La Casa Nostra (Claudio Marchisio AU)

Twenty Five

For the next few days I barely leave my house. The only time I leave it is to go to the supermarket to get some food. Every morning I woke up and cried. I couldn't believe what just happened in my life.

My father was dead.

Claudio would try to comfort me and try to make me feel better. But it never worked. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make me feel better.

I look over at Stefano who is asleep in his cot next to our bed. He wiggles in his sleep and makes some funny noises which makes me let out a small smile. The first smile I had let out in days. I get out of bed and pull on my robe.

When I go downstairs, Claudio is hovering over the stove whiling mixing and flipping the food in the pans. I smile and cough so I gain his attention. Claudio turns to look at me with a massive smile on his face.

"Good morning baby!" He exclaimed walking towards me. He wraps his arms around my waist and kisses me. It's soft and sweet, but it doesn't make me feel any better.

"Hi. What are you making?" I ask making Claudio smile.

"I thought I'd make some breakfast for us." He says taking my hand and pulling me towards the stove. I look in the pots and give me his small, forced smile. Claudio had burnt the meat her was trying to cook and had completely sucked the life out of the vegetables that he tried to roast.

"That's great!" I smiled at him but straight away he knew it was fake.

"You don't like it." He whispered with a small pout making me hold his hand tighter.

"No, you've just burnt it a little, but it'll be fine." I look up at him and he just shakes his head.

"You're too nice. But this is inedible." He kisses the side of my head before pinning the contents of food that he cooked. I wrap my arms around his back and rest my head against his back.

"I love you." I whisper.

"I love you too Roma, and I never want you to forget it." He turns, keeping me in a hug.

Claudio kisses me passionately. He slowly lifts me up onto the counter while he kept kissing me. It made me feel a tingle inside and brought a smile to my face. But it didn't cure my unhappiness. I was in mourning and that wasn't going to stop for a while.

Claudio keeps kissing me and running his hand over my body. But soon we have to break because from upstairs I can hear Stefano crying.

"I can't wait until he can sleep for hours and we can have se-"

"Shut up Claudio." I say with a laugh and a blush before going upstairs to see Stefano.

-----------------------

The funeral is today.

Both Leonardo and Stefano are going to friends so that they don't make too much noise in the chapel.

I wear a black dress and pull on my black lace mantilla. Claudio holds my hand as we get into the car. The moment I get inside, I cry. I cry into Claudio's shoulder as I see the car in front has my father's coffin inside.

"Everything's going to be okay." He whispered in my ear. He kissed the side and my head and comforted me on the way to the church.

The moment I see my brothers all looking sad and upset, I cry again. I run straight into Pedro's arm and cry. He tries his best to comfort me and not cry too.

My six brothers then wait outside to coffin. Claudio and I walk in and sit in one of the front rows. I hold his hand tightly as people come up and talk to us.