"We live in a household of cold-hearted killers. There is something off with all of them," I grumble, tired of studying.
She laid down her pencil and took off her headphones. "Call it human intuition or something...It's just...it feels like Francesco is doing something...wrong."
I chuckle, feeling my shoulder lifting and resting "You said the same thing about Pietro when he was doing something wrong to you a few nights ago," I sat straighter and grabbed my pen. "You're stressed out, Lils and whenever that happens, you over-analyzing things."
Lily scratched her head. "You're right, all this studying is probably making me go loco," she said before re-plugging her earphones as my eyes skewed towards the double doors Francesco passed.
After an all-day study, we went home and got ready for another day. Walking out of Lily's bedroom and towards my own, I tied my hair up. I peek outside the door to see someone passing by. "Have you seen Anthony?"
"Mr.Marazano said he would be out until tomorrow."
"Thank you," I said, before re-entering the room. Flopping myself on the bed, I continue staring at the space.
Anthony didn't return until lunch the next day. I look at Anthony, who's cutting his steak. Right now, Anthony and I are having lunch with his mother. The boys are out with their friends while Lily and Pietro are on a date. Truthfully, I think they are merely trying to escape. Francesco hasn't returned for days, and the same can be said about Antonio. I cut my piece of steak, glancing at Anthony once in a while. We haven't been in the best circumstances with each other.
"Anthony, how is the business?"
"Good mamma."
"Angelica, how is school?" She surprisingly asks without a mocking voice behind it.
"Good, thank you."
The silence only returns, and I continue taking peeks at Anthony. When his eyes caught mine, I quickly looked away.
"Angelica," Anthony's mother, calls me once more. "Why don't you accompany me for some tea today? To meet some friends."
I glance at Anthony to see if he has anything to say about the suggestion. He didn't even look at me. Although, perhaps it's not a bad idea to take some time to get to know Anthony's mother. She may dislike me a bit less after we spend some time together. "I would like that, yes."
She nods before returning to her food. After a few hours, I got ready for tea time with the devil's mother. Lily sat on the couch inside the closet on her stomach while staring at me. "You're seriously going with the she-devil?"
I tug off the shirt and sweat, "Honestly, I don't feel good being alone with her, but I want to get to know Anthony's mother before labeling her any further, and maybe if she gets to know me - she will hate me less," I respond before pulling on a sunflower dress.
She puffs the cheeks that were lying on top of her forearms. "Go to church."
"And pray everything will be okay?"
"No, get holy water. If the thing doesn't end well, then you can throw it at her to see if she melts."
When I finish changing and applying my makeup, I prepare for my date with Anthony's mother. With straightened back and sweaty pits, I made my way towards the front of the house to see her already present. She had on long silver earrings that brushed along her hair. The light curls drape over her shoulders, covered by a long white dress. She held a large white hat on her head, and designer heels on her feet. She looks beautiful.
I see beauty run in the family. I wonder if our kids will look this incredible. I blush at that thought.
Sitting inside the same car as Anthony's mother is much more nerve-wracking than I presume. I realize that if she doesn't speak, she tends to carry the same atmosphere as Anthony, quiet and a bit too painfully calm. I'm at a loss in constructing scenarios for the evening ahead and I'm surprised to see how far we've come. The cafe lies ahead, its royal blue paint glistening against the sun. I can see the raindrops that cling to the name, Mercy.
