Delighted he wanted a lesson, she said, “Let’s go with some simple words. Say ciao. It means hello.”
He answered with perfect inflection.
“Bene. That means good, or it can mean well. Say it.”
“Bene.”
“Now try buongiorno. It means good morning.”
He responded perfectly.
“Excellente, Rini. Now two more phrases. Come va? It means how are you?”
“Come va?” he experimented several times.
“Bravo!” she cried when he reproduced it correctly.
He rose up. “Are you sure you aren’t a schoolteacher?”
Luna laughed. “I promise.”
“You make a good one. This is fun.” That comment thrilled her heart.
“Then let’s keep going. When someone asks you that question and you answer it, then you say E tu? It means And you?”
“E tu?”
“Sì. That means yes. You make a wonderful Italian parrot.”
A deep laugh broke from him, the first she’d heard since finding him. This was a magical moment. “All right. Now, let’s have conversation number one. Here we go. Ciao, Rini Baldasseri.”
He sat up. “Ciao, Luna Baldasseri.”
“Come va?”
“Bene. E tu?”
“Bene.”
She clapped her hands. “That was perfetto. You sounded totally Italian and are such a good student, it’s scary. Now, let’s have conversation number two.”
“I’ll start it,” he offered. His eyes were alive wit
h light.
“Go ahead.”
“Buongiorno, Luna Baldasseri.”
“Buongiorno, Rinieri Francesco Baldasseri.”
He frowned. “Rinieri? Where did that name come from?”
“That’s your full name in honor of King Rinieri Umberto Baldasseri, your great-great-great-grandfather.”
“No wonder you call me Rini.”
She smiled.