SUMMARY: Sam spend a day with Donnie, while his parents are away
A DAY WITH GRANDPA
Another random day in Kalokairi and again, Sam found himself babysitting to Sophie and Sky. Not that he minded of course, actually, he loved to spend time with Donnie while his parents were away or working around the hotel.
The 2-year old toddler in the other hand, seemed to easy Sam´s heart, with his babbling and excitement and as well as his grandfather, a passion from photos and drawings.
''this guy will be a photographer!'' Bill once said as he and Rosie were making a visit
''just like his grandfather'' Sam teased him back. As Donnie were growing up, his resemblance with Bill were becoming clearly, still, Sophie make clear to Sam and Harry that she considered the three of them as father and it would never change.
On the other hand, after the initial shock of finding out that the boy had a hearing impairment and after the three grandfathers, as well as the boy´s parents started to learn sign language, Sam, Harry decided to tease Bill. And as soon as Donnie started his speech therapy, they teach him to sign 'Yjayja' every time it comes to the older possible father.
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The day in question, Sophie and Sky went to Mykonos, to a meeting and let Donnie with Sam, promising to get back, before dinner. As soon as they left, than, Donnie start to walk around the place, dropping pictures on the floor and of course, chasing Sam´s dog Toby around the house.
Suddenly, the little boy saw what he supposed to be a figure walking toward his grandfather´s room and full of curiosity ran toward such figure, in order to catch it, only to find nothing there.
''Dionysus!'' Sam called ''ah, there you are Donnie.'' He smiled and pick up the boy in his arms. Despite of the hearing aid, that help him a bit, Donnie wasn´t able to hear sounds from afar and almost jump out his feet when Sam pick him up. ''sorry to scare you, little one, Pappou was just worry that you could get hurt'' Sam said and sign as well.
''da…'' Donnie said pointing to a picture of Donna, as she strangely looked alike the figure he tough he saw.
''ah, this is your Yjayja…well, other Yjayja, Yjayja Donna'' Sam said a bit sad ''you know where she lives?'' he ask and Donnie just shake his head 'no' and with a smile, Sam lead his grandson toward the porch. ''you know up there?'' Sam pointed to the sky ''high up there, is where your other Yjayja lives, in a big castle and every day, she looks down here and see you and Mama and Daddy and even Toby. Donnie, you know how to say 'castle´? Let us try, as the doc told you.''
''ca-tle'' he said, but signed the word correctly, making Sam smile.
''good job, kiddo'' he said ''now, what about let´s take Toby to the beach? He will like it'' the grandfather suggest and in response, Donnie clapped his hands in excitement.
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The rest of the afternoon, grandfather and grandson spend on the beach, playing with Toby, collecting shells to Sophie, Rosie and Tanya and eating ice cream. Sure, they also get down to the hotel, in order to know if everything was all right, before Sophie and Sky got back.
Once getting back to the cottage, as Sam suspect, Donnie was feeling very sleepy, so his grandfather give him something to eat and put him to sleep on his bed. As he was about to left the room, Sam felt, for a brief second, like he had someone hugging his shoulders, confused, he look back to his sleeping grandson and shaking his head, walk toward the kitchen for a coffee ''I'm too old for this'' he whispered as start to clean the place, ignoring the feeling that never stopped.
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Just an hour later, Sam has finished clean his house and decided to watch a bit of TV, when he heard someone approaching. It was Sophie, who came back to check on him and pick up Donnie.
''Hi, Papa!'' the girl said, entering the house
''Hello, darling, how was the meeting?'' Sam asked, giving her a hug. ''and Where´s Sky?
''it was great, we finally managed to hire a decent cook. And Sky went to the hotel already, I decided to came here to call you for dinner and pick up Donnie. Where's my baby?''
''sleeping, we have such a great fun on the beach with Toby and he got tired and I put him to sleep''
''wow, how a doting grandfather you are, huh?'' Sophie laugh, when a very sleepy Donnie appear on the doorway, still, when he spotted his mom, he forgot the sleeping almost immediately and rushed to her.
''Ma!'' he signed, still too sleep to think about how to pronounce the word.
''hello, peanut'' Sophie said, been carefully to mouth the words correctly ''how was your day with Pappou?'' she said picking him up
'fun'' he signed again and hide his face on his mom´s shoulder
''Donnie, Donnie, remember what the doc told you? You need to talk without your hands for a bit, just using your tongue'' Sophie said and showed him her tongue, making him laugh. Contrary to Sam, Bill and Harry, who talked to their grandson in sign language, Sky in Sophie tried to talk normally, encouraging Donnie to do the same.
''he´s trying his best, sweetie'' Sam laugh, embracing his daughter and grandson ''now, let's go?''
''yeah, let´s go meet Daddy'' Sophie said pretending to be excited, when out of the blue, Donnie just waved to nowhere ''what you doing, peanut?'' Sophie laugh
''Toby is sleeping in the bathroom, he´s probably waving to him'' Sam said with a laugh as the three of them, walk back to the hotel, not knowing however that during all this time, Donna was just there, watching over him, helping him take care of their grandson.
END