Tuscany Trip

"Thank you," Khaat said. She was delighted by the salad. She ate that first. She could have eaten a meal just on the salad alone. It was proably her favorite salad in the whole world. And then there were those wonderful ribs and fries. The fries had a savory spice mixture that started with a bit of cinnamon and some other comforting spices. They weren't hot. They were just really tasty, savory and sweet. And it was so, so easy to just eat one more and just one more...one after the other.

And the ribs--well, they were in a class by themselves. She was so proud of Brian. He was a good cook but outdoor cooking like grilling ans slow smoking, well, those were his forte. He could make the toughest cuts of meat melt like butter. She truly loved it when he cooked. And since she had started to live with him, he had figured out what her favoite foods were and he surrounded her with them. She could truly not remember being happier. And tonight was no different. Tonight they talked and laughed, mainly about how much fun it was to get so completely messy.

It made her relax. Made her destress. Made her remember better times when they had celebrated holidays and birthdays on the farm over ribs or chicken, always with a lot of laughter. When being with her family made her feel so completely sheltered from harm that she felt invulnerable to all harm. She glanced at Brian. She could tell he was glad she was feeling more relaxed. She could see his determination to keep her and her babies safe--for the rest of their lives. She tried to push her visions to the back of her mind and not think about them.

"Now, just when you all think you can't eat anymore, I have dessert," he laughed. He produced a shortcake, homemade french vanilla ice cream, and a peach topping, along with whipped cream. Peach shortcake. How perfect was that! She just laughed. It was all designed to make them overstuffed.

Khaat volunteered to clean up the kitchen, and Brian just laughed gently. "Thank you, but no thank you," he said affectionately. "When you feel better, I want you to cook chinese for us."
She burst out laughing.

"We're in Italy! In one of the most beautiful places in the world, and you want chinese? You should be sampling what the locals eat. Enjoying it. I'll fix all the chinese you want when we get home--if I go home."

"If you go home?" he raised his eyebrows, laughing at her. "Of course you're going home. Look, we're just a portkey away. We can come back whenever you like."

"Keep reminding me, would you?" she asked.

"Alright. Italian it is. Just not until you feel a lot less stiff and sore."

"Stiff and sore won't kill me, Brian," she said.

"Well, no, but lets at least get over the worst of it, huh?"

"Fine. And then I expect you to take me to Venice. I want to take a gondola ride and buy some Venitian glass to take home. If I don't get to Rome or Pisa or any place else, well then I'll just have to make you bring me back."

"You won't have to bribe me, Babe. I promise."

"Is there anything else you guys want to see or do while we're here?" Khaat asked them.

"We should be able to do that," Brian said. "Shouldn't be a difficult tihng. "

Khaat laid her dessert fork aside, now full. "I love it when you cook but I always eat too much," she laughed.

"You're allowed," he smiled. When they were all finished eating, he waved the kitchen to start cleaning itself up. He said, "If you will all just come with me, I have the evening planned. And, Khaat, I'll take you with me." He simply walked over and picked her up.

He carried her downstairs to the ground floor patio where he had a fire set in the outdoor firepit. He lit the fire in the firepit and called the cushioned outdoor furniture to gather itself around the fire so that they could simply sit and relax by the fire. He had a large thermos of hot herb tea and one of hot coffee and four mugs sitting on a wheeled tea cart nearby so they could simply enjoy a cup of something hot to drink after dinner whenever they wanted.

"This looks just perfect," Khaat said. "A down to earth dinner, followed by quiet down to earth relaxation. I cant think of anything any better. You think of everything. Thank you."

Brian tossed another log on the fire and then sat down with Khaat. "How's the pain?" he asked her softly.

"I'm okay," she said. He put his arm around the back of the outdoor loveseat she was seated on, resting his hand on her shoulder. She slid close to him, under his shoulder.

"Go ahead and get comfortable," he smiled. "I won't get up for awhile." She cuddled into his shoulder, her head resting against his neck. "I wonder how many nights we've spent like this," he said gently.

"Not nearly enough to suit me," she said. "Somehow, I'm starting to think I'd like to make my work days a bit shorter so I can come home earlier to you and the girls and maybe have more fires in the firepit than we do. I really liked the nights we did that while I was on maternity leave."

"You mean you're actually thinking of giving up your 18 hour work days?"he laughed. "Well, how long do I have to keep you here in Tuscany before you commit to doing that--for real?"

"Hm...if I stall long enough,..."she laughed,"Maybe I won't decide for a few years." He groaned.

"Oh, I did walk into that one, didn't I?" he groaned. "Ok. Maybe I just need to tell Robert that I forbid you from working more than other human beings."

"Nice try," she said. "He can't stop that either. He's tried."

"But I don't give up. And besides that, I'm better looking than your father anyway."

"Oh really?" she laughed out loud. "Does HE know that?"

"No, And I"m not telling him either," Brian laughed. "That might not be the wisest thing for me to do."

"I dare you," she challenged. He laughed out loud.

"You know I love a challenge, but I refuse to just be plain stupid, Khaat."

"Khaat is always more accomodating to her employees than she is to herself," Brian said. "But her babies and I would like to see her more often than we do."

"Bribe me, then," Khaat said, punching him playfully.

"Ok. What would you like? Ribs?"

"No."

"Weekends in Tuscany?"

"No."

"Um...care to give me a hint?"

"No," she laughed. "You need to figure it out." She looked at Ronata. "I'm just going to keep him guessing until I get the right offer." Brian groaned again, seeing an endless list in front of him. Truthfully, she didn't think she needed much to persuade her to stop working so hard if she could have peace in her life with Brian and her babies. That was truly all she wanted. "What about a money-no-object shopping spree in Paris?" she asked him, knowing he would never go for that.

"Done," he said quickly.

"What?" she frowned, shocked.

"You heard me. Done. Whatever you want," he said. She frowned, looking at him. He was serious.

"I was kidding," she said.

"I'm not. Whatever you want, its yours."