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My eyebrows knit as I wonder what in the heck he’s doing.
The ocean breeze whisks across my neck as some seagulls caw as they pass by and then disappear into the horizon, reminding me that we’re indeed in paradise. But apparently, this is only the tip of the iceberg.
With his strong hands, Sergio opens the shell and inside the oyster isn’t something I put in my mouth, but instead something I put on my hand.
Immediately I sit up straight, my hands going to my face as I gasp at the humongous diamond inside.
Taking my hand, Sergio slides the ring to the tip of my finger.
“Beautiful. You searched for someone and you wound up with me. Then I came back. Then you left me and I found you all over again. The crazy life has already tried to separate us multiple times, even sending other men in-between us to try and do the job.Try…but never succeed, because I refuse to let them. Not now. Not ever. You are my woman. You belong to me. And with this ring, I promise you we’ll never be separated, apart, or anything other than side-by-side ever again. You’ve been mine since I first met you. I knew it. You knew it. Now it’s time for the whole world to know. Will you marry me?”
This has all happened so fast and is so out of control with so many questions left unanswered. I don’t care. Because the one most important question is clear. Do I love him? Yes, with all my heart. With that knowledge, I know the rest will work itself out.
“Yes. I’ll marry you.”
“Damn right you will,” he says, sliding the ring on my finger, pumping a fist, and then grabbing me under the armpits and lifting me high into the air, spinning me around before settling me in his arms where he sears me with a kiss to last a lifetime.
“There’s a lot we don’t know about each other, but that’s the beauty of it. We’ll figure it out together because of the one thing we know completely about each other. Our love. You love me. I love you. That’s how it will always be, my fiancée. I love you.”
“I love you, my fiancé.”
Our lips lock as he clasps his arms around me, a promise to never let me go. One I accept, despite the consequences because of the out-of-control, reckless and wild love I feel from my one and only jealous savage.
Epilogue
Sapphire
Six months later
“Sapphire Sabato,” the president of my college announces, and I stand from my chair, one hand on my thigh as I’ve put on quite a bit of weight these last six months, thanks to my pregnancy.
Making my way to the stage I hear Sergio whistling, clapping, and cheering like a madman next to my dad and his golf clap and my mom and her latest boy toy. I’ve come to accept my parents and the crazy lives they live because it doesn’t bother me anymore. They can do what they want. It’s fine. I don’t need their love and affection. I get all I need from my man, my husband, my biggest supporter.
The one who’s financing me starting tomorrow as I embark on the newest small-business owner in America. I can’t wait to get my graphic design shop up and running. It’s not even what I got my degree in, but it’s what I love. And Sergio’s love for me, and his generous donation, have allowed me to pursue my passion.
As I darn near waddle toward the stage I think back to yesterday when I asked if I’d need a bullet-proof vest for today’s ceremony. Sergio told me I’m safe now. First and foremost because he’s my man, and secondly because he had a come to Jesus talk with the two warring families. They’re both actually happy he did what he did, because it gave fresh blood a chance to move up the ranks, and fast. It’s not like a man can kill his father, or at least he clearly shouldn’t, even though that old man is making crazy decisions that could jeopardize the mafia families they’re involved in.
It was like a spring cleaning, with newer leadership taking the helm, digitizing a lot of things, and completely overhauling the businesses to bring them into the twenty-first century, albeit over two decades late.
So “we’re good” as Sergio put it. We can walk the streets freely and more than anything we can almost expect a hero’s welcome when we enter certain Italian establishments, although Sergio wants no part of it. He says that it’s not worth it, and it’s in the past.
The future is with me, as he’s demonstrating right here and now and over this last half a year in the way he flew back to the states to ‘convince’ the dean to let me finish my studies remotely. Sergio does have a strange way of negotiating that gets the other side to always buy into his argument. Wonder why that is?
I laugh to myself knowing the answer. All I have to do is look at him, which I do just as soon as I take the diploma from the dean. Even from this distance, it’s clear to see the man is beaming with pride. And it’s not from his own accomplishments, it’s because of me.
Well, maybe one ‘accomplishment’ is his. The one in my stomach.
I can’t wait to start a family with him and shower our baby with all the love neither of us received as children. Sergio was an orphan and I was ignored, so we have a lot of love saved up in us for just the right person. Our baby…and all the ones that come after it.
I can’t wait.
And apparently, neither can Sergio because he comes darting out of the stands as I pass his side of the auditorium. He grabs me by the hand and says, “Let’s go celebrate. Savage style,” into my ear, but apparently one of the microphones in the auditorium picks it up.
My fellow graduates and the families on hand burst out laughing and then there’s a loud roar and the sound of applause as we get a standing ovation.
“She’s mine!” Sergio yells, and the crowd really goes for it, their approval drowning out the sound of the dean, who has to pause out of respect for the next names he’s going to announce.
I don’t want to be that person that steals the spotlight away from anyone else, especially in this big moment for all of us. It’s why I’m glad the dean pauses…and why Sergio doesn’t.
