“I didn’t save you.”
“You did though,” he replied. “You gave me a reason to live a different life. You helped me have a relationship with my father before he died. You’ve made me a better man in a thousand different ways. So yes, you saved me.”
River’s heart swelled and her eyes shimmered with tears. She leaned over and planted a soft kiss on his lips and offered him a smile as she laid her hand gently against his cheek.
“I love you, Nico Santonelli.”
“And I love you, River Santonelli.”
“Happy anniversary, sweetheart,” she said. “Can you believe it’s been five years already?”
“It’s passed in the blink of an eye.”
She nodded. “And it just keeps getting better every single day.”
"It does."
They stared at each other for a long moment, letting themselves be wrapped in the tendrils of love, thick and deep, that surrounded them.
“So, how about that breakfast?” she asked.
“I think I changed my mind about our itinerary.”
“Oh?”
He nodded and got to his feet. She let out a squealing giggle as he scooped her up and carried her back toward the villa’s bedroom.
“I think breakfast can wait,” he said. “There’s something else I want to eat first.”
River laughed and kissed his neck. “I sure hope you can keep up with me, old man.”
“I’m about to show you that not only can I keep up with you, I can still pass you.”
“Bring it on, baby. Bring it on.”
As Nico carried her into the bedroom, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him passionately. She truly didn’t know what she’d done to deserve this beautiful life. What she’d done to deserve all the joy she’d been given. She didn’t know what she’d done to deserve it, but she was beyond grateful for it.
And as he laid her down on the bed, River pinched herself. Just to be sure.
The End.