Page 109 - Folio Only

“No! Gaetana, come back! Just another hour. Another minute. Just to
say goodbye. I didn't get a chance to say --”

Gaetana came back to life one last time.

“Say it now, Vitale. We apparently have one minute left together. So say
goodbye, my love.”

Vitale stared at her, finding it difficult to approach her for one final
embrace. “It's almost worse, knowing we have one minute left, than not having
had it.”

“Hurry, my love.”

Just then clumsy Helen bashed into the room, carrying a plate of
cornetti.

“No!” shouted Vitale, “No, Helen, not now! Honey, come back later.”

“But I bakeded them fresh, just for you. Ook, ook, Papino, see, they're
brown this time, not grey, just like Signore Butto!”

“Please, Helen,” said Vitale, stepping away from the pedestal and trying
to shoo Helen out of the room. But she scooted around him and skipped over
to the middle of the room. “Here, I'll just sitted down myself here, and watch
you work. Come, Papino, come sit next to me and have a cornetto! Oh, look at
the pretty statue of Mammina. How I miss her! Don't you miss her too,
Papino?”

Vitale looked at the statue of Gaetana. She was no longer moving. The
minute had passed. Helen had used up their final minute. Gaetana had a
beatific smile on her face. She looked contented.

Vitale went over and sat down next to his daughter. “Yes. Yes. I miss
your mother more than I can say.”

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