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‘For not being there when you needed me. For sending you away and not explaining why. For not being the one who held you while you cried. For not being enough.’
‘Oh, Salvatore… even in the depth of my pain, I think I always knew there had to be a reason for you sending me back to England. Salvatore Diavolo De Luca, you were always meant to be my devil and my saviour… You are more than enough for me… I forgive you your sins against me...’
I let out a slow exhale of relief and then stalled as I felt her fingers on my wedding ring. Slowly, with her eyes still focussed on mine she twisted the metal one way and then the other. In question, I tipped my head backwards and stared hard at her.
‘Little bird.’ The words left my mouth, cautioning her and her actions.
The metal travelled over my finger, until she pulled it off completely.
‘What are you doing?’ I questioned, understanding that my anger was just below the surface, and making my nostrils flare.
‘Shhh.’ She lifted her hand and put one finger to my lips.
Noticing movement, I looked down to watch her remove her own rose gold wedding ring.
‘Serafina. No!’ I warned, shaking my head slowly from side to side.
Her head twisted, and she raised her eyebrows at me. She was warning me, and it would have been fucking comical if I hadn’t felt so fucking terrified. The sort of terror I’d last felt as my mama was taken away. I thought fleetingly then how terror was a funny asshole. I’d looked death in the face many times over the years and all it had done was to drive me forward.
Because death doesn’t scare a man who has no real desire to be alive.
But Serafina had become my desire. I wanted to live; but only with her.
Was this going to be my punishment?
She’d forgiven me, but didn’t want me anymore?
No fucking way!
‘For better or for worse,’ I voiced what I was thinking.
With my eyes only focussed on her as I stared at her, trying to make her feel my anger and pain, I felt her turn my hand over until my palm was skywards. Then she placed the warm piece of gold she’d been wearing only seconds before in the centre of my hand and closed my fingers over it.
‘Salvatore Diavolo De Luca, do you accept Serafina De Luca to be your lawfully wedded wife?’ she questioned and smiled up at me.
Her question hung in the air as I leant my head to the side and took the time to study the woman my wife had matured into.
‘I do.’ My voice rang out strongly around the church. ‘Shall I get the priest back in?’
‘No, we have no need of a priest.’ She pushed my ring back onto my finger and I took her lead.
‘Serafina De Luca, do you accept all that I am for your husband?’
Her hand reached out and I felt her fingertips run gently over my jawline.
‘I do,’ she whispered and smiled shyly at me.
‘Uhh uhh’ I chastised her and quirked one eyebrow up at her, ‘Do youalsopromise to honour and obey me?’ I couldn’t stop the smile that threatened the corners of my mouth.
‘Yes, mostly… and I promise to love you until death do us part.’
I nodded at her, for the first time almost accepting of her love.
Wasting no more time, I flipped the piece of gold forward in my hand, caught it and using my fingers I pushed the ring home and spoke with authority. ‘Then, I pronounce us man and wife.’
Her arms reached out and she placed her hands behind my neck to pull my mouth to hers.
As our lips met, I kissed her with everything I was. With truth, pain and forgiveness all intermingling in the pleasure of her soft, yielding flesh. A few years before, on this very spot, I’d kissed her with passion but equally like the prize I had won.
