“I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
That smile I adore breaks out on his lips. “I love you, Valencia Marie Giannotti. I love you and our family. You’re all I ever want. I’ll continue being in awe of your bravery every single day.”
I am willing to fight through it all for him.
For our children.
For myself.
I am.
“Amore mio?” That voice I adore soothes me awake with a kiss to my forehead.
My eyes flicker open to Giulio’s compassionate gaze. “Hi.”
“Hey there. How are you feeling?”
“Not too bad. Did I…pass out?”
“You were explaining to Sergeant Flynn what happened and by the end of it you passed out in my arms. Apart from a few bruises, the doctors cleared you. They did run tests and found chloroform in your system. He said within a few hours under observation you’ll be okay and be discharged.”
“What time is it?”
“Just after noon.”
Noon? A third of the day has passed since I entered that basement at 4 A.M. this morning!
“Could you…” My throat is parched. “Could you please turn on the light and get me a glass of water?”
Against the drawn shades, brightness fills the sterile hospital room. Giulio returns to my bedside and I thank him when he hands me a cup of water. The liquid purifies me.
The two reddened cuts by his cheekbones where Blue Eyes sliced him yesterday are closed wounds now. Emotions still consume me because of it—also because of his red glassy eyes.
He’s been crying.
“Lencia, darling. I…” Giulio exhales a sharp breath, his face crumbling.
I pat the sheets beside me and he carefully lies down. His head rests upon my stomach as my fingertips slowly run through his thick black hair. It’s enough to bring an optimistic smile to my lips.
They tried to kill us.
They attempted to take out an entire family.
They failed.
“I was terrified, Valencia. My heart broke when you weren’t in the basement with Oscar and Slonne. This could have been much worse if we didn’t have a tracker on you.”
“I know, but I’m okay now. How are Oscar and Slonne?”
Please let them be okay.
“They’re both well and are in good spirits. The perpetrators are still at large but they didn’t injure or harm them. They’re healthy. It’s a miracle that they’re still smiling. They’re with Helena now. She’s outside. But I…if you drowned, I wouldn’t have taken it.”
A groan escapes at the sharp pain to my ribs, causing Giulio to jerk up. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I just have to get used to it.” I rest my head on the fluffy pillow, motioning for him to settle back down beside me. “I’m here now. I’m right here, Giulio. We just need to find Addilyn now and we’ll be okay for good. We can’t give up on that.”
He kisses my hand. “We’ll never stop looking for her. I was wrong, Valencia. I was so damn wrong when we decided to get a separation.” His fingers weave through mine now and he takes my ring finger, kissing where the diamond once rested. “I am sorry so for everything. I am sorry for hurting you. For the lies. For scaring you. For losing you. For believing a separation would fix everything. I never thought it would come down to this.”
“Baby, we’ve already gone through this. None of this is your fault.”
“Then why do I feel like it is my fault? If I believed in hope from day one we would have never spent these past months apart instead of spending them together.”
“We don’t know that. There may still have been issues. Addilyn could have still been missing. The ransom call could have still occurred. You could have still lost your car and money. I could still be in this hospital gown.”
“That’s true…I guess the most important thing is somehow we found a way back to each other.” Giulio shakes his head. “You’re too good for me.”
“No, I’m not.” My chest rises and falls with passion. Passion for him. “You were scared and your childhood is a big part of what made you into the man you are today. I understand that now. It will always be a part of you, but you need to have some acceptance and empathy for yourself too. You went through hell and back, Giulio. You deserve to clasp happiness now. It’s your birthright.”
My voice lowers as a nurse passes outside. “You have three beautiful children and an alright wife. We’re your life now. We’re together in this. We’ll never suffer alone. I want to be a part of your past, your present, and your future. So when you are feeling this way, when the anxiety sinks in, talk to me like you always encourage me to. Talk to me baby, because you mean the world to me.”
The healing has been within each other’s hearts this entire time. We were both hurting and instead of confiding in each other, we built barriers. We needed this separation to understand just how deeply our love runs and just how connected our hearts truly are.
The devil laced us with evil but goodness always seems to find its way back to us.
“Thank you.” Giulio looks at me as if nothing else matters. “I don’t want anybody but you, Valencia. After these past twenty-four hours, I know we can surpass anything. You’re the only one who understands me for me.”
“You’re the only one I want. Nothing matters more than family.”
“Thank you for saving me last night.”
A crooked smirk pulls on my lips. “And thank you for saving me this morning.”
“I’m so proud of you. You’re a fighter, the way you risked your life for me and the twins…”
“It’s a mother’s instinct.”
Giulio grins. “And you’re more than just ‘an alright’ wife; you’re the most beautiful person I’ll ever meet, inside and out.”
“I’m looking forward to starting this new chapter of our lives.”
“As am I. We began believing in ourselves and each other, and we conquered. The past twenty-four-hours only confirm just how short life is and
