GOLDWING (ing version)

chapter 43

" god must have kneaded you and i
from the same dough
rolled us out as one on the baking sheet
must have suddenly realized
how unfair it was
to put that much magic in one person
and sadly split that dough in two
how else is it that
when I look in the mirror
i am looking at you
when you breathe
my own lungs fill with air
that we just met but we
have known each other our whole lives
if we were not made as one to begin with"

Our Souls Are Mirrors, Rupi Kaur.

1 year has passed since that night when Vic did what I wanted to do for a long time. It was really funny to give her the ring, to see her reaction. At the time, she made me a foil ring, as she hadn't bought anything. The news reached the band members the very next day, our family members at a small party at our house. It was actually Vic's house, but soon it would cease to be. We had plans to move house, to build a house in Trastevere, which was already moving forward. It was hard to find a perfect area, but after searching a lot and negotiating prices, we had the land. From there, we got great architects who designed us a house the way we wanted it. With two sinks, a space for cats or dogs, a big living room for us to receive friends, guest rooms, a pool, and a room for a possible new member.

The band's new album, Four Stars, had just been released. As well as attracting many new fans, it had received impeccable reviews. The perfect life that had long seemed far off was coming true. Six months ago, we won the Grammy for Recording of the Year with If You Were Sober, it was one of the happiest moments of our lives. At the VMAs, Best Music Video with a Message, with If You Were Sober's Music Video. EMAs, for Best Live Performance of The Hope Lullabyes - Rooftop Sessions on the day of the premiere, same day she gave birth. Victoria de Angelis was nominated for Woman of the Year by Billboard. I repeat, woman of the year. Nothing she doesn't deserve. Fashion design student, bass player, model, activist, dancer and singer in her spare time. She is beyond amazing.

The wedding was set for December 16, at a seaside hotel in southern Italy, with a surprise location. 1 week before, Victoria went to LA for her bachelorette party, while I preferred to do a weekend with friends in Puglia, despite the sun not appearing so much anymore. Naples, Alberobello, Sorrento, Capri, Positano, Amalfi. Those were the 6 possible wedding locations. Who came up with that idea? Obviously Victoria. The guests would all be in Naples, and then some vans would take them to their destination. Something worthy of a movie, but which became real. For godparents, my brother Jacopo and Vic's sister Nica were chosen.

The day arrived, and I was more nervous than ever. My second wedding, the first without being in church. I had slept a deep sleep the night before, because I slept thinking about what was going to happen the next day. I was going to get married, this time for love, to my person. Nothing in this world could make me happier than that. Through the corridors of the hotel, our friends, family members were passing by. I saw Jacopo and Nica giving the rings to the mother of the little girl of the rings, Vic's cousin. That little girl reminds me so much of Vic, and Angel. It is surreal to think that she could be on that day today, walking with us. Yet I think she must be proud of us, for having rediscovered a long-buried love for her, for having created a bond that would bind us together forever, a person with our blood. Relatively recently, due to some issues, Victoria had an egg extraction procedure, on the advice of a doctor. I remember seeing her expressions of pain during the procedure, and I was always by her side, hand in hand. They extracted 8 eggs, and would freeze them for a few years, and if we needed them, they would always be there, our genetic material. At that point, I didn't want to put pressure on her for anything, even though my desire to have children was great. She was happier than ever, healthier than she had ever been. The diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes came, and that helped her a lot to control the bouts of hypoglycaemia.