Diamond Rings & You

Chapter 44

ELENA'S POV:

"Hi honey" Dad said, wiping his face once he saw me. He held out his hand and I felt Mattia gently pushing me towards him. But this time I wasn't facing this alone. I held his hand and walked over to Dad, holding my breath as I prepared to see Mom.

We pulled back the curtain and she was laying on the bed, with her eyes closed. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw her chest rising and falling, but slowly. Her hair was practically almost gone, and the colour had drained out of her face. My heart sunk to see how much weight she had lost, I could barely even recognise my own mother anymore. I covered my mouth with my hand as I sobbed, trying not to wake her up. She looked so peaceful, despite the pain she was going through.

I looked over at Mattia to see his eyes were flooded with tears. Dad came and sat on the opposite side of the bed, and we sat in silence.

I rested my hand on Mom's ever so lightly, but her eyes fluttered open. It took her a second to figure out her surroundings, but her eyes met mine within a matter of seconds.

"My baby" she said softly, her voice hoarse. My eyes immediately filled up with tears and I tried to speak, but my throat was dry. She tried sitting up, Dad went to help her since she had no energy.

"Please stay with me, Mom" I wept, intertwining my hand in hers. I felt her trembling as she dabbed at her wet eyes with a tissue.

"I'm sorry, Mija" she said, her breathing becoming slower. She closed her eyes only instilling more panic inside of me.

"Mom, wake up" I said, shaking her slightly. Her eyes opened again, but I heard the heart monitor slowing down. She looked at Mattia, who was trying his best to hold back his tears, but nothing was working.

"Please look after my daughter"

I felt myself shaking as I sobbed onto Mattia's shoulder. He held me tighter and reached out to Mom, nodding his head.

"I'll protect her with my all" he said. I felt his tears fall onto my head, only making me cry harder. I turned to face Mom again, but I saw her eyes rolling back.

"Mom?"

No answer. I looked at the heart rate monitor, it was decreasing by the second.

"Do something!" I yelled to anyone that could hear me. Dad called for nurses who rushed over, checking the machines. I looked at them frantically, but Mom grasped my hand. I looked down at her, and saw she could barely keep her eyes open as she gasped for air.

"No Mamma, please don't do this" I shouted, but she shook her head, and tried to get her words out.

"I love you so much, Elena"

And with that, her hand dropped, hitting the sheets. The machines let out a long beeping sound, the sound I was praying I wouldn't have to hear. My jaw dropped, and I kept my eyes fixated on Mom.

"I'm so sorry, Elena" wept Mattia, pulling me into a hug. But I couldn't move my arms to comfort him, as he cried on my shoulder. I found myself in a sheer state of shock, and when Mattia had let go, I was frozen. With my eyes stuck on my Mother's lifeless body. One of the nurses whispered something to a Dad and he nodded, turning away from us. The nurse came over to Mom and lifted the sheets over her face. I felt the tears rolling down my cheeks as I watched her.

"Why did you do that?" 

She looked at me, then at Dad.

"Just stop Elena" he said, his voice cracking as he spoke. He still had his back to us, and it infuriated me.

"Stop what? My Mom just died and I can't look at her face a little longer?"

"They're just doing their job, we're all hurt here"

"Really? I mean you don't seem that upset, are you planning on how to leave us again?"

He turned around to face me, a bitter expression was written all over him.

"How dare you speak to me like that, I think you're forgetting that I'm still your father"

"Sure" I scoffed. "Father of the year."

I took Mattia's hand and walked out the room. I shouldn't have said all those things, but a part of me felt like they needed to be said.

"Are you good? What was that all about?" asked Mattia, cupping my face in his hands. I leaned onto his hand and closed my eyes for a second.

"Can we please just go home?"