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In the morning I wake yawning and I roll over in my bed. At first I'm disoriented; this isn't the cruise ship, or the fancy hotel. There's no warm, cinnamon smelling Marco beside me ready for a romp.
Fluffing my hair, I stare at my familiar windows, my ceiling, my rug. "I'm home," I say out loud, centering myself. I check my phone. No messages from Marco. Bothered by this, I decide to settle my brain with a hot shower.
But it doesn't help.
Neither does ordering crepes. I can't blame Uber Eats; nothing can compete with the food in Italy. I eat them anyway, sipping the coffee that tastes flat. I've been spoiled by experiencing food and drink in the presence of a man I loved. Everything tastes better with Marco near me.
The knocking on my door is loud––hard enough to scare me. It's an insistent knock. Rushing over, I check the peep-hole. On the other side is...
"Marco?" I blurt, opening the door for him. "What are you doing here? I thought you were visiting your mom!"
"I was," he growls, storming inside. His energy is erratic; like a living snow storm. I'm happy to see him, but my joy is tempered by his mood.
"What happened?" I ask.
"She lied to me."
My eyes pop wide. "She what?"
"Lied to me!" he snaps, whirling to face me. "My darling mother was faking the return of her cancer this whole time!"
I grip a kitchen chair to stay on my feet. "But why..."
"To force me and my brothers to sign the damn CEO contract. It was a ruse to pressure us. She said we wouldn't have taken her seriously, taken the business seriously, without the threat of her death."
I swallow hard, feeling my heart pound in my chest. "That's... that's terrible."
"You're telling me," he snarls, pacing back and forth. "I wasted all this time, thinking my mom was dying. I was so upset, I couldn't even think straight. And now...now I don't even know how to feel."
I reach out a hand to him, but he shrugs it off. "Hey, it's okay."
"How?" he snaps. "I don't even know who I can trust anymore. My own mother lied to me about something so serious. What else has she been keeping from me?"
I take a deep breath, thinking carefully about what to say. "Well, for starters, you can trust me."
He looks at me then, his eyes softening. "You're right. I do trust you." He sees me with fresh eyes, grabbing me tight, pressing me to his firm chest. "God, you're the only good thing in my world. I love you, Filia. I don't need my toxic parents. I never did. But it was hard to accept that without something...someone...to soften the fall."
"I'll catch you each and every time," I whisper sincerely.
He's silent as he embraces me. Then he steps back, hands still clutching my shoulders. "You mean that."
"Of course."
"Then..." His eyes dart to the wooden plane. He releases me and hurries towards it. I'm unsure what he's doing when he takes it, fiddling with the top. To my surprise the hatch pops open. "I was going to wait. But now, this moment feels right."
"What are you––Marco?" He's come back to me with the plane. He holds it out until I take it warily. Looking inside, I see the item in the hatch. My heart pulses, I doubt it will ever slow down. "No way."
"Take it."
"Marco, is this what I think?" Pulling out the velvet box, I turn it side to side. He grabs the plane so I can use both my hands. I don't, though. I just stare.
"Go on," he urges me.
Swallowing loudly, I pop the box lid. Inside is a shining silver-gold ring with a diamond as big as a boba tea ball. "Oh my god."
He takes the case, dropping to one knee. "Filia, will you marry me?"
Tears prick my eyes as I look down at Marco. He's staring up at me, his eyes full of love and uncertainty. "Yes," I whisper, "I will marry you."
