"Marca! Dove sei, mia figlia?" The old man behind the counter called out, looking all around his store to find his beloved granddaughter. A young woman with long, brown hair tied back into a ponytail came scrambling into the scene. "Si, nonno! Sono qui." Marce brushed a loose strand of her hair back behind her ear.

The old man with kindness in his eyes sighed. "Ah, my beautiful granddaughter, my old eyes cannot see your beauty clearly anymore." His thick, Italian accent was so charming to hear when he spoke English. "Could you grab nonno his occhiali?" "Si!" Marca scanned the entire gelato/pastry shop looking for the glasses her grandfather needed.

She looked at a table near the kitchen and saw a familiar pair of spectacles. "Eccoli!" She picked up the glasses and ran back to the counter, placing them in his hands. "Per te, nonno." The old man ruffled Marca's hair and slipped his glasses on, blinking his eyes rapidly to adjust. "Much better. Now, my dear Marca, you can put the daily special sign outside please." He bent over and picked up a sandwich board sign to give to Marca. "Of course! I'll be back in a second."

Marca went outside, stepping lightly on the cobblestone road. She placed the sign gently on the ground, scribbling out the specials in chalk, one in Italian and one in English for tourists.

SPECIALITA DI OGGI!

GELATO ALLA FRAGOLA CON NOCI TRITATE ~ 3.95

TODAY'S SPECIALS

STRAWBERRY GELATO WITH CHOPPED NUTS ~ 3.95

Marca went back inside of the shop, flipping the sign from chiuso to aperto. She went behind the counter with her nonno, putting on her pink apron with black frills on the bottom, tying it behind her back.

The shop started filling up soon, and the orders were flooding in. Everyone came to this shop, locals, tourists, businessmen, families, everyone that was in Italy basically! That is why it was the most famous gelateria in all of the country.

The old man stared at Marca with pride as she responsibly took orders, served food, and made conversation with each and every customer. As soon as the last customer for the lunch rush left, nonno put his arm around Marca and sighed.

"Marca, do you ever miss your genitori?" Marca swallowed the bitterness creeping up from her stomach at the mention of her parents. "Nonno, of course I do. I miss them every single day. Not one day goes by when I am not reminded of what happened." She sighed. "I know, mia nipotina. I just want to make sure that you never forget them." He sighed. "I think of them every day too."

Marca looked back to see the old man had tears in his eyes. She chuckled, blinking back her own tears. She took a tissue and wiped the man's face. "There is no time for tears. Customers will be here soon." Her nonno laughed and dried his own tears. "Io so, io so." He brushed a fallen piece of her hair back behind her eyes. "You look so much like the both of them. You are what makes them live on."

Marca smiled at the amazing compliment she had just received. "Grazie mille, nonno." Suddenly, the bell jingled and the door opened. A new customer!

Marca tightened her apron and put on her best smile. "Ciao! What can I get you?" She looked at the customer, her face falling a bit from surprise. This customer was a boy just her age who just so happened to be unbelievably handsome!

The handsome boy smiled at Marca, pushing up his sunglasses to reveal his eyes. A beautiful golden brown. "Ciao! Un gelato allo cioccolato, per favore." And he was Italian! Perfetto.

"Certo. Nient'altro?" She asked, her nonno busy making the order of gelato. The boy shook his head. "No...but do you speak English?" His accent was enough to make her heart melt. "Yes, I do." She answered. "Ah, perfetto! You see, I am working as a tour guide at Il Colosseo and I must practice my English and make sure I am understood. Can you speak to me?"

Marca chuckled a little. "Speak with you? Sure, and you sound wonderful already!" The boy smiled, leaning across the counter. "Grazie. Perhaps we can go to Il Colosseo on your break, just so that you get the full effect." Marca looked over at her nonno with pleading eyes.

The man served the handsome boy his gelato order, then looked over at his granddaughter with a kind smile. "Torna prima di cena." Marca smiled with glee. "I will be back before dinner!"

She took off her apron and stepped out from behind the counter. "Lead the way." The boy took her outside, Marca waving to her nonno. "I have a vespa. Are you okay to ride?" Marca nodded, pointing to her own vespa parked across from his. "I've been riding for years."

The boy smiled. "Perfetto! Ah, let us take just one, to save on gas." He hopped onto his vespa and gestured for Marca to sit behind him. She did just so. He took her hands and wrapped them around his stomach. "Hold on tight. You know these things are fast." Marca nodded, doing just so.

"By the way, mi chiamo Marcello. E tu?" Ah, Marcello, what a beautiful name. "Mi chiamo Marca." Marcello smiled. "Marca, piacere di conoscerla." "Piacere!" Marca replied.

The two smiled at each other before Marcello started up the motor.

"Andiamo!"