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‘You too.’ I returned the look and leant in to kiss him.
I rested my head on Patrick’s shoulder and just enjoyed the boat, the sunshine, and his warmth. The whole afternoon I smiled until I could no longer because my cheeks hurt. That’s what Patrick did to me – he made my insides hurt because I was so damn happy. He made me forget about the hard times and reminded me of what there was to look forward to every day.
Two hours later, the gondolier dropped us off at Patrick’s jetty. We hopped off and walked back inside. I always loved walking into Patrick’s house; I wasn’t sure if it was the beauty all around or because I was so besotted with him. I think it was probably both – I could never get sick of either him or his house.
‘Well, that wasn’t Venice, but Noosa’s pretty nice,’ Patrick said with a stretch of his arms to untangle his stiffened muscles.
‘It was amazing. So why a gondola, anyway?’ I eyed him curiously.
‘You said you always wanted to go to Italy, so I thought I’d bring Italy to you.’ He let his arms fall back down and smiled.
As soon as he said those words, the whole morning made sense – the sunflowers, the gondola, the antipasto platter, the champagne. It was true I’d never been to Italy, but being with Patrick brought me to Italy every day. Today was just extra special with the gondola ride.
‘Aww, you’re too sweet.’ I beamed.
‘I’ll have to take you to the real place one day, though.’ He smiled to himself. ‘It’s winter there now.’ He looked back at me.
‘One day, but I can barely imagine it being better than today.’
As the day went on, we drank mineral water and wrapped presents together in the middle of the lounge-room floor because the dining table had been taken over with luxurious tableware and festive decorations. I loved the smell of wrapping paper. There was something about Christmas paper – it smelt like sweet wood and pine trees. Every time I wrapped presents, the smell and silky feel of the paper transported me back in time. Christmas was always my favourite time of year because it was a time of giving, sharing, and reconnecting. And it felt like everyone’s birthday.
It was exciting but nerve-wracking imagining the Vitellos and Clarkes together for Christmas, but meeting Elizabeth had cast any remaining doubts from my mind. She was so thoughtful; I still couldn’t believe she’d had stockings hung for my family members too.
After hours of wrapping presents, Patrick stole my attention away from the purple and pink sunset with his Christmas carols on the piano. I stared down at his strong yet delicate hands and watched as they pressed down onto the keys. Warm sunlight poured through the crystal-clear windows and streamed across his hands. He began to sing but soon stopped himself after hitting a few off-key notes. Both our heads fell back with laughter at his bad singing. I took over, placing my hands on his shoulders, and sang as I listened to him play.
‘I didn’t know you were such a bad singer.’ I squeezed his shoulders gently. ‘So, you do have flaws, after all.’
He laughed and looked up at me. ‘Everyone is riddled with flaws. Just sometimes it’s better to focus on the good traits and not the bad ones.’
I nodded my head in agreement. ‘You’re right about that. I can definitely say since I met you, my self-doubt has diminished.’
‘I’m glad.’
I sat between his thighs with my back pressed into his firm chest, and we watched the sun sink behind the waterfront mansions while our hands remained threaded. He pecked me gently on the nape of my neck, then rested his chin on my shoulder.
***
Later that night, after passionate sex, we lay cuddled up in Patrick’s gigantic bed – my arms wrapped around his neck, and his arms around my waist. I listened to the sound of his steady breath and relished the tickle of his eyelashes on my cheek while our heads nuzzled together. I was so happy that it brought tears to my eyes; my heart had never felt so warm and whole.
He kissed my forehead. ‘Imagine if we died like this together,’ he said in a soft romantic voice as his hand locked with mine.
I laughed. ‘One day, we might.’
