Seeing the funny look on her sister’s face Anara mouthed Who is it Sam pointed at the phone and mouthed back Mom With their furrowed brows the 10-year-old identical twins really looked the same both expression-wise and with their flushed cheeks and frizzy blonde hair Ever since they got divorced three years ago Mom and Dad were polite to each other But they certainly didn’t just call up and chat for no reason Dad took his cell phone onto the small back patio Where’s Dad going Ollie wanted to know It’s freezing out there I guess he doesn’t want us to eavesdrop The walls are pretty thin here Samal answered About 20 minutes later Dad came back inside with a grin on his face The kids had been speculating about their parents conversation Were they discussing progress reports from school Plans for Christmas vacation The girls were dying to know what was going on Anara couldn’t keep quiet What’s up Why did Mom call We just got here last night We’ll talk over dinner Dad said Don’t stress Nothing bad is going on Ollie insisted that they finish their game But the girls were totally distracted to the point where Ollie won five rounds in a row Anara crowned him victor with an old plastic fruit wreath Oliver beamed though he looked ridiculous For dinner the Nylunds walked to their favorite pizzeria Grimaldi’s right under the Brooklyn Bridge Samal thought the restaurant choice was strange since they usually only went there for special occasions Once seated the girls said they couldn’t wait any longer for
the news Dad pretended he couldn’t hear their request as he glanced at the menu But Samal noticed that he had crinkly smile lines around his eyes so she knew he was listening Finally he spoke Mom called because she was given a work assignment in Italy The trip will be in February If you go you’d only miss about a week and a half of school I know your grandma Vovó couldn’t make it in October when you guys went to Egypt but she really wants to come on this trip For the first part of the trip Vovó will hang out with you while Mom is working And I’ll come for the last 10 days or so We can even celebrate Oliver’s birthday there The twins and Ollie looked at each A wide grin spread over each of their faces Are you serious You never take vacation time Dad Anara said It was rare for Dad to take time off from his job as a doctor They hadn’t gone on a vacation with him since the divorce Something else was perplexing Samal Does this mean that you and Mom are getting back together No honey But Mom and I are still friends Neither of us wants to pass up this opportunity to travel with you guys Plus it’s rather unusual that I don’t have any surgeries scheduled yet for those dates Their mother’s work for the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization often sent them to fun places But this trip with Dad and Vovo along would be extra special Over garlic knots margarita pizza and cannoli the Nylunds brainstormed about their trip to Italy After watching a National Geographic special about the sinking city Anara wanted to see Venice Samal said she hoped to ride a gondola and eat tons of
gelato Oliver a history buff wanted to see some Roman ruins Getting ready to go to Italy required some planning Oliver researched what February’s weather would be like in Rome Venice and Modena Since he loved playing with Mom’s smartphone this was no hardship Ollie reported that Venice and Modena were likely to be in the 40s for most of the trip Rome was supposed to be a little warmer in the mid-50s The twins made packing lists for themselves and Ollie skipping the boring stuff like conditioner and soap The last few days before the trip were hectic On the ride home from school one day Samal had a small meltdown Mom my teachers are being so unfair I have to take math science social studies and English tests all before we leave Everyone else gets to take them next week I haven’t even learned all the material yet
