Cousin Isa had been kind to take the family to the De Benedetti Vineyard to experience ‘a day of work’. Emi and Angelo had been more than willing to help their pick grapes. The rest of their time at the vineyard was spent walking among the neat rows of fences wrought with lush grapevines. Amanda was impressed with all the hard work that upheld the vineyard. It had been passed through the generations and now was tended by Cousin Isa, her husband and her hired staff. As they reached open land once again, the kids took to a game of tag. Elia, obviously not quite understanding the object of the game, ran haphazardly while her brother and sister took turns being 'it'. She looked utterly happy; laughing, her green eyes lit with excitement. Emi had dressed her today and Elia seemed to approve of the outfit, because there were moments where she spun around just so that the tutu flowed around her. Niels laughed and commented on how smart their little one was to figure out the 'purpose' of a tutu. Elia was beginning to slow down again as exhaustion took its toll on her. She was also starting to cough more than usual. Perhaps they’d spent too much time in nature and the grasses were bringing out the worst of Elia’s allergies. Amanda lifted her little girl and planted a kiss on one of her flushed cheeks. Elia continued coughing, unable to stop it seemed. She rested her head on Amanda’s shoulder and hugged her tightly, fussing between short spells of coughing.
Amanda glanced worriedly at Niels. “We better head back to the villa,” she said. “And when we get back to New York. I’m taking Elia to a new doctor.” Niels nodded. He knew it wasn’t a question; it was a statement. Amanda rubbed Elia’s back. Something was wrong and she was going to get to the bottom of it. Even if she had to visit 20 doctors until she got her answer.
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Amanda at a GlanceNames: Amanda Pontremoli, Amanda van Loon Archives
August 2017
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