Page 150 of La Dolce Vita

"Gino and Eve are with him, Gianni woke up and wasn't having it. I knew Giovanni was low on patience, so I brought him in with me. He's okay." She kissed him on his chubby cheek.

"King B okay with sleeping with his kids?" Marietta asked. Mirabella handed her the memory book. She then readjusted Gianni, who was sleeping close to her, to lie on his tummy closer to the wall.

"He's a sweetheart. So sweet," she said.

"Sweet? That doesn't sound like him." Marietta said as she scanned the book of memories that Mirabella kept when she was a senior in high school.

"You don't know him. Let's leave it at that."

"Check this out. When you graduated in 1981, your class song was Endless Love." Marietta giggled. "Your favorite movie was Raiders of the Lost Ark, your favorite television show was Dallas, and you wanted most to be like Chaka Khan."

Mirabella laughed. "I didn't want to be her; I wanted to design clothes for her."

"You look like her on this picture. Look at all this messy hair." Marietta turned the book around to show her.

Mirabella lay on her side remembering those days. "So, who was your favorite in 1981? When you were supposed to graduate."

"We were supposed to graduate in ‘82. You just skipped ahead. But my favorite was Teddy Pendergrass. I don't remember much about movies then, but I know I hated that damn television show, Dallas."

"I loved it. I wanted to marry JR." Mirabella grinned.

"Eewww... well wait, hold on a second."

“What?” Mirabella frowned.

“You sorta did."

"Very funny!" she threw her pillow at Marietta.

They both laughed, and Gianni whined. Mirabella had to pat him on the back. "All seriousness how do you feel about this house, about our grandparents?"

"I guess okay."

"I want to tell you everything. There is so much to talk about. I don't know where to begin."

"We aren't in a hurry," Marietta set the book aside. "Just tell me about them."

Mirabella got up from the bed and went over and sat next to her sister. She touched her curly hair. "They would have loved you. I see why Mama couldn't leave you behind and went to find you."

"Yeah, I wish she had."

"You coming here, it's her dream. I think she is up in heaven with Me-Ma and Granddaddy smiling at us." Mirabella said.

"I feel so free here. Relaxed."

"Loved?" Mirabella asked.

Marietta looked at her. "I've felt loved since I found you,"

Mirabella smiled.

"What is it you want to tell me?" Marietta asked.

"That I'm not perfect."

"No kidding."

Mirabella laughed.

---