The Pizza Girl | ✓

28: Shrimps

Chapter 28: Shrimp

I got dressed as soon as possible. Leo was waiting for me downstairs. We were going by his bike since my car was in no condition of going anywhere. I took the helmet from him and sat behind him wearing it, wrapping my arms around his waist.

It was almost a fifteen minute ride to the Sunshine Mental Health hospital. I clearly remember Leo got a mail from this place when he saw me with the envelope he bursted out in anger. No wonder he reacted like that. Maybe this was his secret that he had been hiding from everyone.

The place was huge, and eerily quiet. The staff here seemed to know Leo very well. He didn't have to tell the desk anything. A nurse took us to the cabin.

"How is she doing today?" Leo asked the nurse.

"She is fine. She is progressing a lot. In fact when she heard you were coming, she decided to cook for you. She is at the recreational room waiting for you actually".

Leo looked pleased," Wow this is the first time in years I will be having ma's cooked meal".

I was awed by Leo's reaction to this. He looked like a little kid who was going to have his favorite food after a long time.

We stopped in front of a white door which had the words 'recreational room' written on it. "If there is anything you need just press on the emergency button. We will be there. Besides I will be around in case she does something".

Leo nodded. The nurse left us. Leo was nervous, he was fumbling his fingers. I took his hand in mine to stop him from fidgeting," Relax everything will be fine".

"If anything happens just don't freak out okay? I have never brought anyone here to be honest. As she is unwell, I don't know how she is going to react to people".

"It's okay I will be fine. Do you want me to stay outside?" I asked since he seemed nervous to take me inside.

"No you will come with me", he squeezed my hand reassuringly.

He opened the door to reveal a beautiful woman who must be in her late thirties. She had jet black hair, olive skin and the same piercing blue eyes as Leo.

"Leo... vita mia!" She said something in Italian that i didn't and hugged him. I was touched by this little mother son union.

"Ma I missed you so much", Leo said hugging her back. She let go of him and pulled him by the ear. "Then why don't you come to meet me then", she said in her thick Italian accent pulling his ear.

"Owwhh ma I was here last week but you were asleep. Ahh please stop pulling my ear", Leo said in pain. I laughed.

She stopped pulling his ear,"I was? I don't remember. In fact I don't remember anything from last week", she said sadly. "This place isn't helping me at all Leo. Please take me out from here. I want to stay with you".

"But you are improving
I promise you ma I will get you out of this place as soon as possible", Leo said. It was sad how Leo's mother had to be at the hospital. Poor Leo had to stay away from his mother.

"I know you will", she looked at me and gave me a warm smile," I am sorry I am being a bad host here. And what's your name?" She said looking at me.

"I am Emma. It's really nice to meet you", I said.

"Its nice to see you too. My name is Eleanora but you can call me Nora. This is the first time Leo brought a girl to meet me. I thought he was gay", she mused.

"Ma I told you that I am not gay!"

I chuckled. "Why don't you guys sit down?" The recreational room had a set of sofas and a LED TV with a mahogany coffee table in front, there were two computers at the corner of the room. On the table there were two casserole dishes, they smelled really good.