Unveiling Love

Bonus Chapter Two - Sandro

"What have I done?" I asked my empty house. Ivy, her family, and I had just gotten back home after a trip to Ohio to celebrate Rosa's birthday.

It had been a long time since I'd seen Rosa. I expected her to be that goofy little girl still, but that wasn't the case.

We pulled up, and a woman in a knee-length golden dress stepped out of the house and onto the porch. Her hair was long and wild, moving every which way in the wind, but she didn't care. There was a wildness to her I'd never noticed before.

When we left the car and approached the porch, my breath got stuck in my throat. Her eyes were different. They promised adventure and passion. I tried to keep my eyes off her, but it was impossible. Everywhere she moved, my eyes wanted to move, too.

She was gorgeous.

Every time she laughed, it sent a bolt of some unnamed feeling through my chest.

I was aware of every beat of my heart that entire day, and that evening, when the celebration was happening all around us, I stole her away.

I knew I was potentially making a colossal mistake in some far recess of my mind, but I didn't care. All I could think of was her.

I pulled her behind me until we rounded the corner of the house. Her eyes communicated her confusion. I reached out and moved a strand of her wild hair away from her face before closing the small distance separating our lips.

I pushed my hand deeper into her hair as I felt something cracking inside my chest.

A moment later, I pulled away and looked down at her, taking in her beautiful face.

Her eyes remained closed for a few seconds, but when she opened them, I knew I'd messed up. Her eyes were bright and full of unshed tears. She took a deep breath, about to say something, but I stepped back and left before she could.

***

For two years, I played that kiss over and over in my head. I was sitting in Ivy's living room one day, thinking about the fact that I wondered why Rosa had felt so perfect in my arms when Zane said her name.

Immediately, I was listening.

"We need to fix the basement up for her," Ivy answered.

"Maybe she'll live with us the whole time," Zane said, and my brain short-circuited.

What?

"That would be a dream come true!" Ivy jumped up and down and clapped her hands when Kayne and Roman started jumping with her. "Are you guys excited for Aunt Rosa to live with us?" she asked the kids.

What?

Later that night, after I'd stolen her phone number from Ivy's phone, I sat on my bed.

I pulled out my phone and sent the text I knew I needed to send.

Deep down, I begged her not to listen.

I wanted to see her again. I wanted her here.

I wasn't sure how I knew or how it could be possible, but I knew without a doubt that I wanted her to be mine.

I also knew I could never have her.

So, I decided I'd have to try to push her away every opportunity I got.

***

Three years after the weekend I decided to throw caution to the wind; I watch as my wife takes a deep breath and then sits up, pushing with all her strength.

"Good job, Rosa," the doctor encourages. "Just a couple more pushes, and I think we'll have the first of the two babies."

She falls back onto the bed, closing her eyes as she breathes. My right hand hasn't left her left, so I use my other to run my fingers over her forehead. She rolls her head to the side and looks at me.

"Hey, baby," I whisper.

"Hi," she smiles.

"Are you okay?" I ask. She nods, and a tear escapes the corner of her eye. I lean down and kiss it away.

"Are we ready for another big push, Momma?" Dr. Frank asks.

An hour later, I'm holding a swaddled baby while Rosa has the other.

"Two boys," she says with a smile.

"Every man's dream," I say. She narrows her eyes, and I laugh. "Kidding."

"How does it feel to become a dad at forty?" she asks. It's my turn to frown.

"I'm thirty-nine," I say. She giggles.

"Sandro," she says, sounding serious. I move to the bed and sit beside her. The nurses surrounding us fades into the background, and all there is is our little family.

She reaches up and places her hand over my cheek. "I love you so much," she says.

I smile and turn my head to kiss her palm. "I love you more, Bellezza."

"Any idea on names?" a nurse asks from beside us.

Rosa smiles as she stares down at the boys. "Isaac after my grandfather and Enzo after Sandro's."

"Beautiful names," she says before walking away.

Rosa gazes up into my eyes. I lean forward, stealing her lips with the very thing that started all this so long ago; a kiss.

The End 

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You guys..... THESE ARE HAPPY TEARS I SWEAR.

I wish you knew how long I've wanted to write this story. When I first started thinking of Rosa and Sandro back in 2017, I though it would be a full-length novel, but alas, here we are.

I'm okay with this, though! I love this short story and I think it very well might be one of my favorite pieces I've written!

I hope you all enjoy their story as much as I do!! Let me know how you feel in the comments, and as always I appreciate every single vote. You're the best :) <3

WM