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- 06/04/2023
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ARROW - 181. Chapter 181
Carlos and his family returned to Spain in time for the lambing. Now I had to plan our summer vacation. I wanted to visit the village. I had promised Carlos if we went to Europe this summer we would stop and see him. That meant a trip to Spain. I thought our trip to Paris could be shortened to a few days instead of a full week. If I plan this right, we could be gone for only 4 weeks of which two would be at the village.
That evening I told Colin what I thought about our vacation this summer. He wanted to go to Barcelona. He was still monitoring Alesander’s business. This would add an additional three days to our vacation. So now we had 5 days in Paris, 5 days in Spain and maybe 20 days in the village. I wanted to spend at least 14 days in Italy. This schedule will allow at least 5 to 7 days for unusual events.
“Are you going to include all of the children?”
“Yes, if they want to go. The only one married is Richie and Ivan unless we go after June and then Ronnie will be married as well.
“Have you seen his house yet?”
“No, I was planning on going over after it was under the roof.”
“Charles and his gang are well past that stage. I expect the house will be finished in another three weeks. Are you including Pat in your plans? I suppose Maria will go back with the cooks.”
“I don’t know. The girls will be with us. I think Mary Ann needn’t go with Maria this year.”
“What if they want to stay home?”
“I’ll have to think about that. Your mother will be busy with the gallery unless she wants to come with us. My mom and dad may not want to take care of Louise.”
One week later
“I have completed our vacation plans. I need your input. If we go after Ronnie’s marriage he will be on his honeymoon. I don’t think we can go before and be back in time. So, Ronnie and Julia won’t be coming with us.”
“They could join us in Italy.”
“I’ll ask him. It would be nice if they did. At least for the last week.”
“And the rest?”
“Ivan and Elsie will join us in Italy. I was going to ask Pat if she wanted to go with us, what do you think?”
“You can ask but I’ll bet she stays so Tommy can go with us.”
“I’ll ask her. It will be her decision.”
I started to check passports and flight times. I realized I had no passport for David. I checked the other passports and I didn’t have one for Louise and the boys. So now I need to have passport photos taken. Even though Mary Ann’s passport was valid her photo needed to be updated.
I had a few months to go before we would leave. I wanted David to have his new teeth.
At breakfast the next morning I told them about our vacation plans. “Pat, if you would like to come with us you will be welcomed.”
“I’ll think about it and let you know.”
“Ronnie, this might interfere with your honeymoon but you and Julia can join us anytime. I’ll give you a copy of our itinerary, Next week we will get passports for you boys. You will need to have your pictures taken. David, that includes you. Louise, this will be your first trip to Europe so I expect you to behave.”
“I don’t want t go. Why can’t I stay with Grand?”
“I am asking the Grands to go with us.”
I saw her look and it wasn’t a nice look. Pat said she acts like a spoiled child. I thought about that. She was right and I was the one who did it. Now I needed help and I knew just the right person to help me.
That evening, “It seems everyone thought our vacation plans would be great fun.”
“Your vacation plans.”
“You always say you never have time. Maybe you should come up with your vacation plans and we will let the group vote on which one they wanted.”
“No, I like your plan. Although you need to include Pepe.”
That night I asked GG about Louise. “She is going through an adjustment period. She sees David as a threat to her. You just need to pay additional attention to her. Maybe some alone time with her.”
I knew she resented David. I’ll try and spend some time with her to see if she changes.
In the morning I told Colin what GG and I discussed about Louise. “The other boys don’t feel that way. In fact, Toby is helping David with his tutoring. Even Tony has pitched in.”
“Remember, you have catered to Louise ever since she was a baby.”
“Maybe this vacation we can reconnect. She needs to accept David.”
“Changing the subject, did Ronnie say anything about where we bought those beds for the kids?”
“No, why?”
“He said he may have to add a master suite on his house before Charles finishes. He figures he will need all of the rooms upstairs for his kids.”
“I feel sorry for Julia if he expects to father a football team.”
“I asked him what happens if the child is a girl. He said she could be a cheerleader.”
Monday morning I took Louise and Mary Ann for their passport photos. I wasn’t too sure how Louise would act but I was surprised. I took them to a hair salon and I think that helped. They put lipstick on them. The hairdresser told them the lipstick would highlight their photo. I must admit they did look nice. From there we went straight to the photographers. Again I was surprised as Louise sat still for her photo. The photographer was a young man and he took several photos of them, joking all the time. Photos were taken we went to Uncle Pete’s for lunch. Pete made a big fuss over the girls. A few college boys whistled at them as we left. Arriving home, Marie made a fuss and Maria wanted to take them clothes shopping for the trip. I was surprised that Louise was all for it, I knew Mary Ann would be agreeable. So off they went, Maria had a helper, Anne Marie.
That evening we all, including Richie, Ronnie and Julia were in for a treat. Anne Marie presented us with two young ladies modeling the latest in travel wear. Now I knew something was up. Louise acted as a perfect young lady. There could only be one answer, GG.
That evening, in bed, “I was surprised how Louise behaved tonight.”
“She behave exceptionally well all day. I think GG made a visit last night.”
“What do you think she did?”
“My guess is Louise had a dream like I had.”
“Let’s hope whatever she had stayed with her. I think this vacation is going to be a lot of fun.”
A kiss and I was asleep. GG came and has a smile on her face. I said thank you and she faded away.
Over the next two days, I took the boys for their photos. We stopped at a barber shop for haircuts before the photographer. Then to Uncle Pete’s for lunch. There were a few college students there and the girls winked at the boys.
On Saturday I got all of the boys together and checked what clothing they would need. They all needed suitcases, that would be easy. They needed suits, shoes, dress shirts, and ties. I knew where we could get those. I checked their clothes to see if any could be passed down. Poor Tony being the youngest and smallest will probably be the recipient of hand-me-downs for a long time.
It seemed our lives moved from one event to another. Ronnie and Julie’s wedding was right around the corner. Ronnie wanted David to be his best man and the other four boys as part of his wedding party. That meant suits for all. Dt. Martinez’s office called and David’s teeth were ready. I don’t think he stopped smiling. What a difference his teeth made. He said they felt natural. Dr. Martinez told him his next set would be permanent. David still had a few years of growth left. His dad was tall and I think David will be tall also. But the effects of living on the street will prevent him from developing the muscular frame his dad had.
Now I needed a new photo of David smiling. Before heading home, we went to the photographer. While there, he showed us a blowup of a photo he had taken earlier. “These photos are for hanging in your home.”
“Dad is an artist he paints our pictures.” I thought thanks, David. When I told Colin he said I should get used to David bragging on me. But I don’t think I ever will.
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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