Simon whirls around again, raising his voice as he points at me. “What you feel, yes. But what about him?” He shakes his head. “Marco is twice your age. He’s an old man, like me. He’s at a different point in his life. He’s not worried about college or starting a career, he’s halfway through his. He should be sending grown kids off to college himself, not dating one.”
“I do love you, Dad,” Hannah says, a little sadly. “But Marco is nothing like you.”
“I know we have an age difference,” I say. Perhaps a little of an understatement. “But that means nothing to me. You’re worried that I don’t feel the same commitment as Hannah, that I will let her down.”
“Of course you will!” Simon practically explodes. “You don’t care about the same things. You’ll get bored with her and fly back to Italy.”
“Actually, when she’s finished studying, I would like Hannah to come to live with me in Italy,” I say. “But that’s something we can discuss further down the line. Because, as much as I love my country, I would go anywhere for her.”
“You say that now, but it’s only words,” Simon scoffs.
“You’re right,” I say, simply. “It is only words. And actions speak louder. That’s why there’s something I want to do.”
I turn to Hannah, who is looking at me in surprise. She has no idea that I had something else planned, and she’s as much in the dark as her father is. But what I have to say, and do, I hope will be enough to reassure both of them that I’m here to stay. In it for the long run.
“Hannah,” I say, taking both of her hands in mine for a moment. “It’s been less than a week since we reconnected. But I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. You are the one for me.” I drop to one knee, letting go of her hands to reach inside my jacket pocket and draw out a jewelry box. “I want to be by your side for all time. I want you to be my wife and bear my children. Hannah, will you marry me?”
Hannah takes a second to react. I can see it in her glazed eyes and her slightly pink cheeks, the surprise, the overwhelming happiness, the struggle to process and articulate. But then she overcomes it and opens her mouth. “Yes,” she says, simply, the only word I wanted to hear.
I laugh happily, realizing I haven’t even opened the jewelry box to show her the ring. I do it now, the diamonds of my grandmother’s antique engagement ring catching the light, glinting as I take it out of the box and slide it onto her finger.
I rise to my feet and lift her off the floor, into an embrace, tipping her forward into my arms and squeezing tightly. Both of us are laughing like idiots, and when I pull back for a kiss and see the wetness on her face, I realize that I, too, am leaking tears of joy.
Only one person remains. I look back at Simon, waiting to hear his reaction. The two of us could not be happier, and I only hope that he can see that.
A long moment passes. In the end, I almost think that he will tell us that we don’t have his blessing, that he wants me to leave, that I won’t see his daughter for as long as he is alive. But then he raises his head, tears shining in his eyes, and I know that we have him at last.
“You look after my daughter,” he says, his voice choked. “Damnit, Marco. I only say this because I can see how happy she is. But if you ever make her unhappy, if you make her cry or break her heart, so help me God…”
“I know, old friend,” I say, laying a hand on his shoulder. I understand everything that he’s trying to say, even if he struggles for the words. I feel the same way about anyone who would hurt Hannah. “You will tear me limb from limb and feed me to the dogs. I would deserve nothing less.”
Simon nods his face a warring landscape of different emotions and accepts a hug from his daughter. He still refuses to look at me over the top of her head, and I know that it might be some time until things are comfortable again. But that’s fine. Because after everything, I have the one thing I want more than anything in the world. My Hannah. Even when I didn’t know it was her that I was looking for, I was searching.
And now that I have her, my life is complete.
Well, except, just maybe, for the pitter-patter of tiny feet…
EPILOGUE
Hannah
I’m in the kitchen when I hear the front door open and close, and a gentle chime plays. These days, Marco’s coming home routine might be a bit less dramatic, but I can still always tell when he arrives home.
It was his idea to have the chime play when he comes back. That way our baby girl also knows that her Daddy’s home. I hear a happy gurgle from behind me, where she sits in her playpen, and smile to myself. She’s becoming a real Daddy’s girl.
“We’re in here!” I call out so that he can find us. Before a few moments have passed, I feel a pressure at my back and nuzzle into it. Marco, with his hands on my hips, giving me his homecoming hug. I feel his lips at the top of my head and turn to give him a kiss on the lips, before turning back to stir the pot of boiling water on the stove.
“What delights await us today?” Marco asks, trying to peer into the water to see what’s inside.
“Surprises,” I tell him. “Get changed, will you? It won’t be long before it’s ready.”
Marco kisses my head again, and, with a quick wave at baby Simona,
