Page 79 of Veil of the Past
She stares at me for a moment, her hand trembling against her lips, tears streaming down her cheeks. And then she nods, a sob escaping her lips. “Yes,” she chokes out. “Yes, Romiro, of course I’ll marry you.”
I let out a deep breath, sliding the ring onto her finger, my hands shaking. I stand and pull her into my arms, kissing her with everything I have, feeling her melt against me, her fingers threading through my hair.
When we finally pull apart, she’s laughing and crying at the same time, her eyes shining with joy. “I can’t believe this,” she says, her voice full of wonder. “It’s perfect. It’s… everything.”
I smile as I brush a tear from her cheek. “There’s one more thing,” I whisper.
“What?” she asks, looking up at me.
“The ring… it was your Nonna’s,” I tell her softly. “I wanted you to have something that would always remind you of her.” She had given it to me after that first dinner. Her Nonna cornered me and said,I know you’re going to propose, sooner or later, but you’ll do it. And I want Alessia to have this ring.
Her face crumples, a fresh wave of tears spilling over, and she pulls me into a tight hug. “I love you,” she whispers against my neck.
“I love you too,” I reply, holding her close.
And then, from behind us, there’s a burst of applause, and we turn to see Mara, Emiliano, and Valentina stepping out from behind the trees, clapping and cheering.
Alessia laughs, wiping her tears. “You! You all knew?” she exclaims.
Mara grins, pulling her into a hug. “Of course, we knew,” she says. “We’ve been helping Romiro plan this for weeks.”
Alessia shakes her head, still smiling. “What would you have done if I’d said no?”
Emiliano laughs, clapping me on the back. “We had a backup plan,” he says with a wink. “But this is much better.”
The rest of the night is a blur of laughter, hugs, and congratulations. The candles burn low, the fairy lights twinkle in the trees, and the stars come out, one by one, filling the sky with their light.
As I hold Alessia close, her head resting on my shoulder, I feel a sense of peace settle over me, a feeling of rightness, of knowing that this is exactly where I’m meant to be. I look around at our friends, our family, and I know that no matter what comes next, no matter what challenges we face, we will face them together.
