After finally changing out of his nightclothes, Livano began to tend to the plants around the shop, quietly recalling which ones needed to be watered or pruned more than others. Bene lay silently near the foot of the stairs, watching intently as Livano paced back and forth, taking care of every plant like a father.

Finally, Livano ceased his fast-paced rituals, leaning against the counter to wipe his forehead and try to catch his breath. Laughing softly, Livano looked at his lazy dog, who was beginning to nod off and was slightly snoring.

"Beh, sembra di essere in uno di quei giorni." Livano fiddled with one of the strings on his apron. He glanced at the clock over the door. The time read 12:23. As Livano spoke, Bene lifted his head, beginning to wag his tail. "Non che mi sorprende, però. Dopo tutto, i fiori stanno cominciando a crescere naturalmente in questa stagione. È normale che io non ho intenzione di essere la vendita di tanto..."

(Well, it seems to be one of those days. Not that it surprises me, though. After all, the flowers are starting to grow naturally in this season. It is normal that I'm not going to be selling as much...)

Livano glanced around his workshop again, trying to search for anything which could possibly need to be scoured or cleaned again. Nothing met his eye. Nervously, Livano began to chew his lip, turning a full circle in the empty waiting room. What to do, what to do...

He briefly considered heading upstairs to try his hand at Martino's room again, and quite possibly tidy his own side, and a thought crossed his mind of perhaps trying a new idea he had just come up with with the flowers in the greenhouse, but Livano rejected each idea as soon as it came. It was just going to be a slow day. Livano glanced at the clock, which had not changed in time. Days like these drove Livano batty. There was nothing to do, nobody around to talk to, and even the concept of watching paint dry seemed more exciting than just standing around doing nothing.

A sudden idea hit Livano, and as he mulled over it more and more, a bigger and wider smile crossed his face. He turned to Bene, who was still snoring peacefully at the bottom of the steps.

"Bene..." Livano whispered softly. The little dog twitched in its sleep for a brief moment, but didn't seem to respond to Livano's call.

Livano, feeling as playful as ever, got down on his hands and knees, beginning to creep towards the white dog. Bene continued to snore, his nose twitching and ears barely rotating as a dream seemed to encompass the Spitz. Finally, Livano was nose to nose with his dog, feeling the soft exhales on his face as the spitz breathed slowly.

"Bene..." Livano sang-whispered again. This time, Bene's eyes opened a crack, revealing bright black eyes before closing again. The dog let out a deep sigh and Livano tried to keep a straight face as he let out a mock sigh of his own.

Finally, Livano decided to end the little game, stroking Bene on his side and rubbing his head gently. Bene's onyx eyes opened slowly and blinked, observing his master sleepily. Livano continued to pet Bene softly, allowing the dog to groan and stretch out its legs.

"Bene Bene, e ' ora di alzarsi. Non vedo un motivo per stare qui a non fare nulla. Vuoi fare una passeggiata?" Livano smiled as Bene yawned and stood up, stretching and nudging his owner with a wet nose.

(Alright Bene, time to get up. I don't see a reason to stay here and do nothing. Do you want to go for a walk?)

Bene trotted to the door, beginning to look between the outdoors and Livano expectantly. Livano stood, untying the apron and slipping it off, and threw the apron over the counter, resigning himself to going outside for the day. Bene became more excited, running back and forth in front of the door and beginning to bark quietly.

Livano shushed Bene lightly, snagging the keys to the house and Bene's leash. He decided that his outfit would suffice for the day. A laced up white shirt and a pair of sturdy denim jeans were perfect for today's slightly windy, yet warm, weather.

Livano began to chase Bene across the threshold, trying to slip the collar over the excitable dog's neck.

"Bene! Stand ancora! La prima ottengo questo collare su di voi, prima di uscire!" Livano was beginning to laugh, trying to hold the small spitz between his legs in order to slip the collar on easier.

(Bene! Stand still! The sooner I get this collar on you, the sooner we go out!)

Finally, the collar was secure, and Livano opened the door, being sure to hold the leash in his free hand. The effect was instantaneous as Bene dashed out and immediately began to press to his limit, crouching down in play and beginning to yap all the louder. Livano stepped out, flipping the sign so that it read "Closed", closing the door behind him, and being sure to lock it. The sun shone on his back and the wind began to play with his hair as Livano turned to face the view ahead of him.

Below him, he could hear the sounds of life in the quaint Florence. Of cars revving, people laughing, children screaming as they chased one another during school, and, as the undertone, birds and wind playing melodies through the trees and in wind chimes. Now it was his turn to join the music of the day.

"Vieni, Bene! Vediamo chi può eseguire la città più veloce!" Livano began to dash towards his dog, who started to gallop at his side.

(Come on, Bene! Let's see who can run to the city faster!)

Livano began to sprint down the hill at full tilt, skidding on the grass at times and nearly losing his footing at others. Through it all, he could hear his and Bene's quick breaths as they mastered the hillside together. Just as they were reaching the bottom, Bene began to pull ahead, spinning and facing his master, tongue lolling out in a joyous fashion.

Livano laughed and began to chase as Bene quickly turned and sprinted off again. As they ran, Livano recalled how he had first met Bene, the excited dog he knew today.

Bene had not always been as go lucky as he was now. In fact, Livano remembered finding the scrawny, malnourished, and flea-ridden puppy in the dirtier streets of Florence as he was bringing back soil and pots for his plants four years previously. The poor spitz had been half-dead and trembling when Livano had shone his flashlight on him for the first time. Filled with heartache, Livano had carefully bundled up the shaking scrap of fur in a spare shirt and driven with caution all the way to his home. When he had first shown the weak puppy to Martino, Martino had urged Livano to take it to the rescue nearby, but Livano had argued back that the dog may not live long enough for him to get to the other side of Florence. Reluctantly, Martino had agreed to let Livano take care of the puppy as his own, but warned him that he himself would have no part in the matter. Readily agreeing, Livano had immediately jumped into action to take care of the puppy, becoming a foster mother in some respects as he, by hand, had searched out each flea and tick visible, had bathed the spitz gently, and had nursed him back to health, coaxing the dog into taking medicine and being bottle-fed.

In the end, after the initial worry of survival had passed, and the dog began to become more bouncy and excited. Livano had even woken one day to find Martino playing with the dog on the floor, laughing and calling the dog different and lovey names. After confronting Martino, who reluctantly admitted he had taken a liking to their pet, Livano named the spitz Bene, after their native word for "lucky", "pleasant", and "fine". So Bene became part of the Gemelli family, and a pleasant member at that, as Bene was quickly housetrained and was eager to learn multiple tricks.

Finally, the two of them entered the city, allowing urban life to wash over them.

Cars drove this way and that, some sleek sport cars and some being ragtag vehicles. Others were massive trucks which were used to transport gasoline or other port materials. Gently tugging Bene to the sidewalk, Livano watched the cars carefully. Even if one was supposed to prove that they indeed possessed a driving license, mistakes and accidents could happen. And frequently, they did.

Despite this, Livano could spot some bikers in the mix of automobiles, some being pedal bikes, and others being motorbikes. All of the motorists wore sleek black helmets and most wore dark blue denim jackets and jeans. Livano could tell almost immediately that the group that passed him at the moment must have belonged to a motorcycle gang, because every jacket had on their back a signature symbol which identified each member.

One of the cyclists turned their head to look at the man walking his dog. Their mask was down, not allowing Livano to attempt to identify their face. With the smallest motion, the cyclist gave a nod and raised a hand to Livano in the smallest greeting before turning away and revving the motor to increase their speed.

Livano looked after the gang for a moment before raising his hand stupidly in a returning gesture. After letting Bene sniff around for a while, Livano continued on his way, allowing Bene to trail behind him.

The smells of the marketplace became stronger as Livano neared the city square. Scents of food, fresh bread, cooking meats, and spices traced through the air as Livano began to be tugged along by Bene, who was following his nose as usual.

The marketplace was as bright and colorful as ever, with people shouting and bells ringing as they all tried to catch customers attentions at the same time. Livano could hear people haggling loudly around him, and laughter was everywhere. Bene began to dash back and forth, and it was all Livano could do to make sure the excited spitz didn't accidentally trip any unsuspecting passerby.

Livano looked around the area. There were many food vendors and several random shops for trinkets or souvenirs from Italy. In a few places, Livano could even glimpse some haberdashers and other miscellaneous booth stores. Despite all the liveliness, Livano continued to walk through the crowd, contenting himself to just listen to the market's music of voices and shouts. There was nothing he needed to buy, or sell for that matter, so it would do him good simply not to get distracted.

At times, though, it was rather difficult, as several people would dash through, offering their goods and advertising their shop. Livano would modestly decline, and hurry past with Bene, eager to leave the busy and crowded location.

At last, Livano broke free of the square, walking into the slightly less busy street on the other side, Bene pulling him ahead. The reason for Bene's excitement was obvious. The dog park was just ahead, and Livano could hear a chorus of barks and excited dogs from it.

"Va bene Bene, essere un buon cane. Sarò di ritorno presto, ok amico?" Livano said, smiling as opened the gate and took Bene's collar off, ushering the white spitz in.

(Alright Bene, be a good dog. I'll be back soon, okay buddy?)

Bene immediately sprinted away, yapping loudly at other dogs, which began to chase each other frantically. Livano watched them all for a while, wrapping the collar up and putting it around his wrist. He leaned on the fence. Bene would be alright for a while. He was a very social butterfly. He would probably even make a few canine friends while he was at it.

Livano tapped on the fence a couple times with a lively beat before pushing away and walking off. It would be good to explore the town. To get some fresh air...

Just as Livano was turning a corner of a block, the sound of familiar voices met his ear. Livano looked up to see that he had wandered all the way past the marketplace again to come to the city park on the other side.

"Ehi! Livano! Vieni, unisciti a noi!"

(Hey! Livano! Come on, join us!)

Waving to him from inside the park, several other boys running about him, was Livano's friend, Giovanni. At Giovanni's shout, the boys around him stopped their play and turned to face Livano. Immediately, all of them started to jeer, calling to Livano to join them. Livano ventured closer to Giovanni and the rest of the boys, giving them a staged smartalec look.

"E che cosa sei pazzo signori facendo oggi? Dovrei essere preoccupato?" Livano asked, now a few steps from the boys.

(And what are you crazy gentlemen doing today? Should I be worried?)

Giovanni laughed, extending his arms to show the boys around him to Livano.

"Se siamo tutti insieme, che solo deve significare che qualcosa di pazzo che sta per accadere, non è vero?" The boys around him crossed their arms and nodded along, laughing with him.

(If we're all together, that just must mean that something crazy is going to happen, mustn't it?)

Giovanni continued.

"Yeah! Perché non diventare pazzo, come bene e unisciti a noi, eh Livano? Vieni, vieni! Vivere un po'!" Giovanni waved at Livano to come closer, to which Livano responded to by making a faux show of being unsure. The boys all shouted again, urging Livano to join them before Livano finally made up his mind and crossed into the park to join in.

(Yeah! Why don't you become a crazy as well and join us, eh Livano? Come on! Live a little!)

Immediately, Giovanni jumped on Livano, snatching him in a headlock and roughing up his hair with his knuckles. Livano tried to throw him off, but Giovanni let him go at the last second and Livano stumbled away, spinning briskly with a new air of excitement around him.

Giovanni was quite a bit bigger than Livano, and he was almost never without a smile, flashing bright, perfect teeth in an eccentric grin. His hair was near black and was curlier than lambswool. Now Giovanni had one bit of it messily hanging over one eye, which was a brilliant amber. He was strongly built, a testament to his job as a carpenter and construction worker, and a quality that made him one of the most popular in Florence among the women, seconded to Martino. In comparison, Livano was small, tall for his size, and lightly built. A runner as opposed to a fighter.

Now Livano entered a slightly low running position as the boys began to form a circle around the two of them, locking them in a circle. The two friends in the middle began to track the outside edge, keeping an eye on the other as the boys around them hooted for a mock fight.

Giovanni made the first move, trying to bait Livano into sprinting into his waiting arms. In response, Livano flinched in the opposite direction, but made no move, still circling and pacing on his toes. This continued for some time, with both parties circling warily without a single move.

Finally, Giovanni began to barrel toward Livano, elbow up to tackle. Livano returned the charge, allowing his superior speed to throw Giovanni off briefly as Livano slid to the right of his opponent. Livano crouched on the other side on all fours, in a runner's position for a second defense.

Giovanni spun tightly, swinging his arms out. The boys gave a shout in unison and backed away from the range.

"Vieni, Giovanni! Sono davvero troppo veloce per i vostri muscoli a prendere? Sono come un piccolo pesce che freccette tra le dita? Ho paura che avrete bisogno di una rete più grande per la cattura di me!" Livano jeered, beginning to stand slowly and skirting the edge of the circle once again, keeping a wary eye on the smiling Giovanni.

(Come on, Giovanni! Am I really too quick for your muscles to catch? Am I like a little fish that darts between your fingers? I'm afraid you'll need a bigger net to catch me!)

Giovanni tipped his head, looking at Livano with confident humor.

"O sei un pesce, o sei un coniglio spaventato! Lasciate che questo hawk messo dalla vostra miseria con i suoi artigli!" Giovanni charged again, and this time Livano feinted right into his waiting grip.

(Either you are a fish, or you are a frightened rabbit! Let this hawk put you out of your misery with its claws!)

The world became a blur as Livano began to grapple with Giovanni. He could feel his heart pounding in his ribcage as Giovanni initiated a bearhug upon his slighter opponent. The boys began to rave and scream as the two friends rolled this way and that across the grass, kicking and scrabbling for the stronger position. At times, Giovanni had Livano pinned to the grass by the neck, but at others, Livano found himself at the advantage, using his lithe form to escape pins and retaliate with his own.

At last, Livano and Giovanni were nose to nose, breathing heavily and deadlocked, grinning at each other maniacally.

The next second, Livano's world was flipped upside down and his knuckles drug on the grass. A strong pressure was clasped around his ankles and his stomach dropped. The boys whooped and cheered as Giovanni began to spin slowly, and Livano's vision became like that of a rapid carousel ride. Livano began to laugh fearfully and went limp as he became light-headed.

"Resa?" Giovanni shouted, still suspending Livano in midair.

(Yield?)

Livano took a few deep breaths, trying to will himself to stay conscious before responding in a half laugh, half choke.

"Sì. Ora lasciami andare!" He flailed around in Giovanni's grip like a fish out of water, trying to free himself without much harm. Giovanni snorted once before dropping his hostage onto the grass gently.

(Yes. Now let me go!)

Livano rolled to face the sky, trying to calm his adrenaline-pumped heart. Giovanni's face appeared over him, looking down at Livano with a laugh in his voice.

"Ammetto, Livano, ho ottenuto il meglio di te!" He extended a hand to help Livano to his feet. Livano took it cautiously, regaining his footing shakily. When he had stood fully, Giovanni gave him a solid smack on the back, causing Livano to huff once before regaining his composure.

(Admit it, Livano, I got the best of you that time!)

Livano simply rolled his eyes, smirking to himself quietly. He looked down at himself, as if suddenly interested in his shoes, and began to note that his once white shirt was now streaked with green grass stains and brown dirt smudges. Trophies from the wrestling match he had just risen from.

"Giovanni, guarda che cosa hai fatto! Mi sembra che è venuto fuori con la seconda guerra mondiale! Non potrò mai avere queste macchie!" Livano complained teasingly, tugging his collar to show the boys around him. The boys all made "oo"ing noises, putting a fist to their mouths and pointing at Giovanni accusingly.

(Giovanni, look what you did! I look like I came out of the Second World War! I'll never get these stains out!)

Giovanni shrugged, nonchalant. "Non è colpa mia che non è possibile mantenere il vostro equilibrio in una lotta. Forse dovrei combattere con te più spesso, se solo così che si impara." He grinned at Livano cheekily, flicking his overlaying bang to one side.

(It's not my fault you can't keep your footing in a fight. Maybe I should fight with you more often, if only so that you learn.)

The boys whooped louder, this time angled towards Livano. Livano raised his hands in a shushing gesture and slowly, the boys all quieted. For the first time, Livano looked around the circle, observing what every boy wore. They were all cockily standing about, dressed in rough clothing, as if prepared for a fight or a sudden wrestling match. All of them wore jeans and some among their numbers even had ripped denim jean-jackets.

Giovanni, noting Livano's curious gaze, explained the matter.

"I pazzi e ho avuto insieme, non solo a lottare, si sa. Anche se, sono lieto di vedere che hai deciso di presentarsi! In realtà, siamo qui per giocare..." Giovanni flicked his hand towards the group, as if expecting something. One of the boys gave a shout and tossed something towards him. Giovanni caught it and showed it to Livano, opening his hand to reveal a rugged, small, white and red stitched ball.

(The crazies and I didn't get together just to fight, you know. Although, I am glad to see that you decided to show up! In reality, we're here to play...)

"Baseball! Sono, Livano?" Giovanni began to grin all the wider.

(Baseball! You in, Livano?)

Livano returned the smile, taking the baseball from Giovanni.

"Di difesa o di offesa?" Livano rolled the baseball down his arm, popping it off his elbow and catching it again.  He looked at Giovanni mischievously, "Io sono pronto per giocare!"

(Defense or offense? I'm ready to play!)