Breakfast. Then Lunch. Or should lunch be made first and then breakfast? It didn't matter she would prepare them both simultaneously. Paola didn't mind cooking, no, she actually liked it. It was as therapeutic and serving it to others came with a special feeling in itself. All the pleasing looks, wide-mouthed smiles, and the "nonna is the best cook!" cries made it so rewarding. But it was the process of making food that would last long for hours for three children with different palettes and appetites that made it rather difficult. Worse, it was directly after her morning prayers and bookkeeping.
Leo didn't like the crusts on his sandwiches, Lily hated cucumber, Luna loved cucumber but not the skin, and Michael had to have his cut into 4 perfect triangles or -Paola put down the knife and stilled herself. Michael wasn't here. Michael was gone. And he surely wasn't a child either, even if he was and always still would be her child.
Paola pressed her hands against her face and tried to stop her trembling. Her heart faults were heavy, heavier than usual, and her throat felt tight as if it was to close up any minute now. She laughed, but it was a choked breathy sound and she had to sit down before it worsened.
"He's been gone for years, you idiot. You know this, you know this." Paola sharply whispered to herself.
"Get it together." If she couldn't snap herself out of it, who could? She leaned over and waited, hoping for the faint feeling to pass, for her breathing to find that steady pace again.
She didn't know how long it took past, she was so stuck in it that time felt insignificant. But when it did pass and she could breathe again, Paola finally sensed the small hand rubbing his back, up in down in soothing motions. She opened her eyes and packed through the cracks between her fingers. The image in front of her was a Bulbasaur.
"Nonna," Lily's little voice said.
"I'm hungry."
Paola laughed, this time the sound coming out clear and sweet.
"Then you can help me finish breakfast." she pulled the small girl into her arms and kissed both her cheeks.
"Nonna?"
"Yes?"
"Why aren't you wearing your gown?"
"Why would I wear my gown while I'm walking you to school?"
"Because you're a priestess."
"We've been over this, Leo. A priestess is not strictly confined to priestess clothing and the church."
The nine-year-old hummed softly to himself and like everything else in his life, he moved on to something more interesting. He went back to practicing his little recorder. He was getting ridiculously good at it and Paola was focusing on his cover of the Pokemon theme closely. That is until she stopped to grab Luna's hand and pull her forward with the rest of them. The girl was always dragging behind, trying to catch whatever insect her eyes found.
"Jiang!" Luna pointed and quickly slipped out of her grandmother's grip and ran toward the man. Lily lagged behind to replace Luna at her grandmother's side, taking her hand and sticking close. She was the shyest out of the three by far.
It was not uncommon to cross paths with him or anyone else. Celosia was a small island after all and the main roads often overlapped.
"Good morning, Jiang. What has got you up so early today?" She smiled in his direction and was fast and knabbing Luna before she could get away again.
Paola had barely been able to help raise one child. It was a damn miracle she was able to handle three all growing at the same pace and with wildly different personalities.
