Forever and Always

Chapter 18: Marry me

Sophia laughed as she sipped her coffee, sitting along side Nicolas across from his grandmother. Donna was telling her embarrassing memories of his childhood. She looked to her side to see him blushing, she giggled while kissing him upon the cheek. He smiled. Donna seen something in her grandson's eyes then, something she had never seen in his eyes before. A love, a passion for a woman.

"Well Buona sera, Nonna! I will see you again soon." Nicolas spoke bidding his grandmother a goodbye.

"Thank you Donna, for everything." Sophia spoke hugging her.

"Oh no, I must thank you. I have never seen my Nicolas so happy with a woman." She spoke smiling. Sophia smiled back, and they parted.

It was now late again, they had spent the whole day with his grandmother.

"I'm sorry we spent your first day in Roma with my grandmother, I know it must have been quite dull compared to what you had in mind for today." Nicolas spoke taking her hand.

"Oh not at all Nicolas! I love your grandmother, and I had a wonderful time. It was the perfect way to spend my day in Rome." Sophia spoke. He smiled at her as he kissed the back of her hand and they walked the streets. He loved her, he loved her so very much.

"Como e' Bella ce' la Luna brille e' strette strette como e' tutta Bella a passeggiare sotto il cielo do Roma... Down each avenue or via street or strata you can see 'em disappearing, two by two... On an evening in Roma, do they take 'em for espresso, yeah, I guess so, on each lovers arm a girl, I wish I knew.. On an evening in Roma.. Though there's grinning and mandolinin' in sunny Italy, the beginning has just begun when the sun goes down.. So please meet me in the plaza near your casa, I am only one and one is much too few, on an evening in Roma... Don't know what the countries coming to, but in Rome, do as the Romans do, will you on an evening in Roma?" Nicolas sang softly, 'on an evening in Roma' by Dean Martin. Sophia smiled and looked to the ground. He was so perfect to her, in every way.

"You really are a fan of Martin aren't you?" She asked smiling up to him.

"I am. He was a romantic singer, and sang of Rome, and Italy, what isn't to like about him?" He spoke with a gentle laugh. And, before she knew it, they were in the same garden as the night before, walking to the same bench.

"Oh I love it here." Sophia sighed.

"As do I, Cara Mia." Nicolas responded. He sat her upon the bench as he stood.

"Well aren't you going to sit down?" She asked.

"Well, no." He spoke. She looked at him in confusion. He then lent down onto one knee and Sophia found the air becoming limited, finding it hard to control her rapidly beating heart.

"Sophia.." He whispered softly as he gently grasped her left hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Sophia, I love you. I do. I don't believe I have ever loved anyone more in my entire life, in the way that I love you. You have made me a better person, a better man, a better lover. It seems like only yesterday I had first laid my eyes on you, standing timidly at my doorstep, or our silly fight that morning in the dining room. I believe it is safe to say that in about the year we have been together, I have fallen in love with you more and more each day. And though I am used to getting what I want, you were the only thing that challenged that, that day you fought me, that day you had convinced yourself you couldn't love me. Yes, I know about that, for you often talk in your sleep. And how would I know that if i hadn't loved you through it, if I hadn't loved you when you came home form that hospital, and I stayed awake just to make sure that you were breathing through the night, because I couldn't lose you. And I never want to. I want to be with you for the rest of my life, by the name of god. Sophia Michelle Drake, will you do me the honor of being my wife? Will you marry me?" He spoke, his icy blue eyes staring into hers as a single tear left her right eye.

He pulled out a little black box with the name "Tiffany & co." outstretched across it. As he opened it a diamond shined in the moonlight that surrounded the garden. It was beautiful, a big diamond in the middle, while the band had several little diamonds and an engraving inside the band of the ring. 'Forever and always'. Sophia smiled happily, as she nodded, another tear escaping her eye. He smiled at her in pure joy and placed the ring upon her finger. He placed the box back into his pocket and kissed her tears away.

"You should get used to that darling, because every time you cry, I will kiss your tears away, for the rest of our lives together." He spoke. She wrapped her arms around him as she rested her head upon his chest. In that moment she had fallen in love with him all over again. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and smiled. She would be his. Forever and always. He lifted her chin up with his fingertips, and looked into her eyes, the same eyes he believed could put the very stars to shame, and he kissed her with a passion that could only burn between to souls that were destined to meet, destined to fall in love, destined to spend the rest of their days and nights together in each others arms.