Page 47 of Hello Goodbye Amore

Tio smiled, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small box. “I had this made last week after the tests were sent in. So yes. The tests were immaterial. I don’t want you and Ricky to leave. I want to be clear. You and Ricky are in my heart, and I don’t want either of you to leave. So stay here with me… both of you.”

Chase found himself nodding. “Okay.” Tio slipped the ring onto his finger. “You know that my mother is going to go out of her mind, and I expect that once I tell her, she will be on the next plane to Florence. You are going to have to deal with my mother’s version of the Spanish Inquisition.”

A smile spread over Tio’s face. “I’ll endure anything for you. And that includes facing your mother’s wrath. Hell, I say we put your mom and my mom in the same room and see what happens.”

Now it was Chase’s turn to smile. “With our luck, they’ll make friends and we will never have a moment’s privacy.” Tio kissed him, and Chase melded against Tio, content and happy.

“ARE YOUcrazy?” his mother asked when he called and told her. He and Tio had made love to celebrate their engagement, but Chase couldn’t sleep, so he left the bed and went to the living room.

“Mom, I love him, and Tio isn’t the same person he was then. You need to let go of what happened, because I have. The world has moved on, and—”

“But what he did to Elaine,” she countered.

“Mom,” he said softly. “Elaine did things to him too. She never told Tio that he had a son.” He faced silence on the line, complete crickets. “Ricky is Antonello’s son, my son… and soon to beourson. I know it’s complicated, but I wanted to try to explain everything to you.”

“Is that why you’re marrying him? To make the whole custody issue easier? Because if that’s it, we can mortgage the house to fight them. Just come home and we’ll get ready for the legal fight of the century.” Damn, she was in fine form.

“No, Mom. I love him, and I’m Ricky’s daddy. If I want to go, Tio isn’t going to fight me. He loves Ricky too, and he promised that he isn’t going to do anything to hurt him.” Chase’s throat ached. “That’s how I know he loves us, because he’s willing to give up both of us if it will make us happy.” For the first time, tears ran down his cheeks. “Can you understand that?”

“Did he really say that?” she asked, some of her fury abating.

“Yes, Mom. And we want you to come over to visit. I want you to meet his family and get to know them.”

“Do they know?” she asked, calming down further.

“That we’re engaged? No, not yet. He just asked me tonight.” Chase couldn’t help looking at the ring on his finger. “He made me a ring, Mom. It’s something he designed especially for us. It’s got four small sapphires in it. When I asked him why four, he said there was one for him, me, and Ricky, and a fourth for the friendship and love he had for Elaine. Losing her was like losing part of myself, but that wasn’t Tio’s fault. His only crime was choosing his duty to his family over Elaine, me, and a child he never knew he had.”

His mother sniffled, and Chase jumped as a warm hand rested on his shoulder.

“I woke up alone and wondered where you were.” Tio gently rubbed his shoulders. “Talking to your mom?” Chase nodded, his emotions so close to the surface. “Okay. Come to bed when you’re done.” He kissed the top of Chase’s head and left him alone again.

“It’s really going to be okay, Mom.”

“What about your job?” she asked.

“I don’t know. I’m not going to tell Dewey anything until it’s closer to the time that I’m supposed to leave. I want to have options, and I want to see how things work out.” He smiled to himself.

“Will you get married there?” she asked.

“I don’t know where we’ll have the ceremony.” He figured from a legal perspective it would probably be best to marry in the States. The Italian legal system and marriage/civil unions had a few issues because of the church that could be avoided by marrying back home. “But probably back there, though I’d have to talk to Tio. Everything is up in the air.”

She paused, and Chase wondered what she was thinking about. “Are you happy? Does he make you happy?”

“Yes, I am, and he does.” Chase found himself smiling.

“Then I’m happy. It’s going to take some time to process these changes, but if you need anything, you let me know.”

He smiled. That was his mom, the tiger. “I will,” Chase said before ending the call and sitting back. He sighed with contentment before returning to the bedroom. When he climbed into bed, Tio pulled him close.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yes,” Chase answered as he closed his eyes.

“I heard your end of the conversation,” Tio whispered. “Your mom is… concerned.”

“Yes. But I think she just needs some time.” Chase ran his hand over Tio’s chest and down his belly. “She also asked where we’d get married.”

Tio chuckled. “I think the legal part should be there. It will make things easier. I’d like to have a traditional wedding celebration here for all my friends and family so they can see that what we’re doing is normal—ordinary—and the same as they do for their children.”

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