Holy carp, I'm so sorry it took so long to update this! I was going to post this chapter on Monday, but I wanted to add a little more to it. But the good news is that now you get to read what I think is the longest chapter yet!
By the way, did you know that I have a Luberto Discord server? That's right! We're nearing 70 members at the time I'm writing this. We have daily fun polls and lots of nice people and we'll be streaming Ciao Alberto in the voice chat on the 12th!
The link to join this server is in my Wattpad bio!
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Two days later
My mom let me sleep in a bit more this weekend. This morning, she let me sleep an hour more than I usually do. I think it's because she could tell I was still really sad about Giuseppe. Once I came back home after spending time with Alberto and Giulia, I immediately went into the house, whereas I'd go back to the farm in a normal situation. I sort of picked at my food during meals, and I didn't have the energy to disagree with my mom about things relating to humans.
But by Sunday afternoon, I realized that my bad mood wasn't so much about Giuseppe anymore.
As much as I'm so happy to be back home, and as much as I can't wait to spend time with Alberto, Giulia, and the other kids...
... I'm worried that something is going to go wrong....
For starters, I have no idea where I'm going to hide my journal. I can't keep it in my backpack forever, because sooner or later Alberto is going to want to search in there. I made him promise not to look through it while I was gone, but I know how curious he can get really fast.
I'm also concerned that I won't be able to hide my secret for much longer. I mean, I'm already blushing around him, and looking at him for a little too long. If he notices this sometime soon, he might think it's just because I'm really happy to see him again. But the further we get into the summer, the less that excuse is going to work out for me.
What if I won't be able to handle not telling him? There are so many times I wanted to confess my feelings in a letter, but the fear of him never writing back stopped me from grabbing the pencil. Now that I'm going to be around him so much, the need to just tell him everything might be too strong for me. Every moment around Alberto so far, I wanted to be as close to him as possible. I just got lucky with that hug the other day. I doubt I'll have more moments like that with him, and even if I do, it's going to hurt knowing I can't embrace it the way I want to.
But I shouldn't complain, really. After all these months, I finally get to see him again. Those nights in bed where I stared up at the ceiling, thinking about all the cool things we'll do this summer... I don't have to go through that now. Not for another three months.
I'm at the dining table while thinking about all of this. This morning we're having omelettes made from goatfish eggs. Thanks to hydrothermal vents (I think is what they're called), sea monsters have things similar to a stove, so not all of our food is the worst thing ever. And even with vegetables in the omelettes, they're still my favorite underwater meal.
You know, I bet Mom would let me invite Alberto down here. He could come over for dinner, and maybe spend the night. And maybe play some games, too. "Hide-and-Seek" and "Tag" is probably way more fun underwater.
"Luca," Grandma says, breaking the silence. She's sitting across from me; actually, she's the only one at the table. Mom's making her omelette, and Dad is training a crab somewhere outside. "Can I ask why you look so happy all of a sudden?"
Huh? What?
When did I start smiling?
"Oh!" I stiffen up straight, feeling my cheeks burn bright blue. "U-uhh...."
"I'm glad to hear you're smiling," Mom says, turning around and joining us at the table. "You've been a little sad this weekend. And on your first days here, too."
"Oh, Mom, don't worry, I-I'm fine." I smile at her. It's a real smile. "I just needed some time to get over what happened. But now I'm thinking about good things."
Mom reaches over and rubs her thumb on my cheek, wiping off a crumb. "That's good. I hate to see you sad."
She starts to eat, which probably means she's done with the conversation. But I still have something to ask her. "Momma." I move closer to her, clasping my hands together. I'm prepared to use my guppy-eyes. "I was wonderiiing...."
"Oh, boy." Grandma says, not looking up from her plate.
Mom looks at her, then at me. "I, uh, kinda got invited to a party," I continue. "Well, actually, we're going to the beach to visit Alberto while he's working. He says the other kids are always there swimming. And it sounds like a lot of fun." I lean my head closer hopefully. "Can... can I go?"
She wipes her face with a seaweed napkin, thinking about it for a few seconds. "You want to go now? It's not even noon yet."
"No, no! Not now. But maybe in, like, uh, five minutes?"
She moves back a little, her eyebrows doing that thing where she looks both mad and confused. "Why so soon? I'm sure he'll be working out there for a while. There's no need to rush."
Honestly, there's a reason why I want to go up there early. "Well, I also promised Giulia I'd help her find a pair of swim goggles." Did I just lie? That easily? Huh. I'm a rebel.
"The kid's got friends," says Grandma, shrugging. "What can you do?"
I smile back at Mom, hoping she'll let me leave early.
"Well, I suppose. And don't you dare." She grabs my arm before I can swim off this time. "Listen to me first. Tonight is your first night staying there, anyway. Now remember: if you at any time feel unsafe, don't hesitate to come back, alright? And I'll be there to check on you a couple times each week."
"Okay, Mom." I lean over and kiss her on the cheek. She looks so worried. And I guess I understand. First I'm away for a whole nine months, and now I'm spending most of my summer days above the surface. Suddenly I feel sad, because I can tell my mom isn't handling it too well. "Hey," I whisper, cupping her cheek and smiling at her. "Look me in the eye. You know I love you... right?"
She smiles too, but her eyes still look sad. She reaches up and holds my hand. "I know. And I love you. More than anything."
Now my smile is sad.
Mom really does love me. She thinks I'm the perfect kid.
But... I'm not.
And I'm sad that one day I'll have to disappoint her with the truth about me....
I just hug her, since it's suddenly hard to speak.
* * *
Since the way to Portorosso is at the beach, I swim around for a bit to try to find another way in. 'Cause if Alberto sees me, he'll probably want me to stick around. And I'd love to, but there's something I want to do first.
Eventually I find another entrance to Portorosso. I have to climb over some rocks, which kinda hurts, but I'm able to enter the town without being seen.
I stop at signor Marcovaldo's front door, wondering if it would be rude to just walk in. I reach up and knock on the door, hoping someone's home to let me inside.
Thankfully, someone is. I hear locks being unlatched, then the door is opened by Giulia. She gasps when she sees me. "Luca! Here early, I see?" Before I can answer, she grabs my wrist and tugs me inside.
She immediately heads into the living room, where she's got a book laid out on the floor. I can see Machiavelli and his little daughter, Rosana, snuggled together on the couch. Rosana is so cute. And Alberto was so protective over her Friday night.
Alberto being so dad-ish like that was super cute. I wonder if he'll still be like that when we get a cat one day.
...
Did I really just think that? And... why?
I'm just going to pretend that didn't happen.
I walk over to the kitties and reach down to pet their sleepy heads. Machiavelli has been a lot calmer around me than last year, and seems to trust me around his daughter, too. While Giulia is flipping through her book, I join the cats on the couch. "Machi," I whisper, and he peeks up at me with one annoyed eye. "Can I hold Rosana?"
He closes his eye and stretches out, flipping over to the other side. I'll take that as a yes.
"Hi, Rosana," I say softly, reaching out and picking up the ball of fuzz with both hands. Immediately she bumps her head under my chin and starts doing what Alberto calls a "purr machine". I laugh at her soft fur against my skin, and flop back on the couch.
"So," Giulia says, closing her book quietly. She gets up and stretches, pressing her palms against her back. "What brings you here so early? You just missed Alberto. He just went to the beach not too long ago."
"Oh, well...." I glance at the stairway just outside the room. "I, uh, wanted to unpack my things real quick."
She crosses her arms and shrugs. "Alright. Want me to keep you company up there?"
"Yeah, sure!" I get off the couch, putting one hand on Rosana's back so she won't fall. Then I head upstairs with Giulia.
We enter the room. My backpack is exactly where it was on Saturday. That must mean Alberto didn't check anything. And when I unzip it, everything looks untouched. Phew.
I take some of my stuff out, setting them on the floor. I'll put them away in a little bit. First, I want to write in my journal. That's why I came here, after all.
I pull my satchel out of the backpack, then undo the straps and take my journal out. Most of the pages are sort of crinkly, since they're covered in words and have been reread like a hundred times. Scooting my bags over, I make myself comfortable on the awesome new bedding they gave me, place sweet Rosana to the side, and flip the journal open to a new page.
Giulia opens Alberto's nightstand drawer and grabs some toy darts. Then she sits at the end of his bed, closing one eye while aiming the dart.
I start writing.
Monday, June 23rd
Hi again.
Portorosso is pretty much exactly how it was when I left. Which is great! I missed everything about it. The warm weather feels the same, the food tastes the same, the kids look the same. Those sea monster ladies are still there. There's talk about this year's race already.
But they did replace the creepy fountain statue with a pretty mermaid lady. I'm glad, because that other statue really freaked me out.
But besides all that, I got to see my family again. I missed Mom, Dad, and Grandma so so much. I remember writing in here a few times about it. It was hard to be away from them for so long, but at least I'm with them again. Well, for the weekends. I'm spending the weeks at Massimo's house.
Which means... I WILL BE SHARING A ROOM WITH ALBERTO!
On the one hand, that's very awesome, because I always want to be around Alberto all the time. I bet we'll stay up super late and tell funny stories and eat lots of snacks and draw super epic pictures together.
"Hahaaah, yes!" Giulia shouts, hitting near the center of the dartboard.
I smile at her, and keep writing.
But sharing a room with him means I'll have to hide you. And I can't keep you in the satchel, because that would be too obvious. It has to be a place Alberto wouldn't think of looking. Like, maybe I could hide you with my books once I put them up. But wait, that wouldn't work, because you have ring things, and that gives you away.
Maybe I can ask Giulia to keep you in her room? She knows about this journal... she just doesn't know what I write in here. (Besides some school notes near the beginning.) And even though I trust Giulia to keep you safe, I can't be sure that she'll not get curious and look through you.
I'll have to think about this. But for now, my hand hurts. I'll probably be back in a couple days to write another love letter no one will ever see.
Till next time, journal!
I close my journal, then look around, trying to find a good place to put it. Alberto probably knows everything about his room by now, and would notice if something was out of place. And my journal isn't exactly a small one, which makes this even more difficult.
"Hey, Giulia," I say, catching her attention as she takes the darts out of the board. "If you had to hide something that's super secret and you didn't want anyone to ever find it, where would you put it?"
She bounces down on the bed. "How secret we talking?"
I tilt slightly away, staring at her. "Uh, like... not a gruesome secret...."
She does one of her snort laughs. "I'm just kidding." She hops off the bed, walking over to mine. She holds her hand out, seeming to know I was talking about my journal. I hesitantly place the journal in her hands, ready to snatch it back if she opens it even slightly. But she just gently moves me aside, and grabs my pillow.
I lean over and watch as she slides my journal inside the pillowcase, behind the pillow. She inspects it for a second, then adjusts it so it isn't visible from the pillowcase. Then she places the pillow back in its spot, fluffing it a few times.
"Think about it, Luca," she says after seeing my uncertainty. She counts the reasons on her fingers. "Alberto's not going to take your pillow, because he has his own. The pillow is big enough to keep the whole thing hidden. He can't take it from you while you're sleeping, because it'll wake you up. And also...." She reaches down and pats the pillow again. "If Alberto lies down on it, he won't feel a thing, because your pillow is fluffy enough."
I lie down on the pillow to test this theory, and to my surprise, she's right.
I sit up, staring at her in awe. How is she so good at this? I would have never thought of using my pillowcase as a hiding spot.
Also, how on Earth did she know I was hiding it from Alberto?
"Thank you, Giulia!" I squeal, reaching over and hugging her. "You don't know how much this means to me."
She hugs me for a second, then pulls away, grinning at me. "Yeah, I'm shocked. I'd have never guessed you would be one to hide something."
I look at her, unamused. Then I crack a smile. She's such a dork.
...
... I hope she's talking about the sea monster thing.
She looks over at the clock by the door. "Ummm... you know we've been in here for half an hour, right?" Wow. I guess I lost track of time. She reaches over and picks up Rosana, who mews quietly. "If we wanna get there at a good time, we gotta put on our swimsuits and head over."
I quickly get off the bed, nodding. "You're right. Let's hurry."
* * *
It's kind of ironic how I'm wearing a swimsuit. But it's the humanly thing to do, I guess. Besides, they look really cool—mine especially, because mine has cartoon fish on them.
We walk to the fountain, looking out at the beach. There's quite a few kids and adults here, but thankfully not too many. One thing I learned about myself this year is that crowds make me nervous; I prefer having my own space to move around in.
Giulia and I look for Alberto, but we can't see him. He might be in the water or something, showing off his transformation skills. Or he could be at the gelato shop. He once said in a letter that he's always craving gelato.
"He's usually on that big white chair," Giulia says, pointing to a chair that's a few feet high, with a ladder leading up to it. I notice a bag hanging from it, and assume it's probably Alberto's. Excitement rises in my chest. I can't wait to see him.
"Alberto!" I call out, walking from the concrete to the sand. My toes sink in it, which makes me smile. Maybe later one of us can be buried in it. "Alberto, where are you?"
Some of the kids look my way. "He's over there!" a girl says, pointing to the waters. I look that direction, and after a few seconds of searching, I see him.
... Mother of pearl....
No one warned me he would look like that.
He's wearing a red tank top with the word salvataggio on it, and a different pair of brown shorts. The thing is: I've always seen him wear a tank top and shorts. But somehow, it's different. This tank top is tighter on him. He looks... really grown up.
My face burns, so I cover it with my hands as casually as possible.
"Okay, now open your arms out like this," he instructs a couple of teenage girls, who mirror his movements. "And juuust... move your legs the same way. Then close them, making your body straight, which will propel you forward."
They nod and giggle, then practice the method. The way Alberto taught it is one of the ways sea monsters can swim. They must have been interested in how they move around.
After a few failed attempts, they propel forward a little. "There you go! You got it!" Alberto congratulates, pumping a fist in the air.
"Thanks so much!" one of the girls says with a grin. "Now we're gonna try holding our breath as long as we can."
Alberto chuckles. "Good luck with that." He shakes the scales off of him, his upper body and head turning back into human form. "Okay, well, I'm expecting some friends, so I gotta head back."
He wades out of the water and up to the shore. My body stiffens, not sure if I should let him notice me or if I should say something.
But before I can make the decision myself, he notices me. "Hey! Luca!" he greets, running up and giving me a hug. I hug back, but not very well. I guess that I'm way too flustered to.
He goes to hug Giulia, while I try and wipe the blush off my face. It doesn't work.
Alberto walks back in front of me, giving me one of his kind smiles. I clear my throat. "You, uh... you look...." I pause. I can't just tell him he looks handsome. That would be a dead giveaway. "... Like a lifeguard."
He rolls his eyes, shaking his head at me. "Uh, yeah, I know."
Before I can question how stupid I really am, he grabs my hand, leading me over to the fountain. There's a boy about our age sitting there, holding a cone of strawberry gelato. I remember him from last year. His hair got a bit longer, though.
"Luca, this is Riccardo," Alberto tells me, gesturing to the boy. "Riccardo, this is Luca, my best friend in the whole wide world. Although sometimes he can be aggravating."
"Wh-!" I shove him lightly, smirking. I know he's just joking. If anything, he's the annoying one. "You're so mean."
Alberto laughs, blocking his face from any possible punches. Not that I'm strong enough to really do that. Besides, why would I want to mess up his perfect face?
... Uh.
Ignore what I just said.
"Nice to meet you. Again." Riccardo holds out his hand, and I shake it lightly. He leans back against the fountain, biting his cone. "So you're back from Genova, huh? How is it there? I've only ever seen it on TV."
"Oh, it's great!" I beam, always happy to talk about that awesome city. "Giulia's mom is super nice, and I made a lot of friends at school. But Giulia was always there for me when I got homesick."
Through the corner of my eye, I notice that Alberto isn't smiling anymore.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he interrupts, placing an arm in front of me and holding a hand up. "But now he's back where he belongs, and doesn't have to go to that really boring place for a while."
I snicker. He still finds Genova to be nothing interesting. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. "Yeah, I have to admit, it's good to be back home with my mom and dad."
"Your parents? Yeah, I remember them." Riccardo smooths back one side of his hair. "They pushed me into the water once. I cried."
Oh... right. Dad told me about that. I just laugh awkwardly, my shoulders raising up in embarrassment.
Alberto smiles at me again. "Hm," he chuckles. Then he tugs at my hand. "Come on."
He leads me away. I look back at Riccardo, waving goodbye to him. "Uhh... where are we going?" I ask, turning to Alberto with a confused face.
"Where do you think?" he replies. He points to the water, where Giulia is testing out her snorkeling skills. I mouth an "oh", nodding slightly. "We haven't swam together since last summer. I want to see your fish face again."
This makes me smile. And when I return my gaze to him, I notice that he's smiling too.
"I'd love to, but... but what about Riccardo?" I don't want him to feel left out like Alberto did last year. "Won't he want to join us?"
Alberto waves that off. "He's a loner. He doesn't really like groups." He shoots a grin at me. "Besides, I'd rather focus on you right now."
I didn't expect this, and another blush comes before I can stop it.
He takes me up to the stone walkway, where a deeper section of the water is. This is where we entered Portorosso for the first time. Suddenly, memories come flying back, making me feel a little nostalgic.
Once we stop, he looks mischievously at me.
"Luca," he says. I turn my full attention to him. "You trust me, right?"
I raise an eyebrow at him, giggling. "What? Yeah, of course I do."
Is he up to something?
I quickly get that answer. He swoops me off my feet before I even realize it, and holds me in his arms. I'm surprised at how easily he was able to pick me up. I didn't know he was that strong. (Or that I'm that light.)
"Bad idea," he teases.
"Wh—" Before I can say anything, he starts running to the edge of the walkway while carrying me. "Alberto!"
"Take me, gravity!" Alberto shouts, jumping off the edge with me still in his arms. I can't help but yell out a little as we plunge into the water together.
As bubbles surround us, I feel my scales forming. Even in that brief moment in the water, we don't let go of each other.
He's holding onto me almost protectively, as if he's afraid something will happen to me if he lets go. I would be lying if I said it didn't make me smile inside.
Then, that moment is over. Our heads pop up above the water, and we both take a (not really needed) breath of air.
"I hate you so much!" I laugh, splashing water at him.
He smirks, leaning towards me. "No you don't~" he replies.
Then he splashes water at me too. Which makes me yelp and cover my face. Then we both start laughing.
Also, he's right. I don't.
"It's so good to see your sea monster form again," Alberto says after we're done playing. He reaches out and brushes a leaf out of my hair, which is now blue scales. I sink down in the water, grinning.
"It's nice to see yours, too," I say quietly. I'd seen him like this earlier, while he was with those girls, but seeing him up close like this is even better.
He smiles at me for a couple more seconds. "I'd love to stay and swim, but I've got a job to do." He reaches his hand out again, this time tussling my hair. "I'll see you later, okay?"
I nod, feeling shy from the affection.
He winks at me. Then he turns around and swims back to shore.
I stay in the same spot for a few moments, smiling at everything that just happened. I forgot how fun it was to just be dorks together. I miss the days we'd swim to random places, and splash each other, and play hide-and-seek underwater. Hopefully we can make lots more memories like those this summer.
Giulia paddles over to me, taking her goggles off. "Isn't it great to not have to hide your true form anymore?" she asks, wiping some water off her forehead.
I nod. "Yeah, it is." I lean back, floating in the water. "And I'm glad Ercole's not here to convince the fishermen to kill us."
Giulia scoffs. "Who cares about that jerk? Papà told me Ercole moved to a town in the east."
I move back up straight, tilting my head. "Really?"
"Yeah." She claps twice and squeals with happiness. "It's the greatest thing to happen this year! And this year's had a lot of great things happen."
I smile with relief, knowing Ercole probably won't be coming back. And even if he does, nobody likes him anymore, so it's not like he can do anything to us. I bet if he tries anything, Massimo will throw him out into sea. I'd like to see that.
"Hey," she says after a bit, gently nudging me with her elbow. "Doesn't Alberto look so cool up there?"
I look over at the beach, where Alberto is on the lifeguard chair, gazing out at all the people swimming, playing, and relaxing. My chest heats up a little while watching him. Like I said earlier, he looks so grown up. And, honestly, really handsome. He has really nice features anyway, but red really looks good on him.
My cheeks burn. What am I thinking?
Giulia and I swim over to the shallow end of the waters, closer to the shore. We find a spot near where the water ends, and sit down on the wet sand. The water splashes us gently as it comes to the sand, and we giggle. The top half of me turns back into human form, but my waist and below stays scaly. Giulia grabs my forearm (which was also in the water) and examines the scales on it. She's still in awe by the sea monster form. Every time she sees the scales, she can't help but look at it closely. To be honest, I think part of her still can't believe it's real.
I let her hold my arm. I'm focused on something else, honestly.
Alberto's chair is... maybe three meters away? Again, I'm still working on this stuff. Either way, we're close enough to hear him a lot clearer now. With him concentrating on the beachgoers, I'm able to watch him without worrying about getting caught.
He blows the whistle around his neck, pointing to two boys at the dock. They're holding a turtle over the water, ready to throw him out. "Put the turtle down," he says, unable to hide his amusement. "Seriously, find a rock or something."
"Ay," they grumble, gently setting the poor turtle in the water.
I laugh. And that's when he notices us down here. He gives me a grin and a wave, then returns to his duties.
Giulia lets go of my arm after that, and I hug my legs.
I wish I could join him up there, if there was room. We could find shapes in clouds together, and look for sea monster shadows in the ocean. Maybe if I was up there, we could hug again. We could have our arms around each other. If he would be okay with that....
I blink. I need to stop thinking about this stuff, no matter how happy they make me. I turn back to the water and frown.
Why does it have to be so wrong? It doesn't feel wrong. It feels really, really right.
I sigh. Luckily, Giulia is busy trying to catch minnows, so she doesn't notice my small mood change. I wouldn't be able to explain to her why I'm frowning. Even if part of me suspects she might know, I don't want to tell her the truth. Maybe if I convince myself that it isn't true, maybe I can change. Maybe I can be normal.
... But... I don't want to lie to myself. I want to keep thinking about Alberto. It makes me happy. And besides, no one has to know I'm thinking about him.
I look up at him again. And before I know it, I start daydreaming.
* * *
About half an hour passed after that. Giulia and I busied ourselves by stacking piles of wet sand and calling it a sand castle. We did this four times, and took turns kicking it down each time. After that, we searched for crawdads, and when we couldn't find any, we sat back up and let the sun shine down on us.
Alberto watched us occasionally, but was still able to focus on his job. Once we stopped playing, though, he turned all his attention away, looking for anything to point out or anyone to save. He's really good at being a lifeguard, even if he didn't save someone's life yet.
At one point he caught me staring at him. I didn't even expect it. But I just giggled awkwardly and quickly turned away, hoping I played it cool. I probably didn't.
The relaxing time was interrupted, though, by a familiar voice calling our names.
Now, we turn to look at him.
"Kids, come over here," Massimo calls, waving us over to him. He's standing at one of the picnic tables set up by the fountain; they're only out during the day, so they're probably for the beachgoers. On the table is a tray of three sandwiches, along with three cartons of apple juice.
He made us lunch!
Giulia and I smile brightly at each other, and stand up on the sand. We wait for Alberto to climb down the ladder, then we rush over to Massimo and the food.
"Thanks, Mas!" Alberto says, patting him on his arm. Then he reaches for one of the sandwiches: a peanut butter and banana one. He told me in a letter that those were his favorite sandwiches. I laugh to myself, realizing how much I know about him just from the letters.
"Yeah, thanks, papà!" Giulia hugs Massimo before grabbing one of the other sandwiches. The other two have peanut butter and jelly on them. I grab the last one, and hesitantly take a bite.
Oh! It's actually really good!
"Like it, Luca?" Massimo asks me, probably knowing I've never had one before. Surprising, isn't it?
"Mhm!" I nod. "Thank you!"
The four of us sit at the picnic table. Giulia and I sit across from Alberto and Massimo. Alberto reaches forward and hands me a juice carton, which I take with a smile.
"Hey, Riccardo," Alberto calls behind him, where Riccardo is kicking a ball with some other kids. "I'm on break right now. Let me know if anyone is dying, okay?"
Riccardo gives him a thumbs-up, and continues to play.
We have a really nice lunch together. Giulia has a conversation with Massimo about going to the libreria, and Alberto and I talk about tonight's plans.
"It's your first night staying over," he reminds me. "We've gotta make it special. Like, maybe we can watch Batman together. Or draw pictures of Vespas. Ooh, maybe we can make a blueprint for another pretend Vespa. I bet Giulia can help us out with that one."
"That all sounds fun!" Honestly, whatever we end up doing, I'll be happy. Because spending the night in Alberto's room (which half of belongs to me for the summer) is the most exciting thing in the huge gigantic universe. And I get to do it four times a week!
I think about all this while looking at Alberto. Before I know it, I'm smiling.
Maybe everything will end up good this summer.
—————
Prepare for something big in the next chapter! That's all I'm gonna say. :3
ALSO!
Four days a week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday night! Friday night he goes back home until Monday morning, when Alberto starts work. :>