“I love you. This is beautiful,” I whisper, and he beams proudly.
“I love you,” he whispers, and I sink into him as our lips collide. “Marry me,” he breathes between kisses, and I almost think I imagined it.
“What?” I breathe back, pulling away to see his eyes. He reaches into his pocket, revealing a beautiful ring with gold stars shooting around it and what I recognize as a moon rock fastened in the center. I gasp, frozen in complete shock.
“Is that a yes?” He laughs, and I nod.
“Yes. Absolutely, yes!” I cry, and his lips part into a grin that reaches his perfectly green eyes. He slides the ring on my finger, and we collide again, just like the Universe, so perfectly and inevitably meant to be.
So as we hold one another in a blissful assurance of our love, I trust that good things are for us and that, oftentimes, the unexpected can be far better than hoping for something spectacular.
EPILOGUE: SCOUT
“Scout, you are the most incredible woman I’ve ever known, and you make my entire life worth living. Before you, I thought I was happy. Now I know that I was sorely mistaken because who you are is the best of me. And without you, happiness is fleeting. I love and will always love you until the end of time.”
Tito raises his glass to toast, the most incredible wedding ceremony I’ve ever seen.
We spent months planning a space-themed event. It seemed pretty fitting, considering our love story always comes back to our shared first love. Our bonding over the stars, our passion for space-themed anime. Everything, down to the oversized and engraved metal nut napkin holders, feels perfectly like us. The entire reception room is like the night Tito proposed— the universe projected, covering every inch of the room.
Cheering ensues as we clink our glasses to his beautiful toast, and I admire his pull on me even now, standing by his side at our wedding.
I chose a simple silk dress with a low back that Tito keeps finding ways to touch whenever I'm near. He went with a white button-up, black and gray pinstriped trousers, suspenders that highlight his muscular body, and a black bowtie that makes me grin every time I look his way.
“I love you.” I mouth to him over the noise, and he says it back in my ear as he pulls me to the center of the dancefloor. I grin into his chest as everyone joins us, and I’m pretty sure the entire wedding party is crazy drunk at this point.
Vince, Tito’s best man, is somewhere with Jess, and we have my bets on what exactly they’re doing. Antonio and Stella are dirty dancing in the center of the room, no matter what song plays. Romeo and Kira, who’s about a week away from giving birth to their twins, are dancing with Nari in the corner of the dance floor. Espie and Olive, my bridesmaids, are surrounded by security, having their own little party with their fifth drinks for the night. And Pops is chatting with the elders at the wedding party table, laughing and drinking and having a good time.
Nothing could make this any better, though I know there’s one thing I would have loved that we just couldn’t make happen. I try not to think about it as I shake it out of my head and turn my eyes to Tito as he spins me around before pulling me into my arms to slow dance.
This song is by no means slow, but I think we’ve always been in our own world together. Have been from the moment we met.
I tilt my chin up to him after a moment, and he lowers his grin to mine until our lips softly collide in a heart-stopping explosion of passion. It’s the magical way we always feel when we’re this close, and I don’t see it ever fading. We sway with one another for the rest of the night, until the room is empty and everyone is waiting outside to send us off.
“I love you,” he whispers into my ear as he picks me up and spins me around.
“I love you,” I whisper back, and he kisses me once more before pressing his forehead to mine.
“Shall we?” He whispers, nodding towards the door, definitely as ready as I am to take this party to our honeymoon suite in Venice. I’m glad now more than ever that we’ve decided to continue to stay in Italy for a while as we head up the entire tech division of the Sicilian mafia. It’s weird thinking about the reality, but it’s becoming completely normal. The moment I look to my side to see Tito every step of the way.
I nod at his question, biting my grin as he takes my hand while walking to the doors. Security opens them up for us, and our family and friends are lined across both sides of the walkway, sparklers in their hands as they cheer for us.
We walk through, waving to everyone before we enter the red Ferrari waiting for us at the end of the walkway. Tito insisted on it before I could tell him I didn't care what we drove, as long as we got married. We wave goodbye one last time after sliding into our seats. Security closes our doors, and Tito revs the engine, taking off around the long bend of the hilltop we’re on.
Just as we get to the base of the hill, beginning towards Venice, my phone begins to ring. I won’t answer any calls while we’re on our honeymoon. I promised Tito that, and I intend to keep that promise, so I grab his hand to assure him that my time with him will be all about us.
“You can get it.” He nods gently, glossy hair waving with this motion.
“No, babe, it’s fine.”
“Scout.” He presses with a soft smile, asserting his point.
“Alright.” I shake my head in chagrin. “It will just be a second. I’m sure.” I let go of his hand, reaching into the cup holder and answering the phone before looking at the caller id.
“Hello?” I’m taken off guard by the robotic answer, and then upon hearing the words, my chest begins to burn.
“This is a collect call from the LA correctional facility. Press one to continue.”
“Who is it?” Tito whispers, sensing my immediate distress. I shake my head as I press one, and I think he’s put it together that it’s nothing good.