Submerged

Chapter 13

Alessia

Fat rain drops smack against the car, drowning out the low volume of the music playing on the radio. Puffy dark gray clouds fill the sky keeping the sun hidden and bathing the city of Landon in a dark, broody hue. With how heavy the rain pours down against the windshield it's hard to see the road as we make our way to the church for Edoardo's funeral.

A layer of grief hangs heavy in the air, so thick it's nearly suffocating. I try my best to ignore it but it's pointless. The weight from losing my own father settles deep into my chest making it hard to breathe.

I glance over at my husband who sits behind the wheel, pale green eyes swirling with emotion as he keeps his focus on the road ahead. He left his hair down, the dark wavy strands brushing the tops of his shoulders. He almost always wears it half up to keep it out of his face and I can't help but wonder if he left it down to be used as a shield today.

He's been quiet since I woke up. I was startled to see him standing in front of one of the windows in our room when I opened my eyes. He had been staring at the glass with a blank look on his face, his hair still slightly damp from a shower and his body fully clothed in his funeral attire. He had said good morning once he noticed I was awake and then he'd informed me of what time I should be dressed by but that was it, that's all he's said to me.

I have the urge to comfort him, to reach out and take his hand as he drives, but I don't. I know there's nothing I can do or say that will lessen the emotions he's feeling.

Ten minutes later we arrive at the church and Dante parallel parks by the curb. Gabriele exits the building, two umbrellas open as he makes his way down the stairs toward us. He walks around the car to Dante's door and opens it, offering him one of the umbrellas in his hand. Dante takes it and exits the car, coming around to the passenger side to open my door for me.

"Thank you," I say, taking his hand and stepping under the security of the umbrella.

The rain is loud and freezing cold, the wind blowing droplets against my bare legs as we make our way up the steps. I wrap my peacoat tighter around me and lean closer to Dante, seeking the warmth of his bulky body. He immediately notices, swapping the umbrella to his other hand so he can wrap the one closest to me around my shoulders and I sink into his side. His coat is soft and I can smell the scent of his cologne over the rain.

"Has anyone else arrived yet?" Dante asks Gabriele.

Gabriele nods, holding the other umbrella above his head. "A few people but not many."

We enter the double doors of the church, the strong scent of flowers greeting us followed by the sound of gut wrenching sobs. Dante collapses the umbrella we'd used and places it in a stand nearby to dry. I take his hand in mine, much to his surprise, and we make our way through a set of open double doors and down the aisle, wooden pews lining each side of the room.

Edoardo lies in a marble casket right in front of the priest's podium, red silk padding the interior and a large casket spray placed on the closed end where his legs lie. There's a picture of him placed to the left of his casket and various flower arrangements throughout the room.

Lucia's laid over the casket, her back heaving with sobs as she mourns the loss of her husband. Her cries echo through the vaulted ceiling, ricocheting off the stained glass windows, the sound eerily haunting.

Only around a dozen people sit in the pews, most not arriving yet since the ceremony shouldn't start for another hour. Isa is seated in the first pew to the right of the room, her husband and children beside her. Camilla and a man, whom I assume to be her husband, sit toward the end of the pew, leaving space by the aisle.