The aroma of another delicious dinner wafted in through the door to the den where Joe surfed the web, learning
everything he could about the Illyrians, Messapians, and more. The small amount of wine blend seemed to be having
no ill effects, although he was beginning to feel a mild effect from each wine. The wines were actually helping
him to surf the web for key information in a far more productive manner. This was all so mind blowing! After
a few more minutes, Elise called out, “Joe, Cathy, little Joe, dinner is ready.
They all converged to the kitchen table where Elise was setting out a dinner of crab stuffed tortellini,
steamed green beans sautéed with bacon, polenta, and a Belgian endive salad. Besides fresh apple juice for
the kids, she had opened a bottle of the 2006 Gambaro Chardonnay.
Once they all had sat down, Elise nodded over to Joe Junior. Looking up at his mom and then into his empty
plate, Joe Junior said grace. As they then all started passing the steaming platters of food around, Joe looked
at each of his kids with a wicked grin. “School starts next week, doesn’t it?”
As Joe Junior piled tortellini onto his plate he said, “Aw Dad! Please don’t remind us!”
Cathy was a bit more introspective. “Teresa will be able to start, but with her arm in a cast. I certainly
feel a little older after this summer.
I do look forward to seeing some people that I haven’t seen since last
spring.”
Elise glanced over at Cathy. “You mean boys, don’t you.”
Cathy just gave a little smile and directed her vision into the food on her plate.
Joe Junior started l
aughing in the middle of drinking his apple juice. The next thing he knew, he had apple juice running out of
his nose and his mom was looking at him sternly.
Joe habitually swirled some of the chardonnay in his glass to check the nose before sipping. “Next week,
we start picking the chardonnay. If you kids weren’t back in school, you’d be helping.”
Between bites of food Elise said, “I need to put together some special dinners for the pickers next week.”
Joe finished another sip of the chardonnay, noting how the balance worked with the endive salad. “So Joe,
you’re staying at your friend Timothy’s house this Saturday night when Mom and I are in Oakland?” Joe Junior
nodded; his mouth full of his mom’s cooking.
Cathy paused eating for a moment. “I will be staying at Teresa’s house. I don’t ever plan to tell her
about what happened on the morning of her wreck.
Elise looked at Joe Junior, then at Cathy, placing a finger
across her lips in the universal signal to be quiet.
Joe glanced over at Elise. “We will need to leave for Oakland in the mid morning to make it there in
time to set up. What’s for desert?”
Continued ...
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