I emerged from the 59th street train station exhausted. I would have to navigate past 5th avenue to get to Central Park. Alessandro knew Central Park was my favorite. He had called me up last night and left me a voicemail. "Bellezza, meet me at Central Park tomorrow, closest to the 5th avenue entrance. I have a surprise for you. Ciao".
Again, I always insist he never surprise me, but he was so aloof all of the time he never listened. I painstakingly navigated through the over abundance of tourists that flooded Lexington Avenue. As if I wasn't already exhausted from trying to perfect this thesis statement, I now had to deal with all of these idiot people. I sighed silently and closed my eyes tight. "Remember who is meeting you at Central Park". Immediately I smiled. Alessandro would be waiting.
I approached the park and saw him standing with a bottle of wine in hand. He was wearing a black peacoat and tapered charcoal colored pants. Dark colors on him always made him look so sophisticated. He saw me walking, smiled broadly, and proceeded to meet me half way. "You look stunning, my love" he said as he kissed my cheek. I had on nothing extravagant, just my usual high waisted jeans and crop top, but I guess he was just being nice. He was always so nice, and I was always so sarcastic. Maybe that's why we worked so well together.
"Ah, Alessandro my pet" and I too kissed his cheek. "Where to"? He held up the bottle of wine triumphantly and exclaimed, "Anywhere we please". We chit chatted as we walked through the park trying to find the perfect niche to tuck away in. Since it was fall, all of the leaves were bold, rich colors of yellow, scarlet and brown. He knew fall was my favorite season, he also knew I loved to look at the leaves. We stumbled upon the Carousel and decided to sit not too far from there. Listening to the music and watching the happy children go around in circles, I smiled. Alessandro glanced at me. "You look so beautiful when you smile, I wish you would more often". I blushed. "Ah, but would I be less jaded if I smiled more"? He took a hand and gently tousled the hair on my head. We sat down on the grass and opened the bottle of wine. It was a St.Pierre from 2009.
We talked about life, about Italy, about growing old together. Alessandro never mentioned marriage, but I just knew that we were soulmates. Destined to always be linked no matter what happened to us. We just had this sort of bond. Even when we were apart it was like we were always with each other. Being with him was like having every day be Christmas Eve as a child. "So, Alessandro, why Central Park"? I asked as I took a sip from the wine bottle. He shut his eyes and tilted his head towards the clouds. "Because I know you love the fall and the leaves and this park. And it was this park where I first realized I could not stand to be without you for another day. I was walking around aimlessly, mulling over again and again in my head what I would have to do to make you mine forever. That a life without you was not a life at all. I brought you were because this is where I realized I loved you, and that forever wouldn't even be enough time for us".
God damn it, Alessandro, I thought silently. He made it so hard to resist falling in love. But who was I kidding, I was so head over heels for him. I leaned forward and kissed him, savoring every movement with my mouth to his, tasting the notes of red wine on his tongue. We pulled apart and he ran his hand through my hair. We stayed like that for what seemed like forever. He pulled out a small journal and read to me poems he wrote in italian. I laid back, looked up towards the sky, and wondered why life was finally falling into place. The odds, finally in my favor.
