Carlo : Ti salveró amore mio

Chapter 46

The orange, brown leaves start breaking off of the trees surrounding the graveyard as I make my way down the familiar path I've taken before. I've always been fascinated by trees and how their leaves change color to eventually fall off.

"Hey mum." I smile and come to a stop in front of her. "I have a lot to tell you." I chuckle and lay the flowers I brought down in front of the stone. I sit down gently and lean my back against the stone with my legs crossed at the ankles.

The wind blows against the leaves on the ground and pushes my hair delicately away from my face. I sit in silence for a while, just surrounded by all the graves and the sounds of cars driving in the distance keeps my ears entertained.

My phone rings bringing my attention away from the greyish sky. "What?"

"What do you mean, "what?"" Carlo sasses over the phone with a gasp.

"I mean, what." I repeat with a small smile on my face but I keep my voice monotone.

"Wow." He chuckles and there's a silence for a second. "How is she?" He questions, referring to my mom.

"Dead." I shrug but then realise how awkward that sounds. "I'm gonna wash the stone and then I'll be back."

"Okay." He mumbles unsurely. "I love you."

"Bye" I hang up the phone and hit myself with my hand.

Why am I such an awkward person?

I pocket my phone and grab the bucket of wash things before I start cleaning all the moss and dirt off of her. Until my phone rings again.

"Hello?" I hold the phone between my shoulder and head as I continue cleaning.

"I love you." Carlo repeats his words.

In realisation I quickly say the words back. "I love you too. Bye."

"Bye." He says quietly and hangs up. I let the phone fall onto the grass.

****

"That's all really. I'll bring them all one day and we'll have a picnic."

The sun is starting to set, as I've been here all day, and I'm sat next to her with back once again leant against the stone and I look over the other graves picking at the grass.

"I wish you were here." I look down.

There's a crunch on the ground and I look to my side to see an old lady wrapped in a coat with a foldable chair in one hand and a bag in the other. She limps slightly, obviously struggling.

"I'll help." I get up off of the floor and rush over to take the items off of her. "Where to?" I question.

"Thank you sweetheart." She smiles politely. "Just here thank you." She points right next to mums.

I set up her chair and place her bag next to her before sitting back where I was on the floor.

"What's your name?" I ask.

"Eliza." She smiles again and I can't help but smile back. "This is James, my husband." She points to the grave.

"I'm Adelaide, this is Sienna. My mom." I point to the grave.

"I haven't seen you here before." She tilts her head to the side.

"I've been away for a while." I lie slightly. "My work takes me around the world."

"Oh." She drags. "What do you work as?"

I criss cross my legs and put my hands in my pockets as they grow cold. "I own a company for a few certain hotels here and there."

She smiles and laughs tilting her head back. "James worked at a hotel."

I smile at her laugh and watch as she looks at his grave with love in her eyes. I just sit there watching her smile as if he's right in front of her.

"How long?" I find myself asking.

"Five years ago." She mumbles with a smile. "Yours?"

"Ten I'm pretty sure." I sit up straight and smile sadly.

The two of us continue to talk more about random things and she offers me a cup of tea from her flask.

After a while the sky has maybe three more hours before setting fully. I see a figure walking down the rows of graves with their hands in their pockets.

I look a little closer and see that it's Carlo, he's wearing an all black suit with a long black coat over the top and his hands in his pants pockets. His black curly hair messily placed on the top of his head with a lot nearly covering his face.

"Is he here for you?" Eliza questions.

"That. Is my husband." I nod my head slightly and she smiles at Carlo once he's close.

"Hello dear."

"Hello ma'am." Carlo nods his head towards her and walks over to me pressing a light kiss to the top of mom's grave before sitting next to me and wrapping an arm around me. "Hello beautiful." He kisses my nose.

"Hello ugly." I smile as he glares at me and look back at Eliza who has a huge smile on her face but also has tears in her eyes.

"Carlo this is Eliza, Eliza this is Carlo." I introduce them and they both smile At each other.

"Nice to meet you." Carlo says, and then turns to me. "Are you cold?" He takes notice of my hands in my pockets.

"No. I'm okay." I smile slightly and look over to Eliza. "How'd you meet James?"

"Long story short." Eliza chuckles slightly. "He walked into me on our last day of high school before we finished and went to college. On our wedding day he said he planned it all because he didn't know how to talk to me. Said that if I rejected him on the last day that he wouldn't have to see me again so it'd be less awkward."

I laugh slightly and watch as she stares at his grave. "Do you need a lift home?"

Her head snaps to the two of us. "Oh. No. I'll be okay. I'm probably going to stay here for a little while longer."

"We don't mind." Carlo adds.

Once again Eliza turns down our offer with a smile and tells us to leave. Carlo picks up the items I brought with me whilst I hug Eliza goodbye and we start walking down the path. I turn around and see her laughing and continuing to talk.

"Keep someone here. Just to see if she gets home safe." I tell Carlo and he agrees before making a phone call and telling them not to listen to her conversation, just to watch and make sure she is safe.