by M. D. Melai
“But, you also don’t put up with my shit. You hold me responsible for my mistakes. You challenge me to be a better person each and every day, and you put my wants and needs above your own.”
Emilio’s eyes widened, and his chest visibly rose with every breath he took.
“I have loved you since the moment you walked into my parents’ house and your eyes met mine. That day I saw our future flash before my eyes, and my heart instantly became yours. The day you told me you loved me—I knew I would never get it back. And the day you broke my heart and walked away, I told myself that we were over—never to be again.
“But that was a lie, because the moment I turned around and saw you standing there in the club that night—it wasn’t over.
“It’s never been over with us. I could go over everything the last couple of years and point out each time it wasn’t over with us, but that would take forever. I will tell you, the moment Viktor ordered Lucas’s and your death, it was your face I saw, not his. Yours, Emilio.”
Tears started sliding down both of our faces.
“Violet asked me a while back, if you or Lucas walked out the door and never returned, which one would I regret not living a life with? Which one of you was my one day? And the person who came to mind was you.
“I won’t lie, because being with Lucas would have been the easier choice. We could have rode off into the sunset and never returned, but then I would miss out on that one day with you.”
I was choking up, but I didn’t care. I was going to get it all out there.
“I kept running from you, because I was scared. Scared you would hurt me again, but I can’t live like that. I can’t live with the fear that you may or may not walk away from me again, because even the worst pain from that would never match the regret I would fill if I didn’t give us just one more chance—a chance at love with no lies, no secrets, and nothing holding us back. We deserve it. We deserve the life we were supposed to have before this life got in the way…”
Emilio’s lips crashed into mine before I could say anything else. No regrets this time. No after thoughts would come, because this was the way it was supposed to be—Emilio and me.
“La mia vita, il mio cuore,” My life, my heart, I whispered breathlessly against his lips as I slightly pulled away.
“Ti amo più della vito stessa,” I love you more than life itself, Emilio said as I looked up into the those beautiful gray eyes.
And for the first time in a long time, the thunderstorm that raged in those once stormy gray eyes calmed.
Nothing but a promise and a future stared back at me.
Epilogue
“I thought I might find you out here,” Violet said as she stepped out the back door and closed it.
“I didn’t want to waste the beautiful night.” I smiled as she sat down in the seat next to me.
“I’m exhausted,” she sighed. “Today was good, though.”
“Yes, it was.”
“It amazes me how far we’ve come in these last three years,” Violet stated.
“I know,” I laughed. “There have been so many things that have changed these past three years—for the good, though. I mean look at Nikolas and Faith, and my relationship with them. I feel like sometimes I hang out more with them than you.
“Nikolas is thriving under Benito’s leadership, and the Heinrich territory develops more each day. And Faith, that girl I swear.”
After the death of Viktor Heinrich, certain circumstances went into limbo for a while as Nikolas, Faith, and Adela tried to handle his affairs. As it turned out Viktor really was broke and about to lose everything. He had made some extremely bad investments, had several companies going under, and was living well above his means.
Nikolas became the new head of the Heinrich family, and asked Benito for his help. He wanted to run things just like our family did, so Benito became his mentor.
It was amazing the drastic difference that had taken place in Heinrich territory since then. I could walk the streets just as safely there as I could in my own family’s territory. It was nice to be able to go and visit Faith and Nikolas on their own turf without fearing for my life.
My relationship with Faith and Nik had grown dramatically. Faith and I had been friends before, so picking up where we left off was actually pretty easy, but Nikolas was different. We had to build a new relationship. It took us a while, but we got there. He was so funny and caring—the complete opposite of his father.
Faith, once again, had become my number one distributor for fabrics and furniture. The first time I stepped back into her shop was the best day—it felt like home.
Both of them were pretty amazing people. We spend a lot of time together these days. We go out to eat, and we have game nights once in a while. I can’t imagine my life now without them in it.
“She and Lorenzo are so cute together, though.” Violet exclaimed. “And…I heard a rumor that on their two year anniversary Lorenzo might be popping the question.”
I smiled and laughed. “I might have heard the same rumor, and I may or may not have already seen the ring.”
“No way! That’s so not fair!”
“It’s a perk of having Lorenzo around all the time.”
“Lucky,” she said as she shook her heard. “How about Lorenzo’s other half? Can you believe Paolo hasn’t killed Elle yet?”
“It’s different when you’re in love,” I laughed.
Elle had been… well, Elle lately. She was now a lead designer for LilyVi Designs, and an asset to not only our company, but to us personally as well. She definitely kept Violet and me are on our toes.
Six months ago, she and Paolo ran off to Vegas, and now they’re Mr. and Mrs. Vincelli. None of us saw that one coming, especially since they had only been together for less than six months. But nonetheless, we were all happy for them.
“Adela looked good tonight,” Violet said. “I can’t believe her and Enrique almost missed their flight. Can you imagine getting married without her here?”
“No, I couldn’t. I’m glad they made it.”
Adela had stayed long enough to help Nikolas and Faith get back on their feet, and for us to get to know each other. These days she was somewhat of a world traveler, splitting her time between New Jersey, Spain, and Germany.
She met an amazing man named Enrique in Spain about a year ago, and they are so incredibly in love. She deserves to be happy after everything she has been through.
As for Adela and my relationship, we’ve grown really close. We act more like sisters than anything else. When she is in town, we hang out, have dinner, and, of course, go shopping. I miss her when she is gone, but we keep in touch on a daily basis through video chats and phone calls.
“What are you thinking about?” Violet asked. “You have that look in your eyes.”
“I was just thinking about how cool it has been to watch Benito, Mamma, and Adela interact with one another. They make me smile, knowing they’re all happy.”
“I can tell.”
We sat there for a few minutes not speaking, until the quiet was too much for Violet.
“How do you do it?” she asked.
“Do what?”
“Sit out here. It’s so quiet! I can’t stand it.”
“You’re just used to two screaming kids running around the house,” I laughed. “I would have thought the quiet would have been nice.”
“No, I can’t stand it,” she replied. “That reminds me, I should probably call my parents to see if they survived their first night watching them.”
Vincente and Valentina, or Vinny and Val as I called them, just turned two. They are a handful to say the least. Sarah and Frank had flown in for the wedding, and were on official babysitting duty.
They were in for a treat with the twins. Emilio and I watched them every Wednesday night for Dante and Violet so they could do whatever they needed to get done. While I loved watching my niece and nephew, I was always relieved when they went home. Those nights
Emilio and I slept well—passing out from exhaustion.
When it came to the twins, poor Violet was getting paid back for Dante’s childhood.
“Don’t stay out here much longer. You need to get to bed soon. Tomorrow’s the big day!” Violet said as she got up and headed inside.
“Just give me a minute,” I said, waving my hand in the air.
I sat out there for a little while longer, not really thinking of anything in particular—just enjoying the peace and quiet.
Today had been busy getting last minute things together, and I knew tomorrow would be a whirlwind.
But I was ready.
I was never more ready for anything in my entire life.
***
It felt weird waking up all alone in bed this morning. It was the first night in three years Emilio and I hadn’t spent it together.
His scent was light on his pillow as I took a deep breath in. I had tossed and turned for hours, until finally curling up on his side.
I smiled to myself as I thought about how after today I would never spend another night without him, or another morning not waking up to his arms wrapped around me.
Today I would become Emilio’s wife.
It was something I had dreamed about since the moment I laid eyes on him all those years ago.
I laid there for a few more minutes—a million and one emotions running through me—before I finally got up and made my way downstairs.
Violet was making breakfast and my mother, Elle, Adela, and Faith were all sitting up at the breakfast bar drinking coffee and chatting away when I walked into the kitchen.
“How are you doing this morning sweetheart?” my mother asked about the same time Violet set a plate of food in front of me.
My stomach turned at the smell of the food, and I knew that I was on the verge of throwing up. Instantly, I pushed it away.
“What’s the matter?” My mother’s voice sounded concerned
“I’m just nervous, and not really hungry,” I responded reassuringly, still trying to hold the contents of my stomach down.
I wanted everything about today to be perfect. I had been waiting for this day for so long I was panicking over things I knew didn’t even matter. I was going over a list of everything in my head when Violet’s voice brought me from my thoughts.
“We’re going to be heading up to the church in about thirty minutes.”
“Okay,” I said giving her a tight smile as I got up and headed back out of the kitchen. “I’ll be ready,” I said over my shoulder.
I was almost to the stairs when Violet caught me.
“Hey,” she asked as she took my hands in hers. “Seriously, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I’m good. I’m just tired, and worried.”
“This is going to be one of the best days of your life, and I promise that everything is going to be amazing. Do you remember how nervous I was on my wedding day?”
“Yes,” I half-laughed. She had been a mess.
“And what did you tell me?”
“That everything was going to be perfect.”
“And was it?”
“Yes,” I said smiling. “It was.”
“So stop worrying and enjoy the moment. It’s been a long time coming.”
“Thank you, Violet. I don’t know what I would do without you,” I said as I pulled her into a tight hug.
“You’d be lost,” she said as she hugged me back. “Now hurry up and get dressed,” she said pulling away. “We have a lot to do today!”
***
We spent the next couple of hours decorating the sanctuary, and then running over to the reception hall to check on how Kay was doing.
I had insisted on decorating the church instead of having Kay and her team do it. I thought it would make it more special.
It took the six of us about two hours to get everything together, and I was pleased with the outcome.
The aisle had a white aisle runner that was sprinkled with red roses. Every set of pews had a black hanging lantern sitting in front of them. One set of lanterns were placed on a stand, and around that stand was a mixture of red and white flowers—the others just sat on the ground plain, but beautiful. And each lantern housed a tall white candle that was to be lit closer to the ceremony time.
We kept the altar simple with just two large flower arrangements on each side—also with red and white flowers.
After we finished at the church, we ran over to the reception hall to see the progress before we had to get dressed.
Kay had everything almost finished and looking perfectly beautiful by the time we arrived. I couldn’t believe how fast she had transformed the enormous ballroom into a magical reception area.
The round tables were covered with silky black tablecloths with a black and white damask pattern runner down the middle. A tall, clear vase with red roses, in a half circle, sat on top of a round glass mirror. Four small white candles surrounded the vase, and a dusting of red rose petals adorned the table.
The silverware, glasses, and red silk napkins had already been set out and placed on each table as well.
The dance floor was in the center of all the tables, and the DJ’s stand was off to the side. The chandeliers were bright right now, but would be dimmed later, and extra lighting was set up around the walls giving the room a soft red glow.
The cake table was decorated with the same tablecloth and table runner as the dining tables. I was excited to see that the cakes had already arrived as well. The bridal cake was a masterpiece. The five tiered cake was a depiction of my and Emilio’s relationship. Our pictures, from all the years, were in black and white and wrapped around the whole cake. Fresh red roses topped the cake, and several were placed sporadically around, giving it that extra splash of color
Emilio’s cake was a traditional chocolate cake with a swirl design, and chocolate dipped strawberries were strategically placed around it.
After checking on everything at the hall, it was time to head back to the church to get ready.
I almost burst into tears as I thought about how everything looked on our way back, but I held it together. Everything was coming together just like I had imagined it, and everything was going to be perfect today.
Chelsea and her team were getting out of their cars as we pulled back up into the church parking lot.
“Cutting it close,” she laughed as we got out of the car.
“You know it.” I smiled back.
In no time, all of us girls were seated and telling our personal stylist what our vision for the day looked like.
***
Three hours later, I was standing in front of the full length mirror in my dressing room, waiting for Benito to come in.
My mother, Adela, and the girls had left moments ago, after they helped me into my wedding dress, to get ready to walk down the aisle. They all had looked so beautiful as they hugged me.
My mother and Adela were both in black dresses with red accents, and Elle, Faith, and Violet were in full-length red bridesmaids dresses with black accents.
My emotions were running high as I took in my appearance. As soon as Emilio had asked me to marry him, I knew I had wanted to wear my mother’s wedding dress, and here I was standing in it.
Her wedding dress looked stunning.
For a dress that was over fifty years old it looked like I had just walked into a boutique and bought it off the rack.
It was a sweetheart A-line white dress, with three quarter length lace sleeves. The lace design covered the entire top half of the dress, and continued to rundown the length—a classic catholic wedding dress back in the day.
My hair was pulled back in a sixties small beehive, and a small diamond band accented the bottom of it. My makeup was perfect as it complemented my eyes.
The knock on the door was so soft I almost didn’t hear it.
“Come in,” I called as I turned away from the mirror and towards the door.
Benito entered with his hand on his eyes. �
��Violet told me to cover my eyes until you told me to look.”
I laughed. Classic Violet.
“You can look,” I said once he was fully through the door.
A mixture of emotions ran across Benito’s face as he looked at me— happiness, sadness, and then love.
“Liliana, you look beautiful,” he said as he came closer. Tears were already sliding down his face.
“You promised me you wouldn’t cry,” I said as I tried to hold my tears back.
“I lied,” he said with a half-smile.
Our relationship had grown so much. We had found a happy medium. He hadn’t replaced my father, but he wasn’t my brother anymore either—he was just my Benito. The first time I introduced him as ‘My Benito,’ he looked at me funny, and later asked why I had done that. I told him it was my way of showing respect for him, and our situation, without labeling him. I’ll never forget as I watched his eyes fill with tears as he took in my words.
My love for him had changed, and so had my attitude. I valued his opinion more, soaked up his advice, and loved him deeply. I looked forward to each and every time I got to see him, and I loved watching our relationship continue to grow.
“Lily, you have grown into this beautiful woman. You will never know how proud I am of you, or how much I love you.”
“I love you too,” I said, not able to hold back the tears anymore.
“Hey, now,” he said, grabbing a tissue. “You’re going to ruin your makeup. You promised no tears today too.”
“I lied,” I said, taking the tissue and patting my face. “Like father, like daughter I guess.”
“I hate to break this up,” Kay said, entering the room. “But you better hurry—it’s almost time.” And just like that, she was gone.
“Shall we?” Benito said as he held out his arm for me.
“Yes, we shall,” I said as I wrapped my arm around his, before we headed out the door.
As we headed toward the sanctuary, I still couldn’t believe I was about to marry the man of my dreams, and spend the rest of my life with him.
