Just Me and My Host Dad

Tonight it was just me and my host father for dinner as my host mom was visiting her daughter and Ali was in Sicily for the weekend. My host dad is a character. We joked that with everyone away we would just eat gelato and chocolate for dinner – his favorites. At times like these he can seem like a little kid, joking around with us and yet at other times he can be protective – like the time he made me take a taxi to the train station at 3am because he didn’t want me walking alone. There was also the night where he spent the entire length of dinner telling Ali and me how much he loves his wife, Cristina. “I am so lucky” he told us patting Christina’s shoulder, and Cristina replied jokingly, “Yes, he is so lucky” returning the pat.

Now that Marco is retired he claims his occupation is grandfather. When I come home from school, I usually find him watching the soccer game sporting his bright purple Florentine sweat suit cheering on his team. He is always helping Cristina out in the kitchen and telling us a new animated story over dinner. I know he cares for Ali and me as he pinches our cheeks or touches our hair and smiles in complete happiness – his way of showing his affection. So with all these great things being said, I had a lovely dinner…just me and my host dad.