The sun is beginning to go really low in the sky when I finish packing my box in preparation of going to Marco’s place. The thought of spending several days with him thrills me and not even the thought of being in the same space with his parents can dampen my spirits.Chaira waltz in just as I am preparing to head out of the room, she promptly raises an eyebrow at my luggage.“Where are you headed to with such heavily-packed box?”In no mood for coyness, I answer as directly as possible.“Marco’s.”“Didn’t you just get back from his place a couple of days ago?”“And your point is what exactly?”She raises her hands in mock surrender.“Nothing, I’m just surprised at how you people went from zero to one thousand so quickly.”“That’s rich coming from you who spent a whole extra one week in Santorini over a guy you just met.”She smiles coyly at my words, yeah something definitely went down in Santorini, but knowing Chiara, she won’t say anything till she’s ready to share.“That rem
I look up from the scattered papers on my desk and sigh heavily. Becca is doing a fine work of managing my new company but my time on the sickbed has left me a pile of ledgers and letters that require my signage and perusal. Things are really getting better for me, a few more months of hard work in and the company will be in the competitive market already. I pick up one of the letters on my desk and give it a quick read, several sentences in and my eyes widen at what I’m reading. I quickly drop the piece of paper to pick up my phone, with a record speed, I pull up Becca’s number and dial it.She picks on the second ring.“What’s up, Marco?” She greets jovially.“I’m fine, I just saw a letter regarding an investment from the McCarthy Group of Companies.”“Oh that, I wanted to talk to you about it last night, but I didn’t want to intrude on your conversation with Valentina. They want an investment slot with us.”“Wow, these figures are huge.”“Yes they are, an investment can propel u
“Ok then, I’ll go heat up something for us.”“How about you my dear , sit down at the dining or anywhere comfortable while I go and heat up something for us.”“What? No, I’ll do that.”“Dolcezza, I insist. Would you like juice or anything?”“I’ll have whatever you’re having,” I say, returning his smile.As Marco disappears into the kitchen, I can't help but be excited to see this side of his caring nature again just like when we first met. I hope this comes to stay if and when we decide to get back together.“There’s leftover pastiera di riso, what do you think?” Marco calls out from the kitchen.“Sounds perfect,” I reply smiling, thinking about the pleasant rapport we’ve been having lately.“You know, now that you’re feeling better and Becca’s returning to her own place, you might need some help around here,” I mention casually.“Funny you mention that. I was actually thinking the same thing last night,” He admits.“I like Becca. She’s so kind , full of life and helpful.”“She feels
I gaze bleakly at Marco’s house out of the window of my car window till it becomes smaller and smaller and eventually goes out of my sight. The past days has been exciting, I will choose spending time indoors with Marco over any outdoor activity any day and any time. Unfortunately, work can no longer wait and I need to be at the office. As Nate drives through the city, I pull my iPad from my bag and go through the itinerary Adanna has sent to me. Nothing much is planned for today, just a few meetings with some partners and I will be done for the day. I really can’t wait to be back home with Marco, in fact, I look forward to it already.A text message pops up on my phone.“Hey Stranger.” My heart skips at the sender’s name. James.I dial his number without a second thought, it’s been a while since our last conversation.“Hey.” I say into the phone as soon as he picks.“Valentina, how are you?” “I’m fine, you?” I reply“I’m doing great. What’s up with you?” How is recovery?”I sigh d
“Including the drug charges?”I ask in disbelief at what I just heard. The charges against my father have been dropped following his release, I’ve always known the Fabio family had connections in the higher places but I didn’t know they could do this.The lawyer shakes his head grimly at my question.“Unfortunately, those charges still stand. The police found the drugs in his closet and he has already confessed it was him who stashed them there, that cannot be undone.”My heart falls at his words, the hope growing in me earlier dies immediately.“So what do we do?” “For now, nothing but wait for a court order regarding that.”“What about his assets?”“No news about that yet, but I strongly advise against placing too much hope in getting them back.”I look away my brain thinking fast about the new development, I guess I should be happy all the charges have been dropped except the drug charges. The good news is I have access to the company shares now, he can always rebuild his life f
I follow Marco out of the spare room, his excitement is beginning to rub off on me and I smile even further. He’s like a child who wants to show off his toys and I can’t help but wonder what he is so delighted to show me. He pulls me towards the door to the room I use when I’m here, he stops at the door with a broad smile on his face.“Close your eyes,” He commands.“Marco just open the door.”“No, humor me. Close your eyes.”“Fine.” I agree and close my eyes obediently. I hear him open the door and gentle lead me inside. I wait till I hear him close the door before taking a step further, he promptly holds my hand and pulls me in a direction I suspect to be where the bed is.He stops and I stop too with my eyes still closed.“Can I open my eyes now?” I ask impatient to see what was waiting for me.“Yes.” I open my eyes slowly in anticipation of what I will see.There is a lovely gown laid on the bed with matching heels, I walk closer to the bed and see the rest of the items. Ther
The ringing of my phone wakes me up from an otherwise restful sleep, I open my eyes slowly. I struggle to keep my eyes open while trying to get a bearing of where my phone is ringing from. The sound of my ringtone echoes again and I curse loudly. Who is calling me so early in the morning anyways?I grope the bedside table for my phone, when I finally touch it I pick it up. Giovanni!“What is it?” I grumble into the phone, I really just want to lay in bed all day with Valentina.“Hello to you too.” His cheerfulness takes the little sleep left from my body, I don’t trust that early morning cheerfulness.“What is it this time?”“You are asking me? I should be asking you that question considering the uproar you’re causing right now.”Valentina walks in, sleep is still evident in her eyes making her look innocent and beautiful at the same time. I am momentarily distracting me from what Giovanni just said, I bring myself back to the call giving Valentina a soft smile.“What do you mean?
I bid Marco farewell with a warm hug, knowing it's time to head to the office. Nate is already waiting outside, so I quickly gather my things and make my way towards the door. Just as I'm about to leave, Becca arrives, and although I won't be present for whatever discussion they're about to have, I trust Marco to fill me in on the details later. “Don’t stay too long.” “I won’t.” I promise with deep meaning. I head towards the car where Nate holds the door open for me, I raise my head to smile my appreciation at me but he quickly shuffles his eyes away. Odd. I shrug it off and climb into the car. I keep reading several articles throughout the drive till we pull into the driveway. “Thank you.” I say as I step out. Adanna isn’t waiting at the door today which I take to be a good sign, it means there is nothing pressing that requires my attention. I walk into the building, nodding politely to the greetings from every corner. There is this shuffling in my workers eyes
6 years later………I roll up my hair, tying it into a bun as I prepare what the children will eat on their way to Mother’s place after Gabriella’s ballerina performance. Since the twins came along, our lives have been overwhelmed with intense joy.“Drop that floss, Gabriella!” I yell, running after her.“Daddy said I can have them,” she squeals, running outside with it.“I’ll go get her, Mama,” Gabriel says, running after her.“Thanks, baby.”Just then, Marco strolls into the kitchen.“Why are you giving me that look?”“We agreed on no sugar today, but you went behind my back and gave Gabriella permission to have cotton candy.”“What cotton candy?” he asks, trying to feign ignorance.“Marco, don’t play dumb.”“Okay, babe I’m sorry. When she asked, I intended to say no, but those big eyes got to me. It won't happen again,” he says, wrapping his arms around my waist.I gently push his hands away and reach for the children's food pack.“Baby, I said I'm sorry.”“Marco, this has to stop. Yo
As we gradually shift from autumn to winter, the smell of fallen leaves fills the air. The crisp, cool November breeze gently brushes against my bare skin as I stand outside our home, taking one final look at it before we move to our new place. I gather my last bag, smiling as many special memories here with Marco begin to play in my head.“I'm going to miss this house. We have so many good memories here.”“Me too,” Marco says staring at the house.“I know Becca is going to care for this place just like we did.”“I know she would.”“Look how far she has come. Buying her own cars and house.”“Business has been good and also, she suggested it was time to show my face.”“I agree with her. I know this isn't goodbye goodbye because we will obviously come and visit but it feels like it.”“Don’t worry, you will fall in love with this new place.”Marco drives us to our new place in Florence with our things already in place. With this new place, He went over the top. In this new home, it is l
Since Nonna learned about my bleeding, she has stopped me from going to work and instructed Mr. Thomas to step in until I give birth, which he agreed to without hesitation.Everyone went wild about the news, especially Mother and Nonna, and we all can't wait to find out their gender next month. Now that I'm showing, the general public now knows.With Mother’s wedding coming up, everyone aside from me has been super busy preparing for the big day, which is tomorrow.The only duty I’ve been given is to pick up Chiara’s dress because she wasn't around to take her measurements when we did. Once I pick it up, I drive down to the resort Nonna booked for the wedding.Nonna insisted she sponsor the wedding, and knowing Nonna, no one could argue with her. If you didn't know about our family history, you would mistake Alberto and Mother for her children.“That took you forever, sexy preggy,” Chiara says, opening the door.“Is this the thank you I get from crossing the Mediterranean Sea to get t
I pace up and down Giovanni’s corridor, seething with anger at what I witnessed hours ago. I had planned to surprise Valentina by picking her up from Nonna’s place for dinner, but I got surprised instead. I was so confused about whether to reveal myself or not. In the end, I turned around and headed for Giovanni’s place.Just a few nights ago, I was appreciating how well our marriage has been going and how open we are with each other, but what I saw today casts doubt on that belief.“So you saw her with James and?”“I didn’t like the way he was all over her. To make matters worse, she told me she was going to greet Nonna and Mother but didn't mention James would be there too.”“Okay? What if she didn’t tell you because she knew you would react like this?”“You are supposed to be on my side.”“Marco, tell me what you want me to say or do. Beat him up? Besides, you knew about his connections with the Matteos before you went in. Why do you have a problem with him all of a sudden? If you
Maintaining my pregnancy a secret till I start to show ended the moment I walked into Nonna’s place. Mother and Nonna simultaneously chorused it the second I stepped foot inside the house. Ever since Marco, Nonna, and mother found out about my pregnancy, I've been treated like an egg. With Marco, it's even worse. This man won't let me do anything at home. Mother and Nonna have made it their sole mission to stock up my house with food. Now all I do is go to work, peruse documents with my legs crossed and eat junk.It's a miracle that my clothes still fit. Preparing for the Pure Beauty Award global ceremony tonight, I put final finishing touches to my look before I slip on my heels. I wish father was here to see to witness this moment. His beauty and skin products were nominated for the Pure Beauty Award ceremony. “How do I look?” Marco asks stepping out of his closet.“Handsome as always.”“You look ravishing my love and I know you will bring home all the awards. You've shown nothin
I'm amazed at how much progress my parents and I have made. Visiting them frequently and vice versa without anyone bickering. Valentina and mother's laughter erupts from the kitchen filling the entire place as they organize lunch. “Marco, how has business been going?” Father asks, stretching a plate towards me.“It's been good, and how are you adjusting to your new line of business?”“Adjusting fine. Never knew I could do so well in supervising building projects. I'm taking that class you recommended.”“That's beautiful.”“Enough of business talks,” Mother announces, walking in with Valentina as they set the rest of the food on the table.“This smells so heavenly,” Father compliments, and I nod in agreement.“I can't take all the credit, your wife also assisted.”“Thank you both.”As we dish our food, I notice Valentina dishing a smaller portion of what she would normally eat, an occurrence that's been consistent for the past two weeks now. Also, lately, she has been easily irritated
“See that glow, you weren't this good-looking before you stepped on that plane last week. Despite the workload you came to handle after you got back, you are still looking flawless. Hmm, must be the marriage glow and the other reason why women glow,” Chiara gushes, offering me a plate of cake.“Your place just keeps getting better. I love what you did to the wall.”“Thanks, it is sad no man is surprising me with an aquarium in my home simply because I can’t get over moments from my trip.”I flush, remembering how I came home from Bora Bora to a gigantic aquarium nestled in a corner of our living room. A gift from Marco because I couldn't stop talking about our glass-bottom boat tour.“Stop being dramatic.”“I want my man too. Is there something I'm not doing right?”“Soon, you'll find your perfect match.”“I know, I just need to know how soon. I may have noticed you’re overly bubbly these days? Are you pregnant?”“What? No. Chiara, you are way too observant for my liking. You used to
These past few days in Bora Bora have been some of the best moments in my life so far. I can’t get over the beauty of the underwater world. The beautiful, colorful fishes and the coral reefs were breathtaking. I took so many pictures to last a lifetime.The thrill, fear, romance—everything—we experienced it on this trip, and I hate that we have to leave tomorrow. I don’t want it to end. My highlight has to be seeing Marco scream like a child when we went skydiving. Who ever knew that a day would come when I would see Marco Lorenzo scared of something?The lingerie Chiara and I shopped for has been nothing short of a game-changer. Chiara was right when she said they had the power to make a man lose his senses.Can the world just pause for another week so Marco and I can continue having so much fun without coming back to a truckload of work on our desks? I shudder at the thought of the workload piled on my desk right now.Cristos! Yesterday was Mother's date with Alberto, and I forgot t
Surrounded by lush greenery and the stunning beauty of the coastal waters, I feel completely refreshed and renewed. The peace here is unmatched, providing a perfect escape from the usual hustle and bustle of Tuscany. I’m still yet to get over the Mahi Mahi and rice from yesterday—so divine.After our long flight yesterday, we chose to relax and unwind for the rest of the day. I place a gentle kiss on Valentina, who is still sleeping soundly.I connect to the resort’s Wi-Fi and just as I'm about to start preparing for the day, Giovanni’s call comes in.“I’ve been away for how many days and you suddenly can’t breathe?”“Good day to you too, and last I checked, you are not Flora. Unlike you, I’m a good brother always wanting to check up on you and you, on the other hand, forget your brother once you are lost in love. How’s the honeymoon going?”“Wonderful, it’s such a beautiful place to be.”“I’ve been told. How’s your wife?”“Sleeping soundly. Yesterday’s flight was a bit overwhelming.