I didn’t know if he slept as well as he should’ve the last few days in Aruba, but I didn’t get woken up by thrashing or wake up alone so I was thinking he was sleeping okay. This made me so happy.
We were heading to Costa Rica to plan our wedding. He told me that his sisters, Sarah, and Lisa could help, but that it would mean it was small, just the Ferrano side of the family
“If that’s all right?” he pushed again, when I’d already told him twice that it was perfect.
“Absolutely,” I reassured.
He again offered to fly in my foster parents.
I declined. “They have foster kids, their own kids, Cal has a job. They can’t just up and fly here. It’s fine. Don’t worry.”
“You want some of your girlfriends flown in?”
I shook my head. “No, Tommy. You said you didn’t want anyone to know where we are from home.”
“I don’t. If we fly them there, we fly somewhere else afterwards. No one can know where we are. No one but my family.”
“Don’t worry. Your family is my family now. I’ll be good.”
“Baby…”
“All I need on my wedding day is my groom and a beautiful dress so I can knock your socks off. Honestly. That’s all I need. You… Tommy Ferrano… are all I need.”
His hand was quickly in my hair and he used it to pull my mouth to his, crushing his lips against mine.
Tommy
On our way to the airport in Aruba, we stopped in a café to meet the guy I was getting our new identification from. This was just a middle man. Actually, there were two middle men. I was being cautious.
I got Tia to choose aliases for us, Tommaso and Valentina Caruso. But when I got our marriage license, I got it in our real names, of course. Zero doubt she’s mine in my mind, but not gonna chance it with the law either.
Costa Rica
Tia
The house Tommy rented us in Costa Rica? The stuff dream houses are made of.
Private, on a stretch of sandy beach with a long dock (perfect for fishing. He’d ordered fishing rods.) and an outdoor area for grilling, campfires, and lounging. The house? Huge. And the roof had an in-ground pool and massive patio on top. I could not get over it. I wanted to live in this house forever.
Within hours of arriving, gym equipment was delivered and set up on that rooftop.
“A place to swim and box,” I mused. “Teach me boxing?”
He smiled. “Sure.”
“I’ll learn to kick yer ass,” I informed.
“Be fun to watch you try.”
I winked and as the workers had just left, I went to the kitchen to survey ingredients. He’d had the place fully stocked with food, too.
This spot was beautiful; the house was huge for entertaining the family when they arrived, and the beach was a perfect spot to get married. I was thrilled.
***
I woke up to thrashing beside me. I fumbled for a lamp, but then remembered we weren’t home. We also weren’t in Aruba. We were in Costa Rica and the master bedroom didn’t have tables or lamps on either side of the big bed.
“Tommy?” I called.