When With You

4

Elizabeth Gioia is what my grandmother decided to name her daughter, my mother. A jewel, a precious object. That's my sweet mother.

She's wild, dramatic, fun and youthful.  She's beautiful, from head to toe, nothing wrong with her body form. Her heart was made of gold, I believe that's why my dad fell for her so hard. She has all these great features to show out and enchant any man she wanted.

I wanted to marry a woman like my mom, I found my mother's way of loving and looking, the ideal wife material.  But obviously, that didn't work out, I fell for a boy who had the same traits my mom possessed.

As a child, my mom's smile was my deliverance.  I have the worst temper-- I get it from grandpa-- and that usually kept everyone away from me but mom would just smile, and that made me feel normal. I love her with everything.

But. There are days when she terrified me, days when she was unstable and deeply flawed. Days when her depression frustrated her children.

Tonight is one of those days, but it wasn't so bad. At least she wasn't muttering about how she'd throw me off the stairs.

"That's enough, caro, eat your food and listen to your brother." Mom leans over to pat my hand.

"I am listening, mama."

"Don't lie, the lines between your eyebrows show you were worrying. Go on Mimi." She folds her arms on the table and gives him her full attention, I decide to do the same.

Mickey jumps on his seat in excitement to finally have our attention as if he didn't have it already. "So Paul heard from an "unknown'' source that ugly Susan and heartthrob Arthur were caught having "sexy time" today. At school. Like, what even! BUT Robin says that Susan was forcing herself on him,

I don't believe that because Robin lies. Like a lot. Just like how he said that George Hill's rugby star would drive a whole two hours just to dance naked in the town's square."

I laugh so hard that I began smacking the edge of the table. I give my mom a teary side glance, she's glaring at me. I cough and gulp.

Not going to lie, I was the first one to arrive just too see George Hill's star dance.

Butt naked.

"Micheal Ambrogio Longwood, " I snort at the mention of his second name, not like mine was any better. "How do you know all of this? Caro, don't tell me you've been hanging out with Brian again." Her perfect brows furrowed, she runs her hand through her hair, a sign that she is thinking the worst.

I try to make the conversation lighter before mom starts sputtering some foul Italian words. "Wait, start the story from the beginning."

Maybe I dozed off through the important part and mom does have a good reason to be concerned.

"That is the beginning." He chews on his spiced chicken, he looks at mom then at me with pleading eyes. He feels guilty.

"So you telling me you randomly started talking about hookups from my school?" I wasn't going to help him because he always does this.

He blinks at me, "Yes." He isn't happy that I wouldn't help.

"How even? It's my school but I don't know half of the things you know."

"I swear, your brother is like a journalist. He gets information without you knowing the source, a spy. I remember he would enter the room and--" My mom praises him but I scream,

"I WOULDN'T EVEN HEAR HIS FOOTSTEPS!!! ONE DAY HE SAW ME WATCHING--"

"Let's not remember that moment, it was embarrassing for both of us." The immortal one stops me from exposing my greatest shame. But we all do it so it's nothing to feel bad about.