Age had gradually made Nonna's world smaller, and although she was surrounded by people who loved her, there were still many hours when she preferred simply to sit quietly with her memories. She would think about the past, about the people she had loved and lost, about the years that had passed so quickly. There was a peace in her solitude, a quiet acceptance of the life she had lived.
Yet whenever little footsteps approached her, her face would brighten.
"Big Nonna!"
And she would turn toward him with a smile that erased all the weariness from her features.
"Come here, my little big boy."
Eli would run straight into her arms, his small body crashing against hers with all the enthusiasm that a four-year-old could muster. She would hold him close, breathing in the scent of his hair, feeling the warmth of his small body against hers.
