Nino tosses and turns in his sleep most of the night.  His wife, Alya is asleep next to him.  He is so happy to be married to her as he loves her so very much!  He still thinks it is great they will so have their sixteen anniversary!  He can hardly wait to celebrate it with her!

         Alya wakes up.  She looks at the clock and sees that it reads,  10 am!  Good grief, she is almost late for her job at the local  school cafetaria.  She gets up, puts on a red tank top, blank jeans, a red jack, black socks, and finally her red boots.  She  eats a quick breakfast of  oatmeal with blueberries on top and drinks a glass of orange juice to wash it down.  She  brushes her hair and pulls it back with a simple black hair tie.  She applies some makeup, and brushes her teeth!  She grabs her purse, and she is off on her way to work.

    Nino wakes up an hour later.  He sees it 11 am!  Goodness, his wife is already gone to work!  He yawns as he gets up, fixes his coffee, puts on a pair of black dress paints, a belt to match,a white shirt, black tie, and a jacket.  He puts on his black socks and the set of  dress shoes to match. He grabs up his brief case after a quick bit of a bagel with sour cream and chives cream cheese on it.  He is now off to the office!  He thinks, good thing I am my own boss!  This way no one can reprimand me for how tardy I am once again.

   Later that same day, both Alya and Nino are off from work and back at the house again.  Nino hugs his wife and she hugs him back.  He notices she gives him a funny look.  He checks to see what is out of place, but can not find anything.

    "Alya, what is the matter, sweetheart?"  Nino ask.

  "Nino, it is your breath!   It is awful!"  Alya says.

  "Wait, you really think so?"  Nino says.

 "Think nothing, I know so.  Believe me your breath smells so bad, it reminds me of dirty gym socks met  the garlic bread left over from two weeks ago that you forget to throw out!" Alya remarks.

   "Really, my breath is that bad?"  Nino says.

     "Yes, at least that bad!  In fact, it is probably worse!"  Alya says.

    "I am so sorry, darling!"  Nino says.  He goes into the bathroom, brushes his teeth twice, gargles with mouth wash, flosses his teeth, uses the water pick and he is done.

     Nino comes back out of the bathroom.  He comes up to Alya and breathes on her!

      "Ugh, your breath is horrid!  It is so awful that if I smell it much longer, I will puke!  I mean it!"  Alya says.

       Nino finds a few mints and chews on them.  He chews some cinnamon gum.  He throws out the cream cheese he ate earlier that day.  He makes a note to buy some plain cream cheese at the store the next time he is out.  This way perhaps, his breath will not be so bad the next time he eats a bagel.

    Alya  smiles.  She kisses him!  She smiles again.

    "Wow, does this mean it smells good again?"  Nino ask.

   "Yes, it sure does! " Alya says.

    "Great, so are we still going out for our anniversary dinner then?"  Nino ask.

    "You know we are dear!  Just remember I can not drink any wine because I am four months along now."  Alya says.

    "I know dear, and I intend to make sure and our little one on the way are both healthy as ever!"  Nino says.

      Nino holds Alya's  hand on the way out to the car.  He smiles at the nice outfit she choose for the occasion.  He thinks his wife is lovely as ever even as pregnant woman for the second time in years!  He admits it still came as surprise when she first told him as their other child, a son named Kyle is already sixteen years old!   He drives to her favorite restaurant the recently restored pizzeria in town!  He parks the car once he finds a nice spot in front.  Once he is done, he opens the car for his lovely wife.  

     Kyle is more than happy to stay with his friends.  In fact, he did send his father, Nino a text earlier that day to say that he will not be home for supper, or that evening at all.  Kyle says he plains to stay the night over at his best friend,  Hugo's  place that night!  Nino is glad as he knows Hugo is the son of his best friend,  Adrien Agreste and his wife Marinette who just so happens to be best friends, with Alya!  Nino thinks, what a small   world they live in indeed!

      Nino holds Alya's hand as they enter the restaurant.  He  finds them a nice table for them to enjoy their meal where Alya can feel free to relax if the need arises.  He figures only the best for him, his wife and the second child on the way after all this time.

       Nino makes sure to order the cheesy bread  to go with the pizza as he knows Alya really likes it.  He also, ask for the cinnamon bread that comes with its own special icing, and to drink he orders one Coca-Cola for himself, and a Sprite for Alya as he remembers she is not suppose to drink caffeine while she is pregnant.  This he recalls from the fact the doctor gave her strict orders not too as he claims it may hurt the baby.  The last thing he wants is to cause any health issues for his unborn son, or daughter.

       Alya enjoys the pizza when it arrives!  She thinks it so sweet how Nino still remembers she likes hers with pepperoni, bacon, black olives, and green peppers.  She is happy that he also made sure to only ask for pineapple on half of it as she hates pineapple.  She is not sure why, but is one of the few foods she never came to like.  

     After the meal,  and dessert,  Nino takes her back home.  He can tell she is worn out without her saying a word about it.   He opens her car door again and helps her into the house.  He carries her bridal style to their room and gently sets her down on the bed.  He smiles as he sees she is already fast asleep.  In all, he thinks, today was  the best anniversary yet, even if it did start off with his bad breath.

     the end to Bad Breath?  one-shot story   -Summer Cheng