His Sunflower

29

'I wish I could explain your eyes, and the sound of your voice gives me butterflies. How your smile makes my heart skip a beat and how every time I'm with you, I feel so complete.'

Fucking beautiful.

Embarrassingly, I kept missing my mouth when eating as I was distracted by her next to me.

I was so fucking proud of her for making conversation with my brother.

Gio has always been self-conscious about his heterochromia and to hear Liliana compliment his eyes made me smile.

I knew that she still felt scared to communicate with people who she didnt know well, but she was making an effort and it made my heart do fucking cartwheels.

Looking to the side of me, I could see one of her hands holding a fork and the other was underneath the table fiddling with the rings on my hands.

I'm so fucking glad that I wear rings.

We finished eating and we let the women relax whilst my papà, Gio and I cleaned up.

Before going into the kitchen, I asked Liliana if she was okay and after her reassuring me a few times, I finally left to go into the kitchen.

It was my turn to dry whilst my papà washed up and Gio cleaned the table. Grabbing the drying towel, I began to dry the dishes after my papà had washed them.

My papà always made sure that my mamma doesn't end up doing all of the work in the kitchen. She always cooks for us so my dad makes it his responsibility to clean up after.

"So, figlio (son), have you found a ring yet?", he said whilst earning a laugh from Gio whilst he was struggling to keep a straight face himself.

"Stai zitto (Shut up)", I mumbled, my face probably turning red.

I had never bought a girl over before as I was never interested in dating until I found the one. Even as a teenager, I was just focused on work and building up the business that I currently run, nothing else but work and family mattered to me then.

But ever since meeting her, my priorities have changed completely, I just didn't know how obvious it was.

"Quindi è l'unica? (So is she the one?)", my brother asked quietly whilst putting away the clean cutlery.

"Sì", I said without hesitation.

I knew it was way too soon to know if she was the one, but I could just feel it in my heart. My mamma and papà both knew that they were meant to be together within a week of knowing one another. All of us have grown up learning that when you know, you know.

I never saw the point of dating around in school if I knew that they were never meant to be in my future.

She is my future.

"Young love. I remember when I met my Isabella. I couldn't get her out of my damn head", my papà said, reminiscing their epic love story.

"And it took you a month to ask her out on a date", I said to him with a smirk.

"It was different back then. She was the governors daughter and I was a guy in a gang. It wasn't that simple", he said whilst taking off the washing up gloves. "And I don't see you asking Lily out on a date", he smirked back.

"That's different papà. She...she just needs more time. I'm going to wait as long as it takes but I don't want to force her to go on a date with me", I said, washing my hands and getting ready to go back into the living room.

"Just make sure you treat her right. She reminds me so much of-"

"Lo so (I know)", I said, not wanting to talk about it anymore.

He gave me a small smile and followed the noise into the living room. I shortly followed and went into the room, immediately locking eyes with her.

Her cheeks were the dark red colour that they always seemed to be and she looked as if she was trying really hard to not burst out laughing.

I felt myself smile. She fit into my family perfectly.

"Stai bene?", I whispered to her her, taking a seat on the sofa she was sitting on.

She gave me a shy nod in return and I smiled. She slowly reached towards my hand and held it in hers and I swear I nearly fell off the fucking sofa.

She didn't dare to look at me but I could see the blush forming on her cheeks and I had to look away before a fucking blush appeared on mine.

I caught eyes with my papà, who was obviously watching the scene in front of him and all he gave me was a wink with a cheeky smirk on his face. I just rolled my eyes in return and looked back at our joined hands.

Perfect.

"What have you lovely ladies been talking about?", my papà signed as well as said whilst walking towards my mamma and wrapping his arms around her, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

'It's a secret', Sofia signed whilst look at my mamma and Liliana, holding in her laugh.

"Bene, conserva i tuoi segreti. Lo scoprirò in un modo o nell'altro (Fine, keep your secrets. I'll find out one way or another)", he said to his wife, giving her an innocent smile and began to tickle her.

"I-I'm n-not going to t-tell y-you", she tried to say whilst laughing.

I looked at them in awe. Since we were young, Sofia, Gio and I always aspired to find a love like theirs.

Pure and beautiful.

I turned my eyes towards her.

She was it.

Potevo sentirlo nel mio cuore (I can feel it in my heart).