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One of the boat crew walks toward us with a tray of cocktails, and Antonio takes them, handing one to me.
“Too many adventures with the love of my life.”
“Antonio, this is so magical.”
“The night is only just beginning, beautiful girl. There is still so much more magic coming.” He spins me and then pulls me against him, sipping his cocktail with a glint in his eyes.
When we are out on the open ocean, a man comes to tell us that dinner is ready to be served. He guides us toward a second, higher deck, where they have set up a gorgeous table with fairy lights around it and soft music playing.
Antonio holds the chair for me as I sit down and then pushes it in behind me.
He sits next to me, with his hand wrapped over my thigh and his eyes locked on me.
They serve our first course. Oysters in chili vodka sauce with a splash of lemon.
We have another drink, and then they bring out the main course, calamari and prawns, in lemon garlic butter, with crispy thin-cut potato chips, fried golden brown.
We laugh and talk and watch the sun sinking below the horizon across the ocean. The sky turns bright orange with fire tones, and then when it turns purple and pink, Antonio holds out his hand, inviting me to dance with him.
He pulls me onto the dance floor behind our dinner table, and the music grows louder. I lean my head against his chest as he sways my body back and forth.
“Little bird, when you came into my life, I did not know the things that you would do to me. The ways in which you would change me and how you would show me what love truly is.”
I tilt my head back to look up at him.
“Seraphina, I love you. I will always love you. You are my entire world, and I never want that to change.”
He steps back and downs onto one knee.
“Will you marry me, my little bird?”
My mouth drops open with surprise, my eyes grow wide, and the surge of emotion that explodes inside me has me laughing like a little girl. I leap into his arms where he is kneeling, shouting, “Yes. Yes, I will marry you.”
He catches me, laughs, and kisses me. Pressing my lips hard against his and making my heart beat so fast with excitementand happiness that I feel as though I am made of nothing but love.
Then he stands up, pulling me with him, and slips the most beautiful ring I have ever seen in my life onto my finger.
It catches the light and glitters vibrantly.
I glance up at him. My heart is screaming with joy.
“You said yes,” he grins.
“Did you expect me to say anything else?”
“I was nervous when I asked,” he laughs.
“I will say yes a thousand times for the rest of my life.”
He kisses me again, and the most beautiful stars glitter above us.
A few months after Antonio proposes, I am sitting at breakfast with my Gung Gung, who has flown to New York for our wedding in two days.
“How is business going, Gung Gung?” I ask as I pour him a mug of tea from the cast iron teapot.
“It is better than it has ever been. This resolution between our two families has revealed just how much we were all holdingourselves back, so focused on war instead of on growth. Our profit increase is through the roof, and everyone is thrilled about it.”
“That is so good to hear. Antonio says that everyone on this side is also surprised and very pleased with the outcomes so far. They are looking to expand further from what I have heard.”
