Page 112 of Third Degree

“Get up, old man. Your age is showing,” she teased. I rose to my feet, pulling her into a tight embrace. “Of course I will marry you again,” she mumbled into my chest as our friends applauded while Amalia approached us.

“Congratulations, my love,” she hesitantly offered to her daughter.

“Mamma?” Gianna questioned, disbelief coloring her voice.

Her mother smiled. “Surprise?”

“I’m so happy you’re here!” Gianna released my arm and enveloped Amalia in a heartfelt hug.

“Happiness looks good on you,” her mother whispered, planting a kiss on her cheek before fetching us glasses of champagne.

I gazed at Gianna, my lips descending upon hers, capturing them in a passionate kiss. The soft moans that escaped her mouth only urged me to hold her tighter.

“Elio,” she gasped breathlessly in the space between our mouths. “There are people here.”

“I don’t care,” I growled, deepening the kiss, giving myself permission to explore her fully.

“I need to go say hi to everyone. We can finish this later.” She pulled away and dropped a final kiss on my cheek. “I was given the okay from my doctor to resume any physical activity. In fact, it was highly encouraged.”

She winked, and I was left speechless, utterly captivated. Her giggle only served to fuel my adoration.

I missed this part of her. The look of happiness and pure freedom after all that we had to go through to find our way back to each other, forever connected. In the end, we had always been destined to be together.

Watching Gianna join her friends, I couldn’t help but sit and stare at her as she walked away from me. She was always the endgame for me. She was always the catalyst for the freedom I desired.

It was always her. It always would be her.

I watched as she turned away from the group she was with. Her beautiful eyes as they locked on mine and the way the very corners of her mouth twisted up.

Without saying anything, she gestured for me to come over, and as I took the few steps that separated us and closed the gap, I reached out and watched as her fingers interlaced with mine. My beautiful wife.

I leaned in to inhale her familiar scent, something I would never get enough of. I placed my lips upon her creamy, warm skin and we once again locked eyes with each other.

In a crowded room of people, I would always find my way back to her.

I’d loved once before, butGianna would always be the greatest love of my life.

In a low murmur, after we pulled away from a languid kiss, I locked eyes with my beautiful wife and saw my forever.

“Sei stata sempre mia, rosa mia.”You have always been mine.

Est caritati neque aetas nec fines nec exitus

Epilogue

Gianna

It was a beautiful afternoon as I grabbed the wedding dress that I had chosen from the bag. We had been staying in Positano, a little cliffside town on the Amalfi coast in Italy, for the last few days. Today, surrounded by our friends and family, we were going to renew our vows on the balcony overlooking the entire town at sunset. It was the perfect backdrop for the perfect day.

“How are you doing, Gianna?” Elio asked me from the bathroom. He always checked in with me. It was something I had asked him to do, especially with the changes that had been happening inside me.

“I am so happy.” It was the honest truth. I hadn’t felt this complete in such a long time.

“Are your friends coming to the house today?” Elio had just gotten out of the shower, and I was too stunned to speak.

I watched the way his thick yet distinguished body looked with only a towel on. We were doing everything very untraditional because we were already married, so we spent the morning lazily in bed.

I walked over to him and placed my hands against his warm, thick abs, where a littleVwas etched.

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