Maria

Chapter 20

On the private ward the atmosphere was completely different. The air had a perfumed scent and the seats were plush. Every surface was dustless. Stefano's family is able to afford to have better health assistance and his mom went to the most top-notch hospital. The nurses were unhurried and they moved with a serene purposefulness from room to room on their rounds. Nothing in comparison to how fast Stefano was running up and down the hallways trying to find his mom's room. With me breathlessly trying to keep up. There were vases of flowers and beautiful framed pieces of art on the walls. In the corridor was a water dispenser and in most rooms could be heard the noise of a television.

After all the twists and turns, we finally reached Mrs. Montella's room. Walking in, I saw Juliette sitting next to her mom, holding her hand, tears pouring down her face. Their mother looked deathly ill, with her skin being the shade of yellowish white, her cheekbones were hollow showing that she's lost some weight. As I walked closer, I saw that her eyes were so black to the point that I couldn't see her pupils. Her hair was a faded mouse brown and dangerously thin.

Stefano told me while checking in, that she was a stage 4 breast cancer patient. The hospital called the intermediate family because her heart had stopped, but the nurses were able to revive her in time before it was too late. I feel almost as if I shouldn't be here, it isn't my place to be here as I see Stefano rush to other side of his mom. I awkwardly take a seat onto the plush gray couch near the window.

"Where's dad?" Stefano looked at Juliette.

"Work." She simply replied. But I can hear the hurt in her voice. A one-worded reply was the only explanation to show how much he could've cared for his wife. His wife almost died, and he's at work. That within itself speaks volumes about his own character. Stefano shook his head and looked helplessly at his mom.

"Asshole." Stefano muttered. I see his mom let out a light giggle as she turned slowly towards me.

"Who are you?" She asks. Oh no. This is bad.

"I-uh" I spurt out.

"This is my friend Maria." Stefano says answering for me. Friend? That's a first.

"Oh okay." She replies simply.

"I'm going to go get some food." I get up, I couldn't handle the tension. It's not my place to be there and I feel the upmost incompetent whilst sitting on the couch as I hear the silent cries and whimpers coming from Juliette. I needed to give them the time they needed, it's not like I can feel sorry for them because I didn't necessarily know her.

I mean, don't get me wrong I do feel sorry. No one should ever go through the pain of seeing their mom go through something as rigorous and brutal as cancer but I also do think it's would be highly inappropriate if I were to just start bawling my eyes out as if I knew the women all my life.

I left unhurriedly in search of a vending machine. I can feel all their glazed eyes follow me as I pulled the curtain over and walked towards the door. Then suddenly I heard, "what's she doing here?" Juliette whisper.

"she was with me, I couldn't necessarily drop her off." Stefano quickly answered.

"With you? Uhh what about Angela?" She questions.

"It's not like that." He scoffs. How could they be bickering about me at this moment? I slowly open the door and closed it so they couldn't hear that I was still in the room. Walking through the fluorescent lighted hallway, I pull out some cash from my body bag. I shove the dollar in front of the machine and punched a few buttons, and viola. A bag of skittles falls out of the metal spring and down to the entrance. I sit down in the waiting area while popping rainbow colored beads into my mouth, I realize that while I'm waiting for either one of them to come out, I should still examine the case. Pulling out the file from earlier, I pull out the page that I was previously on.