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Romano wraps his arms around me and my world feels whole and safe. This is where I’m meant to be, I just know it.
Romano
Holding Simone in my arms like this is something I thought I’d never do. Holding another woman. But it feels right. She could never take the place of Amara. But being with Simone feels like the next chapter of my life is beginning. I was prepared to be alone for the rest of my life. Now I feel like I’ve been given a second chance at love. And if I’m reading her right, she feels the same way about me.
“Have you ever had a relationship?” I ask her softly.
Simone shakes her head no.
“My parents wouldn’t allow us to date or even talk to boys.”
“How old are you?”
Caitríona told me how old she is, but I want her to open up to me.
“I’m twenty-one, I’ll be twenty-two soon. How old are you?” she asks, looking up at me with her big cerulean blue eyes.
“I’m twenty-six, soon to be twenty-seven. When is your birthday?”
“October seventh.”
Holy fuck.
“That’s my birthday too.” I smile.
“Really?” Her eyes get even bigger.
I chuckle.
“We can celebrate together, we’ll have a party here. It’ll be a lot of fun, we like celebrating birthdays and special occasions.”
“I’ve never had a birthday party. We usually just got a few presents and my mother would make our favorite dinner and dessert.”
“Well this year you’re going to have the biggest party ever.”
Simone’s smile lights up her face. “I can’t wait!”
“When is Lucy’s birthday? She turns eighteen, right? That’s a big milestone.”
Simone nods. “Her birthday is in February. Do you think it would be okay to throw her a surprise party?”
“That would be a lot of fun, I bet all the women would love to help you plan that.”
“I can’t wait to see her face. She’d never expect something like that. Hey, Romano? Can I ask you something?”
“You can ask me anything.”
“How come you don’t have a girlfriend? Or a wife? I see the women here watching you, and I can tell they want you. But you’re here with me…”
I take a deep breath. I guess it’s as good a time as any to tell her about my family…and my loss.
“It’s a long story, why don’t we sit down and I’ll tell you about me.”
I take Simone’s hand and lead her to one of the empty tables. I sit next to her and face her, I want her to know that what I went through will always be with me. But that I hope that she wants to be a part of my future.
“I had a wife and three children. Bruno was seven, Romeo was five and Oriana was three. I lost all of them a year and a half ago in Italy. I moved here six months after it happened because everywhere I went, all I saw was my family. I told myself that I would never go through that again. I was okay being alone.”
Simone is looking at me with tears streaming down her face. I wipe some away and kiss her hand.
