I'll Always Choose You #Watty's2023

28. Gio

I paced the yard as nerves enveloped me. I never thought that I'd ever be in this position. I always pictured myself being single and alone.I figured that my only companion would be Cameron but then Nico came into my life and flipped it upside down. In a blink of an eye, he became the most important person in my life and I vowed to protect him with my own life. Then the boys came into the picture a few months later and my whole world shifted in a way I never imagined.

I never thought that I, a man who runs a gang and a business, would ever have a family. Not after I lost my own. Not when I had so many things to overcome from losing my family to getting revenge on the people that took them from me. But everything seemed to have gone in a way I wasn't expecting. My main focus had now turned to keeping my family safe and making sure they're not in danger because of who I am.

"Are you nervous?" I glared at Cameron who grinned making me roll my eyes, "You are nervous!" He burst into laughter making me hit him over the head, "ow, I bit my tongue."

"Good," I replied and he huffed crossing his arms, "how far are Nico and the boys?"

"They should be arriving within the next five minutes,"he replied and I nodded. The box in my pocket has never felt heavier then it did in the moment as Cam and I waited for Nico to arrive from the park with the boys.

Even though we haven't gotten any threats in a while, I still wasn't going to let them go on their own and sent Arrow and Jonah as their bodyguards to keep watch over them.

"He'll say yes, you know that, right?" Celine asked as she walked towards us and I nodded. "You two have been through a lot to get to this point,"

"I know," I replied just as Cam announced that Jonah had arrived and that he was bringing Nico and the boys to the back. My nerves had stated to dissipate but were now back in full swing at his words.

"Relax and take a deep breath, Gio," Celine said as she placed a hand on my arm. "Nico will say yes because he loves you."

I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat and nodded. I looked towards the double gate doors to see Jonah bringing a blindfolded Nico around while Arrow carried both Tanner and Aros. The boys looked at the yard with wonder filled eyes. Celine, Cordelia and Aileen had decorated the yard with fairy lights that they hung up on the trees and behind me there was a backdrop that had the words 𝙄𝙏 𝙒𝘼𝙎 𝘼𝙇𝙒𝘼𝙔𝙎 𝙔𝙊𝙐 in bold cursive letters. As they got closer, I got down on one knee pulling out the box from my pocket just as Jonah removed the blindfold from around Nico's eyes. His eyes grew big as he took the sight before him before they filled with tears.

"I had this whole script ready," I chuckled as I stood up from the ground and held his hand making him smile with a sniffle,

"It's always been you," Nico said with smile, I wiped his tears away making him close his eyes, "and it will always be you, Gio. I love you, so no matter what you ask me, the answer will always be yes."

That was enough for me to pull him towards me and press my lips against his in a soft kiss as I placed the silver band onto his finger. The same ring that my mother wore when my father proposed. I have kept their rings knowing that I would give hers to the man that I would marry. Cheers and claps echoed around us as we got lost in our own world only to be bright back when Tanner and Aros demanded our attention.

"Mama, Papa." They whined making us chuckle as we pulled apart and turned towards them before taking them off from Arrow before we gave them raspberry kissing earning loud giggles and laughter from them. They squealed and wiggled as the tried to get free.

"Come on, future husband, it's time for these kiddos to have their dinner." With that, I dismissed my gang members and followed my present and future. My family and my world.

*****

The months after my failed proposal went by in a blink of an eye before either of us realized it, it was our wedding. Yes, today after nearly five months of being engaged, Nico and I were getting married. And we were having it here at the house, more precise in the backyard. I took a deep breath as I stood in front of my mirror and looked at my reflection. I wore a black two piece tuxedo with black dress shoes and my hair was—for the first time in a months—gelled and styled to perfection.

Moments like these remind me of how much I wish my parents and sister were alive. I wish they were here watching me as I married the man that had completely changed my life around in more ways than I and ever thought possible.

"You look great, Gio," I looked into the mirror to see Cam standing on the threshold and smiled, "Your parents and Corina would be proud of the man that you've turned out to be,"

I bit the inside of my cheek at the mention of my parents and sister. I need to remember that no matter how much I wished they were here, that it'll never be possible. I have to remind myself that they were in a place where they were happy and were together thriving and watching over me and my family.

"I know," I replied and he sighed as he walked towards me before turning me around and taking hold of the tie I had been struggling to get right for the last ten minutes.

"I have something for you," he said as he fixed my tie and I liked at him with a raised a brow, "But you have to promise not to get mad."

"Why?" I asked and he sighed before stepping back and producing an envelope from his jacket.

"Uncle Santiago gave this to me before he died. He said he had found it in a drawer while he was cleaning out Aunt Gigi's things." He said as he handed me an envelope and I frowned." He said that Aunt Gigi would always stay up late at night writing and adding to it saying that she wanted to give it to you on your wedding day."

"Why didn't you tell me he gave you this? And how long have you been keeping this from me?" I asked, pissed that he was hiding this from me.

"He gave it to me the day he was killed," he answered, but before I could say anything, he added, "he had wanted to give it to you but he knew he wasn't going to be able to so he gave it to me since I was been with him when he lost his life, he told me that I would know when to give it to you.I promised him that I would give it to you on your wedding day like your mother had wanted."

And fuck I wanted to be mad at him but I couldn't. He knew when the right time was even if he knew that i would have wanted to read my mother's final words.

"I'm not mad, Cam." I said and he liked at me as I took a deep breath, "I would have wanted to know of this sooner but you knew that losing her and Corina was still fresh and even more so when Dad died. I am hurt though. I would've loved to have read this sooner, but like I said, I'm not mad."

I'm sorry, Gio," he murmured but I shook my head and sighed.

"Don't be, Cam." I stated and swallowed the lump that formed in my throat, "thank you for this." He nodded before excusing himself leaving me alone with the note from my mother.
My dearest Gio,