Til Kingdom Come [Harry Styles- Bk 4]

ch.3

I turned to check where Gemma was. She was busy with preparing dinner so her back was to us. I got up quickly and scooped some ice cream into a bowl.

Marco's eyes light up and he reached for the bowl.

I shook my head.

Marco narrowed his eyes at me.

"You first" I whispered.

Marco sighed in pretend anonyance. Then he motioned for me to come closer. I leaned lower and he cupped his tiny hands around my ear.

"Nonna" Marco whispered loudly. I glanced at Nonna briefly as she sat on the couch. "Nonna eats skittles before dinner" he hissed.

I blinked.

Marco muffled his laugh in his hands.

"Marco" I sighed.

Marco jumped into my lap and held my face in his hands.

"It's twew, Aunt Angie, she has a big bottle and dere's a blue skittle and a green one and a red one. I saw them with my own eyes!" Marco declared.

He pointed a finger at his round blue eyes and nodded.

I looked into his eyes and I knew he wasn't playing me but what he had considered to be a secret was just a ploy for early dessert.

"Ok, Marky" I shook my head and laughed.

Marco sighed disappointedly. He really believed he had revealed something important about Nonna but his imagination had gotten the best of him.

"I'm saw-wee" he apologized.

"It's ok, Marky" I kissed his cheek.

Suddenly, his lips curled into a grin.

"Do I still get my ice cweam?" he asked hopefully.

I sighed and gave him the bowl. He took it and ran to the yard before Gemma caught him.

I walked over to Nonna and sat down beside her. She jumped slightly when I sat down.

"Are you ok, Nonna?" I asked slowly. 

Marco may have been convinced Nonna was eating sweets before dinner but I had a feeling it was something else, something that looked like candy: pills.

"Fine. Fine" Nonna nodded. But she was unusually stiff.

"Nonna, is something wrong?" I asked carefully. I patted her shoulder softly. She touched her chest momentarily.

"No. Not at all, Angie" she smiled weakly.

I sighed loudly.

"Nonna-"

"Why isn't Harold playing football with his son? Does he not know how to play sports?" Nonna changed the subject.

I looked over at Harry and saw him leaning against the window, watching Danny play with Sephora and Des. He stood there so intently but he didn't dare go out and join them.

Nonna smiled momentarily, glad she had succeeded in distracting me.

"I'm just tired, Angela. Don't worry about an old lady like me" Nonna whispered by my ear.

I watched her eyes a moment. They were wide and brown, just like mine and my mothers. But she was always thinking ahead, always predicting what was to come while I sat and stared at the past.

Nonna looked down at my stomach.

"As long as she's fine, I'm fine" Nonna patted my belly delicately.