Adrian to her father.  As the two men shook hands, Adrian told Nicholas that he had been raised about thirty miles away and had often admired the villa from the outside.

“Well, just follow me and you can see the inside as well.  Other than the furnishings and the modern conveniences, the place is as it was since it was last rebuilt over one hundred fifty years ago.”  He had not misled them.  The stonewalls were covered in plaster and the beams in the ceiling were still exposed, showing the age and workmanship of the builders.

Once inside, they met a middle-aged Italian woman who Nicholas (who asked that they call him Nick) introduced as his housekeeper and cook, Teresa.  They all took an instant liking to the round little woman with the perpetual smile on her face.  Teresa told them that she would have something for them to eat in a few minutes and they had enough time to wash up if they wished.

Heather and Adrian had the first room at the top of the stairs while the younger ones had a pair of rooms next door.  As Greg stepped in, he found that the room was spacious according to the villa’s age.  There was a queen-sized bed with a dresser.  The open door that led to the next room showed that someone had thought ahead since there was a crib for Jenni installed next to the bed that was normally there.  Both rooms looked out onto the back of the villa where they could see the cliffs that dropped several hundred feet to the sea below.  The afternoon sun was shining through the old glass giving the rooms a warm feel.

They all washed the day’s travel off and changed into something more comfortable before heading back down stairs.  They joined the rest of the group in the dining room and immediately set to eating the hot thick soup and the fresh baked bread that Teresa had set on the table.

The girls started to help in the cleanup, but were firmly told by Teresa that she would take care of it.  “It is no trouble and it is nice to cook for more than just me and the boss.”  She did seem to be enjoying the others there and beamed when they all complimented her on her efforts.

They adjourned to what was now the den to finish the wine they started at dinner.  Greg asked what the name of the villa meant but he was interested in the history of it.  He asked his grandfather about the villa’s origins.

“Well, roughly translated the name means Fortress of Forbidden Love.  Legend has it that in the fifteenth century, a rich merchant fell madly in love with the most beautiful woman in the area.  She was in love with him as well, but the local bishop had eyes for her as well.  The bishop held almost supreme power in the area and after the woman had spurned his advances in favor of the merchant the bishop stated that she would not be allowed to wed at all.

“Since the bishop conducted all marriages as well as controlling the military in the area, he had the power to make his edict stick.  But love has a way of not being denied, according to the legend.  The merchant spent much of his fortune to build this villa.  It was designed and built as a fortress since he planned to ignore the bishop’s power and bring his beloved to the fortress where they would be safe.

“Eventually the bishop heard of the plot and had the woman killed on the way to this villa.  The merchant was enraged, and ended up killing the bishop and escaping to the fortress.  He withstood a siege lasting several months until the new bishop called off the troops.  The merchant never left the fortress after that and he died in the room that I now occupy.  At least that is the legend.  I can’t verify any of it, but it does make a good story.”

The rest of the evening was spent with Nick catching up on all of their lives.  He found Mandy’s talent in the arts fascinating especially when she told him about the New York show.  “If I had known, you could have used the corporate penthouse that we keep in the city.  You sound like you enjoyed it just the same.”

Of course, he was mostly interested in his daughter and grandson.  He was very proud at how far Heather had come in her career and more so that she had done it on her own.  They had words years ago about Heather’s going to work without his help, but he found that he was very impressed with what she had accomplished.

With Greg he was overwhelmed with the young man’s maturity and sense of self.  His ‘rescue’ of Mandy and how he took on the responsibility really impressed him.  His accomplishments in the academic area just added to his amazement.

“Greg, if you ever need help with something, you can just give me a call.  You are mature enough that I wouldn’t ever worry about you being careless with what you are working on.  I don’t know if I could have handled your living arrangements when I was your age, not with the way that you treat them both without jealousy.  It shows on their beautiful faces.”

Both Mandy and Traci blushed at the compliment.  They did agree with him though.  Greg took great pains to make sure that while Mandy was the love of his life, he didn’t ever let Traci feel left out.  Part of that was Mandy’s influence, but he still made her feel very welcome.

Nick did have one question.  “What happens if Traci does find someone that she falls for?”

Greg had an answer ready since they had all talked about it many times.  “Well, if she did, we all agree that we would be very happy for her.  There is a place in our hearts that would be reserved just for her if she would ever need it.  And she would always be welcome in our home.  The main thing would be her happiness.”

“Well said, young man!  That is why your arrangement works so well for you.  You put their happiness before your own.  That was something that it took me a very long time to realize.  After your grandmother died, and I was really alone, I took a long look at my life and just what I had accomplished.  Financially, I had done well, but in my personal life, I was worthless.  I had driven your mother away with my obsession to my work as well as her brother.  The rift between me and your uncle may never be bridged, but I am forever grateful that your mom could forgive me and let me back in her life.”

Before he had finished speaking, Heather had got up from the sofa and came over and gave her father a hug and a kiss on the cheek.  It was the first time they had touched like that in many years.

The jet lag was telling on all of the visitors and they turned in for the evening.  Mandy and Traci gave Nick a hug telling him thank you for having them.  He mumbled something about he was glad to have them here, but you could see that it meant a lot to him.

In bed, they fell asleep rather quickly, exhausted from the trip and all the excitement of the day.

The next morning, Mandy woke up first and after visiting the bathroom, went to check on Jenni.  The baby was not in her crib, so she threw on a robe and headed down to find her.

She found her in the kitchen sitting on Nick’s lap and being fed warm polenta with a fruit sauce.  She walked in and sat opposite of them.  Nick asked if she wanted breakfast and she declined, asking for a cup of tea instead.  Nick called out to Teresa and Mandy’s tea was soon in front of her.

“I hope you didn’t mind,” said Nick.  “I was walking past Jenni’s room and heard her blabbing.  I opened the door to see if she was all right and she spotted me.  She held her arms out to me so I just brought her down.  She is delightful, you know.”

Jenni looked over at her mom grinning through the fruit jelly that was smeared on her face.  Mandy reached over and put a hand on Nick’s forearm.  “I don’t mind at all.  You are the closest thing that she has to a great-grandfather and she is quite taken by you.  I think it is sweet that you two get along so well.”

Nick smiled at the young woman.  It did make him feel good that this little bundle of energy was happy to be with him.  It made him feel that maybe he did have a chance at reconnecting with his family.  He had been so successful in business but it had cost him something much more valuable.  And he was learning just how valuable that was.

Adrian and Heather came down soon after Jenni had finished eating.  Mandy met them on the stairs on her way up to clean and change Jenni.  After her daughter was dressed for the day, Mandy looked in to see if Greg and Traci were up.

They were awake and at least Greg was up.  They were engaged in a very satisfying bout of oral sex.  Mandy slipped back out and vowed to get that same treatment that night.

It was about half an hour later before first Greg then Traci came into the kitchen.  They both wore the look of being sexually sated, but the rest of the group didn’t comment.  While they were finishing their coffee, a woman in her thirties came in.  She was stylishly dressed and carried herself with an air of confidence.

Nick introduced her as his business assistant, Holly.  “I still have to get some business done, so if you want to enjoy the pool or the gardens go ahead.  Greg, if you want, I would be happy to show you just what I do as CEO of several companies.”

Greg grabbed his cup and said he would be in the office as soon as he was dressed.  The rest of the group sat around planning what they wanted to do the rest of the day.  Adrian and Heather asked to borrow Nick’s car to visit his mother.  Mandy and Traci volunteered to go down to the little village to pick up some of the fresh vegetables that Teresa would need for the evening meal.  Heather said they would drop them off and then they would walk back.  With plans set, they went upstairs to change and start the day’s adventures.

When Greg joined his grandfather in his office, Holly was already on the computer screen researching something while Nick was typing out a memo.  Greg sat back out of the way and observed all the activity.

He was fascinated at the change in his grandfather from the man who had been so sweet to Jenni just a couple hours before, who now was a bull in his business dealings.  The bottom line was the main goal, Greg realized as he watched the other two go through earning records of a company that Schoenherr and Associates was looking to buy.  Nick decided that he would tell the board of directors that he thought it would be a good asset to have.  Next on the line was a bridge in India to replace one that had collapsed during recent flooding.  Nick put together a list of requirements that, at first glance, he considered important, then had Holly gather a listing of engineers that were nearing completion of projects.  He chose three men and a woman to fly to the area and make a report on the conditions, labor forces, whose palms would have to be greased, and the feasibility of the project as a whole.  Nick explained that when they returned with their reports, he could then give the government of the province the bid to rebuild.

His grandfather had a mind like a steel trap.  He didn’t miss any detail that Greg could see.  ‘He is just like I am when I am working on a project,’ thought Greg as he watched the proceedings.

Greg was snapped out of his thoughts when Nick asked him to look over a listing for another job that they were bidding on.  Taking what he had learned so far as to the detail that Nick checked, he looked over the plans.  The job was for an office tower that was to be built in an up and coming trade center.  

Greg remembered something from one of his classes; he asked Holly if she could provide him with the weather data for that area for the past several years.  She smiled as she reached under a big pile of papers and handed him printouts of what he had requested.  After looking over the data and the proposal, he made his comments.

“Granddad, I’m no architect, but I don’t see anything here that takes into account the possibility of monsoons on the island.  The data shows that while they are not all that common, when one hits this place, it hits them hard.  Last one was 10 years ago, but it killed forty-seven people and destroyed much of the town.  I think I would ask about if the building was designed with this in mind.”

Nick leaned back in his chair and laughed.  “My boy, that was the exact same thing I wanted to know!  Seems that the architect was hedging his bets to get the building in under budget.  Those plans are being redrawn with specs with the monsoons factored in this time.”  He then got up and came around to clout Greg on the shoulder.  “ You would be an excellent addition to our team.  You should think about it.”

For the rest of the workday, Greg pondered what his grandfather had said.  Would he want to work in this field?  Could he handle the pressure of one missed item could be the death of hundreds of people?  This would be something for him to consider, but not while they were on vacation.

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Heather was nervous as they bumped along the dirt path that would lead them to the village where her lover had grown up, and eventually to his family home.  She had started out just being infatuated with Adrian as an excellent lover and someone to fill the void in her life left by a continually absent husband.  But that infatuation had turned into real love, for the first time in her life.  He understood her passion for her career, but had also taught her that she could balance that with a life away from work.  Adrian worked as a financial consultant and was as impassioned about his career as she was; yet he had always taken time out to give her the support she needed.

It didn’t hurt that he was two inches over six feet, with black hair and deep brown eyes.  His looks got him a lot of offers from women in their hometown but he only had eyes for her and that made her feel even more special.

Adrian loved children and just adored Jenni.  When she asked him about children, he told her that he was content with spoiling any grandchildren that Greg would have.  He didn’t care that she was approaching the age where she could no longer have any of their own.

The car passed on through the village without stopping.  Adrian said that they would come back to greet old friends, but his mother would never forgive him if he didn’t come to see her first.  They turned off the main path onto one that was even rougher.  Adrian downshifted and crept toward the little collection of buildings in front of them.

He pulled up at the first one on the left and shut off the car.  As they got out, Heather saw a rather elderly woman standing in the doorway on the side of the house.  When she saw Adrian, she walked quickly toward them.  When she reached them she started talking rapidly in Italian and hugging her son.  Adrian greeted her in the same language, and then switched to English to introduce Heather.

The woman came around and greeted Heather with a hug and then said in surprisingly good English, “Welcome, welcome.  My boy has told me so much about you.  You do him well, even if you’re not Italian.  Come in for some food and wine.”

During their conversation, Heather found out many things about her lover as well as his mother.  Adrian had been the terror of the area until he was sent to the Catholic boarding school.  He used to chase the chickens, tease the old bull of the neighbors, and just generally cause mischief in the village.  But he got away with all his exploits because the whole village loved him.  He was always ready to do favors for anyone who needed it, whether he was asked to or not.  He would bring fresh food to those who couldn’t get out or were ill.  When he was required to work, he worked very hard until the job was done.

Mrs. Randali on the other hand was a devoutly religious woman whose son had been a sore trial for her in his younger days.  She had tried to steer him toward the priesthood, but he enjoyed the favors of the young ladies in the village too much for that.  She still went to the village church on Friday for confession and then the Latin Mass on Sunday morning.  Otherwise, she was quite content to stay on the small farm that had been in their family for two hundred years. 

Two of Adrian’s brothers came in during the visit and were very glad to see their sibling.  Their English was much more accented.  They spoke politely to her then one turned to Adrian and rattled something off in Italian.  Adrian laughed and then told the confused Heather that his brother had stated that she was the greatest piece of American ass he had ever seen.  The brother was worried when Adrian told her this, but broke into laughter when Heather thanked him and then made a comment about his tight buns.

Mama Randali peered toward the heavens and said that her entire brood was heathens.  Adrian countered that she loved them all anyway, which she agreed with.

It was getting toward late afternoon when Adrian and Heather took their leave of Mama Randali, promising that they would attend Christmas Eve Midnight Mass with her.  She sent them away with a jar of her famous sun dried tomatoes packed in olive oil and peppers.

The pair arrived home in enough time to hear about what the other visitors had done that day and to wash up for the evening meal.

While they all waited on dinner, the two young women told them about their adventure in the village.  They had purchased the items that Teresa had asked for along with some extras that appeared tantalizing.  They got plenty of stares from the men, which gave a big boost to their ego.  Since Mandy was pushing Jenni in the stroller, she was considered more ‘off limits’ than Traci who actually got her butt pinched by one old guy who had been sitting at the sidewalk cafe.  It had startled her and she turned around to slap him when she saw he had such a look of delight and mischievousness when he grinned at her, that she just smiled and hurried away.  Nick said that she had probably made the old man’s day and he would be talking about it for the next year.

Greg commented that he thought she had a very pinchable ass which earned him a playful slap on the shoulder when he tried to put his words into action.  They were stopped by Teresa’s disapproving stare when she came in to tell them that dinner was going to be done in about an hour.  She left the room shaking her head and mumbling in Italian which Traci translated to mean something about things never change and that men’s hands can’t seem to stay where they belong.  This set the young ones to laughing, which triggered Nick’s roaring guffaw.

After dinner that evening, Nick suggested that they all get in his van and go down the road to the village to see the decorations that were out.  Since the village was about a half-mile away, so the younger ones decided the night was warm enough to walk.  They would catch a ride back with the parents.

All three were surprised to find that there were hardly any decorations like what they were used to in the United States. None of the houses were lined with lights but almost everyone had a Nativity Scene in their courtyard.  “The village is very conservative,” explained Nick.  “The Catholic Church is very much a part of everyday life.”

As they approached the medieval stone Church at the end of the square, they spotted a live scene where the younger people of the village were playing all the parts, using live animals that were brought in from the neighborhood farms.  Mandy was curious about the differences between the religion she had been brought up in and the one that that was dominant in the village.  Her pastor had been adamant that the Catholics were not Christian for a variety of reasons.  But from what she was seeing was as Biblical as anything that came from her faith.

While the others wandered off, Mandy spotted the parish priest and told the others that she wished to speak to him for a while.  She stepped up to the older priest and asked if she could spend a few minutes of his time.  He was very friendly and after she explained the situation, he was more than happy to explain differences between their faiths.

Over an hour later, Greg found Mandy still in deep conversation with Father Pappas.  He waited quietly for them to get done, and when Mandy finally said her goodbyes, she spotted him sitting on the low wall of the sanctuary.

The other family members had already gone back to the villa, so the couple started up the dark road hand in hand.  For the first part of the walk, Mandy was lost deep in thought and Greg respected her silence.  About halfway home, she started to voice what she had been thinking.

“I really can’t believe how ignorant I was about Catholics.  They really don’t believe that much more different than what I was taught, at least for the parts I believed in.  Reverend Campol told everyone that they were devil-worshippers and that even talking to one would send us to hell.  I’m seeing a lot of things differently from what I was taught.”

Greg didn’t say anything; he just pulled her closer to him.  He figured that she would have to work this out for herself, and she would talk more when she needed to.  

They came into the house to find a hub of activity.  There were boxes sitting around the living area, and the rest of the family was digging into them with glee.

To their questions, Nick told them that he figured they should have some decorations for the season.  Greg and Mandy started in on the box closest to them pulling out ropes of tinsel and hand-painted glass Christmas balls.  Everyone working together with Nick overseeing the entire plan, they soon had the entire first floor covered in festive decoration.

While admiring their efforts, Nick was standing next to his daughter.  He spoke to her in a quiet voice.  “You know, after your mother died, I just didn’t see the use in putting all of this up.  I had always felt that it was just for her anyway.  I was always too involved in my work to bother with such things.  Now I can see that I was missing something all along.  I never seemed to appreciate how much she kept me in the real world.

“I never told you just how proud you have made me.  I was upset when you went off on your own and didn’t join the organization.  It was like you joined the enemy.  At the time, your mother told me the reason was you needed to prove something to yourself and to me as well.  I didn’t listen then, but I realize that she was so right.  You have done well in your work and from the looks of Greg, in your personal life as well.”

Heather took her father’s hand and pulled him to the kitchen table where they were alone.  With her hands covering his, she answered him.  “Dad, I am more like you than you know.  It took Greg and Mandy as well to finally make me see that.  I had very little to do with Greg’s becoming the person he is.  I was just too busy working to do what was needed for him.  We are just very lucky that he turned out to be such a caring person.  He has taught me just how important family can be.  I’m just glad to see that you have come to the same conclusions on your own.”

They spent a little while getting to really know each other better now that the past barriers had been broken down.  They eventually joined the others in admiring the decorations and laughing at Jenni’s facial expressions as she watched the blinking lights.

On Christmas Eve, Heather and Adrian left early for his mother’s.  She was serving a special meal including all of Adrian’s favorite dishes from when he was a child.  Heather was still nervous about his mother, but he assured her that she was well liked and that it would be an enjoyable evening.

The others took the evening easy with music and the main form of entertainment being Jenni.  She was walking now but was still not as steady on her feet as she would become.  She would run between the adults that were occupying the furniture in the living room, squealing and laughing, as she would reach her intended target.  Pretty soon, though she started to tire and Mandy got her ready for bed.

The rest of the evening was spent talking and watching a soccer game that Nick had taped.  Traci was reading a novel that she had started on the plane and Mandy had her ever-present sketchpad.  Nick was very interested in Mandy’s art and she was doing a sketch for him to put on the wall in the entry.  When they had related the trip to New York, he had recognized many of the names they mentioned as being either acquaintances or people he had done work for.  He also told her that there were a couple of galleries in Europe he knew that would be very interested in her work.  She had promised to send him pictures of her work so he could take them around when he was in the cities he mentioned.

Now though, she was putting the finishing touches on his requested drawing.  It was of the Villa, but in the spring when the trees would be in full blossom.  The day after Christmas the frame would be ready in the village and she wanted to make sure her part was done.

It was close to eleven when Mandy stretched and then stood up.  “Greg, would you mind taking me to the village church for the Mass tonight?  The priest said that I would get to see the church in full splendor then.”

Greg was curious as well, so after asking Traci if she wanted to come along, they went up and got dressed.  They drove down to the village and found a place to sit in the back of the church so they could see everything that was going on.

The Mass was fascinating to the couple.  Done in Latin, they didn’t understand it, but a friendly man next to them gave them pointers about what was going on.  The elegance of the service and just how the proceedings were conducted was wonderful.  Mandy whispered to Greg that it was much more structured than her church services had been.  Most notable was the lack of Reverend Campol’s shouting about hellfire and brimstone.

At the end of the service, they both hung back to thank Father Pappas for inviting them.  They told him how much they had enjoyed the whole thing even though they didn’t understood a word that was spoken.  He explained that it didn’t matter since the Mass was always the same, just the homily was different.  Saying their goodbyes, they headed back to the villa only to be followed by Heather and Adrian a short time later.

Adrian and Heather had celebrated the holiday with Adrian’s family that evening, opening presents and sharing the traditional meal.  Adrian had brought over shirts from different sports teams and television shows from America for his brothers and their families.  A diamond and ruby locket was the present for his mother, which made her cry.  In exchange, they received things that only could be found in Italy.  “Mama” had wanted them to stay over, but they said that they wanted to be with their other family.  She settled for a promise that they would come back again before they flew home and they were to bring the bambinos as well.

Knowing that Jenni would be up at her usual time in the morning, they all held off telling each other how their evenings had gone until the next day. 

Christmas morning started with coffee and the opening of the presents, which was Jenni’s favorite part.  She loved tearing the paper and went around helping everyone instead of playing with the new toys she had received.

Teresa, who was more a member of the family than just the cook and housekeeper joined in and was very moved when she was included in the gift giving.  She had lost most of her family years before and was touched to be as included as she was.

She brought out fresh pastries that she had baked that morning and served breakfast while they were finishing up.  Then Nick told them that they would soon be having guests.  There was a tradition that the villa would be open to all the local villagers on Christmas day to come and meet with the man who ‘ruled’ the area.  The position of Master of the Villa had no power any more, but the tradition was still in place.

The all volunteered to help with the open house and were soon given jobs by Teresa who ran the festivities.  They made up gifts of cookies and sweets that were wrapped in colorful paper and tied with ribbon.  Heather was put in charge of making up a hot drink with wine and spices to serve the guests.  By early afternoon, everything was to the satisfaction of Teresa and they opened the gates to the first well-wishers.

Greg couldn’t believe how exhausting it could be to greet that many people.  It seemed that the entire village had come to the villa.  He shook an uncountable number of hands and more than once gave a hug to one of the village women.  A few of the young ones had taken the time to rub their nubile breasts against him during those embraces.  He could feel himself start to harden and more than a few of them would glance down and then smile at their feminine power.

Poor Jenni had been coo’ed over and her cheeks pinched until she was exhausted and had to be put down for a nap.  She had withstood the attention better than they would have expected, but it eventually got to her and she was getting cranky when Mandy put her to bed.

Traci had been a hit when they found out she could speak some Italian.  They would laugh at her mistakes and then graciously correct her when she would get a word wrong. Many of the village’s young men were fascinated with her auburn hair and spent their time watching her without being obvious.

As mother to Jenni, Mandy was often asked questions about how motherhood was different in America.  Several of the older women remarked that she should get Greg to marry her before they ended up with another one out of wedlock.  They didn’t seem to understand the concept of the pill.

Each family brought a gift from their farm or their trade.  Those who didn’t bring that kind of gift brought fresh baked goods and items that they had made.  By the time the doors were closed, there were many bottles of good wine on the table along with local cheeses and breads.  Instead of making a full meal, Teresa had a pot of hearty soup on the stove and they ate that with the breads and cheeses.

It had been an exhausting day, but Nick said that he had never enjoyed the tradition as much as he had this year.  Having his family with him made it all the more special.  They all settled back for a little while and then headed to bed.

They spent the rest of their vacation just enjoying the ambience of the villa and being together without any of the outside pressures that they would find at home.  Greg would go into the office to help his grandfather and generally learn what he actually did.  The women would either be helping Teresa or just lounging around on the back patio.  Mandy and Traci were soon well known in the village and the villagers would greet them, as they would go through the markets.

They did go into Rome for a couple of days to see the sights.  They all took the tours and used all the media cards they had taking pictures.  That night, Greg would download them all to his computer and then they would refill them the next day.

By the time they were scheduled to go home, they were missing their own homes.  The vacation had been good for all of them for more than just the normal reasons.  Heather had been able to reconnect to her father, something that had not happened for many years.  Greg got to know his grandfather and they had become close.  Mandy found that she really enjoyed the older man’s company and had learned to enjoy Teresa’s gruff ways.

On the jet flying back, they all were pretty quiet.  When not sleeping, they were reliving the memories that they had made while they had been there.  And those were the most important things that they brought back with them.