La signora's death

Later the same night in the Salvadori house, a tall, tan, handsome chad showed up on their doorstep, sporting a black leather jacket and jeans, carrying a bunch of heavy backpacks in his hands.

The servants had left by now, so he had to carry the load all by himself.

Elena's silvery grey eyes lit up with glee after recognizing who it was. "Leo! My boy!" She was about to hurry downstairs when Sasha stopped her, afraid she might lose her foot in all the excitement and end up rolling down the steps.

"Surprise, beautiful!" Leo dropped all of his bags, ran towards his grandmother, and gathered her frail body in his arms, smiling brilliantly.

"You tease! Stupido!" Elena playfully hit his rock-hard chest and his laughter rumbled throughout the entire mansion.

He pressed his lips on her wrinkly cheek, adoring her. "I heard you had a terrible fever."

Elena slightly frowned at him. "It wasn't all that terrible! Look at me. Do I look sick?"

"Nope." He said, still keeping her in his arms. "You look just fine, as always."

Elena cupped his cheek and combed off the streaks of dark brown hair sticking to his sweaty forehead. "You are the only grandson who actually cares about me."

"Enzo cares about you too, nonna. He just needs some space, that's all." Leo said. He and his older brother were the polar opposite of one another. Leo was far more extroverted, open-minded, and expressive, while his brother was reserved, secretive, and impassive.

"Did you talk to your brother about the proposal with the Russos? Did you convince him?" Elena anxiously asked.

Leo scratched his head sheepishly. "Well... I couldn't convince him to give me an exact answer. He said he cannot decide on a whim, especially if it involves the Russos."

"Did he look interested, at least?"

"To my surprise, yeah, he looked interested."

Elena patted her chest, smiling and letting out a sigh of relief.

She looked up at him with eager eyes. "How was your Miami trip?"

Leo licked his bottom lip. Truthfully, he was there for his football match. He was a twenty-three-year-old playboy, and the leader of the football team at their college, making him popular among the ladies with his impressive athletic body and devilishly handsome face.

A leading rapper had invited him to an orgy two days ago, to celebrate his victory in the game the day after the match ended, and man, the experience was worth it. He had made quite the body count and did some nasty shit that would grant him a one-way ticket to hell.

But now, looking down at his innocent Nonna, he felt terribly guilty. She still saw him as her innocent little boy.

"It was great. That's all you need to know." He said.

She squinted her eyes at him. "Leonardo! You aren't fooling around with girls again, are you?"

Sleeping around would be the better term.

"I'm not!" He clutched his stomach. "Ah... nonna, I'm starving. I NEED those Paparoni Pizzas you make."

"Oh, you must be starved after that match! I saw it on TV. I'm so proud of you, Leo." Elena patted him on his cheek.

"I'll always make you proud." He kissed her hand, and she giggled.

Elena hummed a love song called 'Put your head on my shoulder' as she kneeled the dough. It took her back to memory lane where she had first waltzed in this song with her husband at their wedding.

Leo intently watched her sing while sitting on the kitchen counter, his mouth drooling and his stomach grumbling. Nonna's cooking was indeed worth the praise. She was a pure-blooded Italian woman, after all.

After she set the pizza in the oven, Elena reached out to grab the porcelain plates from the racks. The plates shattered into pieces, Elena swayed drunkenly, her eyes hazy, the world around her catapulting in her vision she and fell. Leo caught her before her body could collide with the harsh floor.

"Nonna!" Leo tapped her face. She was unconscious. He cursed himself for letting her toil in the kitchen when she wasn't in the best condition to do so!

"Don't just stand there! Get the car ready!" Leo roared at Sasha, carrying Elena to the car. He drove them to the City hospital, breaking all speed limits.

The surgeons conducted the emergency surgery on her while Leo waited outside the OR.

About two hours later, the doctor came out in green scrubs and said she was out of a critical state for now, but one side of her body had been completely crippled because of the stroke.

_____

"Where is Enzo...! I need him....! I need to see him right now...!" Elena called, her tongue still functioning, but not as strong as it was used to, her words came out like a slur, and sometimes it was difficult to understand what she was saying.

"Your grandmother wants to see you." The nurse informed.

Enzo entered the room, his soleless dark eyes saddening tremendously at her state. The jovial woman who could brighten up anyone's day was now no better than a breathing corpse.

"Nonna..."

"I thought... I would die... without seeing... your face." Enzo sat on the chair beside the bed. He saw the ECG fluctuating, giving the evidence she was alive, but barely.

He took her hand and brushed his thumb on her palm. It felt cold.

Elena took a deep breath, her eyes hazy, chest rising and down in an uneven rhythm.

"Listen... to me, Enzo," she said, in a gravelly voice, like the rustling of dead autumn leaves. "I need you to... marry Lilliana Russo... I want to know that we... made peace with the Russos... Only then will my soul... rest in peace." With tear-filled eyes, she looked at him. "Promise me... you will fulfill... this last wish... of mine."

"I promise." He whispered.

Elena smiled weakly. "Thank you... I love you."

"I love you, Nonna." He pressed her hand against his forehead and then kissed it.

The ECG drew into a line announcing the death of La signora Elena Salvadori.