Heaven [Book 3]

[2.] I'm Getting Married

"Thank you," I say gratefully as he hands it over.

"No problem. But may I ask, why are you so insistent on that frame?" He asks curiously.

"I don't know," I shrug honestly, "I can just clearly visualise a few of my picture in it."

"A photographer?" He asks and I nod.

"Not professional. Just a hobby," I tell him.

"I've always liked photographers. They seem to see a certain beauty in everything and I admire that," He grins and I flush slightly, "Tomas," he holds out his hand.

"Francesca."

I can't say that was the start of a beautiful love story. It was the start of a beautiful friendship that somehow led to romance.

For a long time, I never saw him as anything more than a friend. Okay, three months. But once again, that was long with regards to my past.

There was just something special about Tomas. He brought out a side to me that I thought I left behind. He broke down every single wall that I built on the plane here. He found my heart and gave it the confidence to try again.

Now, I couldn't even imagine myself with anybody else. He made me feel safe and happy. Tomas is easygoing, considerate and humourous. He even managed to get my father to personally copy the front door key for him, which genuinely shocked me.

Of course, the breakup with Leon hit me hard and it seemed to affect my father almost as much. Christian had always seen Leon as a son. He had always seen Leon in a particularly good light and when he found out what Leon did to me he could barely believe it. If it came from anybody other than me then he probably would not have believed it.

Yet Tomas found a way.

Other than my strengthened relationship with my father, Tomas was the best thing that had happened to me in Rome.

With him, it somehow seemed realistic to draw up a happily ever after in my head with Tomas instead of idealistic like with Leon. My relationship with Tomas was practical and things like that were no longer far-fetched. He was easily somebody anybody could imagine growing old with.

With Leon, the person he used to be was bound to catch up with him. I guess I was just unlucky that he happened to be with me when it occurred.

Occasionally I wondered how he was. We had been best friends and some part of me would never stop caring for him. Maybe he was still with Gery. Or he had given up on long-term relationships and had returned to kissing new lips every night.

Ludmila wandered into my mind even more often. At least once I week I would tell myself that I should never have isolated myself from her as well. That she was different to everybody else because she was my closest friend.

But then I remembered that she was aware of everything.

Which brought me back to the belief that I was right. That everything I had done in the last four years was worth giving everything up. That it was worth not caring about anybody else other than myself the moment I boarded the plane.

Eventually, I was taken out of my reverie by my father's voice bouncing off the walls in my room.

"You've got a phone call!" He calls from downstairs.

"Coming! Put the person on hold for the moment," I yell back.

I slam the album in my lap closed and lift the floorboard up. I tuck it inside carefully, letting my hand linger on the cover image of Leon, Ludmila and me for a second too long, before fitting the wood back into its place.