Meadow: A Sopranos Fanfic

Countdown in 1

Giancarlo got home at around 7pm and started doing homework so that his mother, Ivy, wouldn't get on his case. He had an above average IQ, so studying usually took less than an hour, but as usual,  his focus was pulled away by more important things, like business.

Reuben had given him the special task of writing down everything he saw during any meeting, transaction, whatever; it didn't matter., and keeping a record of it for later. Since he was a 17 year old kid, people just tended to see him as an extra or background noise, not a threat by any means. This sat just fine with him.

Note #1 was the talk of the town, that Meadow Soprano was somehow running North Jersey. He didn't understand exactly why it was such a big deal though, but he understood that maybe it was due to a cultural point of view; these people were living in a different century after all, where women were regarded differently than they were now.
Note #2 was that Slava Malevsky had killed some guy called Tony Soprano, a non-news item for him seeing as he didn't even know who this Tony guy was, and even if he did, it was yesterday's news.

It was pretty smart on Reuben's part to make all of his men listen to music via sealed headphones and then keep him off to the side pretending to listen through his own headset; only he wasn't. There wasn't any music coming through, Gio was only listening and pretending not to.
He finished jotting down all the notes just as his mother Ivy walked into the house downstairs like clockwork.
He cracked a social studies book and fixed the lamp onto his desk for maximum effect so that when she peaked in, he looked like he had been reading for hours.
"You study—, oh that's good. What did Tío Reuben and you do today?" She asked.
"Hey mom. We didn't do much, went into the city and got some Gordello's," Gio knew this would make her excited.
"Gordy's?? Well, did you bring me some??" She came in and sat next to him.
"Yep, in the fridge. Some flan in there that Tía Vee made too," Gio closed the book to focus more on her.

"Valentina? Your aunt was here?" Ivy looked behind her almost as if her sister were standing right there.
"No I saw her this morning when she came to school to drop off some lunch and the books I had wanted off Amazon."
"I see," his mom said.
"What mom? Every time I mention tía Vee lately you get this weird look..."
"What? No I don't!" His mother got up and bopped him on the back of the head.
"Dinner's gonna be ready in an hour if you want to sit and see Tristeza de Amor with me while we eat," she said as she was walking out.
"Mom... I hate watching that damn show, you know that? And it's too late to be cooking anyway. I brought you Gordello's so you could just eat that and something light, can't you do that? You know the doctors said you can't be eating this way anymore,"
He said bending his pen nervously.

"Since when don't you like Tristeza de Amor??" she asked, deflecting.
"Since it got super crazy unrealistic? With the priest being the girl's father and ex-military fighter or whatever... it's stupid," Gio shook his head and opened his book again as if making a point that he'd even rather study.
"Ok ok, I'll make a salad ok? And watch it by myself. Ok?"
"Sorry mom. I'm just worried about you is all," he mentioned as he skimmed through the page.
"Hey," she began, which made him turn to look at her. "You're wrong you know. I don't have anything against your Tía Valentina. I just wish she'd let me know when she's going to go see you without me, that's all."
"Why though?" Gio closed the book yet again, "why do you always undergo this jealous cover whenever Tía does anything remotely sweet to me?"
"I don't know Gio, ask me after you become a parent. Ok? It's like an instinct, you just feel jealous and want to protect them."

"And yet you're cool with me spending time with uncle Reuben, who isn't even my real uncle, and yet  get the jitters whenever I'm alone with Tía Vee, who is my real blood. I don't get you," he opened the book (to the wrong page) slamming it against the wood, making his mother jump a bit. He noticed but didn't care, he was mad at her and wanted to be left alone.
"You need a father figure in your life Gio... that's why I let Hesh's friend hang out with you. I'd rather you not become an HP like him, but I think every kid needs to learn a little bit about the world... no?" She had clasped her hands nervously around one another, an indication that she might hug him.
Then she did.

He knew ignoring her would be the best way to deal with this and so strategically and knowingly pushed her away, as kids sometimes tend to do.
She knew him well enough to leave him be and after some hesitation, released the hug and walked back downstairs without a word.
He felt like a dick for doing that to her, but couldn't help himself. Sometimes there was this internal rage that he would allow to feed and didn't care in the moment who he hurt with his actions or words. But it was fine, he'd simply just go down later and see Tristeza de Amor with her. They'd laugh and everything would be ok just like it had been a hundred times before.

Gio finished his math homework next and realized he might be ready to take the HESI exam later in the year; something he was still debating as becoming a registered RN was becoming less and less a part of his forward trajectory.
He checked his watch and decided to call Angela real quick via SKYPE to phone before she fell asleep, but then her dad picked up and he clicked off fast. Thank God for anonymous calling in the 21st century.

Gio went downstairs and the smell of fried pork chops was instant and his stomach growled.
The smell of Goya and Sofrito was always heavy when she cooked, and oh so damned good.
"A salad, yea right," he muttered under his breath but then broke his own rules and got himself a slice of aunt Vee's flan from out the fridge.
As expected, his mother's telenovela was playing loud with her sitting in the dark eating both the empanadas from Gordy's AND the pork chops while in front of it.
He sat next to her on the other end of the couch and waited for a few minutes while watching the show, wondering if she'd be the one to talk first and save him from the awkwardness of having to dig himself out of the hole he'd made for himself.

SUDDENLY, on the screen a scene between the ranchero and the master of the house ensued with the signature music the show was known for and he smiled, expecting her to start talking now, as she wouldn't be able to resist herself from commenting on it.
He took a bite of his flan and realized a moment later that she hadn't even moved.

Gio SNAPPED his head to look at her and she was sitting there, very still, eyes open, TV light reflecting off her face, plate of food perfectly on her lap.
"Mom?" He said.
She continued to watch the show, still no movement, EYES WIDE OPEN.
"Mom?" He asked again.

She wasn't blinking. She was just still. He turned to look at her from the front and noticed her mouth was slightly open, her hands were to her side, and she was completely not moving.

"Mommy?" He asked her in a mousy voice... before realizing she wasn't there anymore.