Til Kingdom Come [Harry Styles- Bk 4]

ch.10 Speed

I stood there a moment, staring blindly at Gemma and Danny. They had said 'grandma' and 'heart attack' in the same sentence. The same bloody sentence.

"Liar"

"What?" Danny blinked.

"Nonna doesn't have heart attacks. Nonna's invincible" I stated proudly. 

And it was true; Nonna may be early half a century older than me but she was that much stronger and whittier and sweeter.

"Why didn't you tell me!?" I growled. 

Gemma swallowed hard.

"We didn't want to worry you" Danny reasoned softly. He gripped Gemma's waist for support.

"Worry? You didn't want me to worry!" I spat. 

"Angela, you're pregnant. Bad news at this stage of your pregnancy is very dangerous for your baby" Gemma spoke up. 

Danny nodded in agreement and looked down at my stomach.

I wrapped my arm around my belly and shook my head resolutely.

"Well now I'm scared and pissed and worried, all together" I declared in frustration. 

"Angie" Danny cleared his throat. He rested his hand at my shoulder as he tried to calm me down.

I shrugged his hand off.

"I'm fine" I hissed.

Danny was about to protest when I interrupted him.

"Where is she?" I demanded.

"In her room--"

I shoved at Danny's chest and rushed over to Nonna's room. I pushed at the bedroom door so harshly that it made no noise. Then I looked up.

Nonna lay there quietly on her bed, wrapped in blankets, like a butterfly in her cocoon.

"NONNA!"

Her eyes opened hurriedly.

"Angela" she smiled weakly. 

I cursed under my breath for waking her up so suddenly.

"Nonna" I whispered. I grasped her hands carefully in mine and kissed the wrinkles.

"How are you, Angie?" she asked gently as she looked down at my stomach.

I collapsed at her bedside and nearly laughed and cried in the same breath. She was asking me how I was? Me?

"Nonna--"

"I'm ok, Angie" she nodded.

Tears flooded my vision, thankfully making it hard to see my withering grandmother.

"No, Nonna, it's not ok. You're hurt. You're-you're--"

"I'm ok. I promise" she grinned in denial. 

I burst into tears and hid my face in Nonna's shoulder. She patted my back and kissed my forehead softly, comforting me instead of vice versa. 

I looked down into her round brown eyes and she wiped my tears gently.

"Don't cry over my, Angela" she shook her head delicately. "Cry for your husband and your children. They are young and have many golden years ahead of them--"

"And so do you" I nodded hurriedly.

Nonna laughed lightly.

"I'm 65 years old" she reminded me.