Chapter 20- THE DINNER

The door swung open, grabbing Aurora's attention from the scenery outside, Leonardo appeared chest bare, water dripping from his hair, down his neck and then down his chest. Seeing Leonardo in this light, awakened an almost dead side of her.

Aurora wake up! She snapped herself awake and stopped herself from embarrassing herself more than she already was.

'What are you doing?" She angrily asked Leonardo, who seemed confused with Aurora's question.

'What are you saying?"

'Don't answer my question with a question Leonardo, why are you half naked in my room?"

'Oh no sweetheart, the last time I checked this was our room therefore we share it. That also means that I can walk into this room half-naked all I want, there is nothing that you can do about it"

'That is disrespectful to do this in front of someone" Aurora tried to convince him, whilst trying to keep her eyes off Leonardo's body. He burst out laughing, which left Aurora shocked at his reaction as he crossed his hands over his chest.

'But you are not a stranger and technically you are my legally married wife. So me running around naked in our room, means that you would have to deal with it" Leonardo told Aurora and walked past her towards a secret walk in closet, one that Aurora was not aware was there at all.

Aurora stood in the center of their room; stunned that this time Leonardo had not backed down therefore she would have to deal with him walking around the room half-naked. She had never had a boyfriend and seeing a handsome man such as Leonardo within such close proximity was something that she was not used to.

**
Leonardo shut the walking closet door behind himself, not wanting to upset himself with Aurora's constant complaining. He was shocked when his mother had informed him that he would be sharing a room with Aurora, another thing that had made him upset was her acting like she owned the room.

He rumbled in the walk in closet as he grabbed his blue jeans and white T-shirt and looked at it, he hated such antics from both his mother and father. Dressing up for dinner growing up was amongst the things that Leonardo hated doing as a child.

Now he had two things to worry about, conversing with his parents during dinner and dealing with a now angry wife. Even as Leonardo dressed, he had thought apologizing to his wife but stopped himself.

You two have nothing in common, its best that you stay away from her. Leonardo mentally warned himself, wondering how he had gotten himself into this mess and how he was going to put an end to this sooner than later.

Fully dressed and now ready to face his wife, Leonardo stepped out of the walking closet and she was nowhere in sight. He tried to unlock the bathroom door but it was locked from within.

'Hey! I am inside" Aurora yelled from within the bathroom.

'My bad, I thought that—"

'You thought what?" Aurora yelled at him and anger coursed through Leonardo.

'Never mind what I thought, I will be waiting for you at the dinner table" Leonardo informed Aurora and exited the room, his frustration with her increasing every time she opened her mouth and said something against him.

He arrived at the dinner table and just like always, his mother was already seated and his father was nowhere to be found.

'Evening mother" He greeted his mother and pulled out a chair opposite to her, seeing his mother smile as he greeted her had put him at ease.

'Evening my son, I must say you look upset, is there anything wrong my son?" Signora seated opposite her son, asked him but just as she had expected, Leonardo said nothing. He sat in his chair, pulled out his napkin and laid it on his lap.

'Nothing mother" concerned that her son who was cheerful only a few hours ago had suddenly turned cold towards her, signora Carina pressed on, hoping to get more out of him.

'You fought with Avena, right?" Leonardo looked up at his mother, without saying a word, signora Carina knew that she was right. Growing up, Leonardo had always be a terrible liar and up until now, he was still a terrible liar.

'Mother, it is best that we do not speak about this"

'On the contrary, I think we must. Your father is not yet here and neither is your wife, let us have a mother and son moment" signora Carina offered her son whom flashed a smile at her. Resting both his hands on the table, he let out a breath, breathing out all the frustrations from his argument with Aurora.

'I am trying my best but every time I try, she keeps fighting me. I know the circumstances' surrounding our marriage is— is not what we both might have wanted but it is what it is"

'Oh I see, have you tried talking to her?"

'Mother, I have tried everything there is and all I get from her is defensiveness" Leonardo explained, his frustration seeping into his words.

'Maybe there is more to this problem than meets the eye"

'And that is?"

'Well, have you tried understanding why she behaves like this?" His mother asked him and just before Leonardo could respond to her question, he stopped himself.

'Si, there you go"

'But mother—"

'Evening signora Carina" Aurora greeted her mother in-law as she walked into the dining room. Leonardo turned to face his newly wedded wife and his heart skipped a beat, just fresh out of the shower, her hair still lightly damped with water, and wearing a white ankle length dress with white slippers.

'Good evening my daughter, you look beautiful this evening. Leonardo, does Avena not look beautiful tonight?"
his mother putting him in the spotlight, so much that it left Leonardo with no other choice than to answer her.

'Yes mother, she… she looks beautiful this evening" Leonardo complimented his wife with slight hesitation. He watched as Aurora pulled out her chair and sat next to him, her hand brushing up against him. Leonardo jerking a bit from the bolt of electricity running through him as Aurora brushed past him as she sat down.

Neither Aurora nor Leonardo looked at one another, rather signora Carina studied both her son and her new daughter in-law.

'Avena, would you like to go shopping with me tomorrow?" Aurora looked up at her mother in-law, stunned that she was being asked to go shopping with such a well-known fashion icon, which is her mother in-law.

'S—sure mother in-law"

'No mother, you cannot go shopping" Leonardo interrupted their conversation, his response stunning both his mother and Aurora.

'Why can I not go shopping, if I may ask?"

'Because you are sick mother and I have to make sure that you are well taken care of" Leonardo defended his orders.

'Well I am sorry my son but I will be going shopping tomorrow and there is nothing that you can do about it. Besides, I have been stuck in this house for an entire day or so and I need to get out"

'Mother but your health—"

'I am fine, I do not need you nor your father telling me what to do" signora Carina stood firm on her word, refusing to take no for an answer.

'Mother in-law, do not worry I will take you shopping tomorrow" Aurora promised signora Carina, who flashed a smile at her and mouthed a ‘thank you' to her daughter in-law.

'Signora Carina" the butler appeared before them, dressed in a white shirt and black suit.

'Si, Gustavo"

'Signora Carina, Signor Metteo has excused himself, he has a business call that cannot be postponed" Gustavo delivered the message, from the corner of her eye; Aurora could see that signora Carina was disappointed but she hid her disappointment behind a smile.

'It is okay Gustavo, please tell Casey to bring the food" she requested from Gustavo who walked away and within seconds, the table was set with various meals placed before them.

Even as Aurora looked at the food before her, she was fearful when thinking of eating it. All her life, all she had ever done was to serve and never once was she invited to feast with the Russo family. From a very young age, her place in the family was clear, she was an orphan and the Russo family had taken pity on her and allowed her work for them.

'Avena, do you not like the food?" Aurora looked up at her mother in—law and flashed a smile at her.

'I love the food" she quickly responded to her mother in-law, flashing a smile at her to avoid suspicion.

'But you have not touched your food yet" This time Leonardo, raising his voice to point out that her plate of lasagna had not been touched and leaving Aurora feeling embarrassed.

'Oh no the food is great… it's just that it reminds me of home and I am afraid I feel a little homesick" Aurora lied. Signora Carina placed her hand over her chest and smiled at Aurora.

'Do not worry dear, your parents will be back sooner than you know it" Signora Carina reassured Aurora, the type of reassurance that Aurora was anticipating. She was well aware of Signora Mia's hate for her and Aurora would hate to think of what she would do when she finds out that Aurora had taken Avena's place in marrying into the Romano family.

'Yes mother in-law" Aurora agreed and tasted the food and chewed. She loved the food, made just the way signora Meta had always made it for her in Sicily and that brought a smile on her face.

'I see you like the food" Signora Carina commented and Aurora flashed a smile at her.

'Yes mother in-law, I am really enjoying the food"
Leonardo on the other hand ate his food in silence, not once acknowledging neither his mother nor his wife's presence. The thought of his mother leaving the house when she was sick bothered him, his mother had an addiction and the longer she was in denial, the worse the matter got and the fear of losing his mother grew with each day.

'If you two are planning on going shopping then I too will accompany you" Leonardo broke his silence as he delivered his final verdict, one that neither women was happy with.

'I am afraid that is impossible" his mother chimed in.

'Why is that, mother?"

'Because I have never had a daughter and this is my chance to get to know her and I do not want to have you there" Signora Carina stood firm on her word but neither her nor Leonardo was willing to back down.

'Mother, I cannot have you walking around the town alone with my wife"

'And why not?"

'Because you have an addiction and the sooner you realize it, the better for everyone!" Leonardo blurted out. Silence filled the room, so much that his mother and he stared at each other.

Without warning, signora Carina removed her napkin from her lap and stood up from her chair. Aurora turned her attention towards Leonardo whose face filled with nothing but regret at the way in which he spoke to his mother.

'Mother I apologize"

'No need to, you said what you said and I accept it. Goodnight" Signora Carina told both her son and Aurora before walking away. The uncomfortable silence filled the room and just then, Leonardo stood up from his chair and left the room, leaving Aurora all alone.