P r e v i o u s l y . . .
"Wait. Hannah as in Hannah McNutt?" Al questioned suspiciously. "The girl you've had a crush on since you were ten?"
Joey just nodded and smirk.
"How in the hell did you manage that?" Al laughed.
"I wore her down," Joey stated. "After years of asking, she finally said yes."
"I'm happy for you, Fratello." Al patted Joey on the back, and after a few minutes asked. "Did you get what I asked for."
"Yay, I got it," Joey, chuckled, reaching behind the seat for the box. Al pocketed the box as the two went back into the house.
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Al and Lilly had stayed with Maria and Joey for a week. When Christmas rolled around Al had finished crossing every t and dotting every i. He was nervous, but he was ready. Al sat there watching a sleepy Lilly try to smile at an excited Joey has he handed her a stocking to pour out.
"Awe, thank you, so much," she said when she took in the hand stitching his mother did to put Lilly's name on it. Al thought he saw the makings of tears, but she didn't let any slide.
Lilly had decided after her breakdown with Al's mother, Maria, on her first day at his family home that she would not let another tear shed. She was done, so as much as she wanted to let the water works go, she sniffled them up and smiled widely at the small woman, who held a special place in Lilly's heart.
"This is for you, mama," Joey announced, still sorting out all the gifts under the tree. Maria placed the gift by her feet and continued to watch her children. She had never been so happy than at this moment. Maria saw her son and the changes in him. They were subtle, but there. For instance, he would hesitate for a moment before going down the hallway, and every knows and then he eyes would become guarded. She understood why he was scared to come back, and seeing the easy way he laughed and played, she thought to herself. Maria had gotten to know the woman, who sat beside Alessandro. She saw the pain, the light and the beauty that is Lilly, and found it easy to accept her with open arms. Lilly fast became a member of the family. So when Al came to her on the Friday before Christmas about Lilly. Maria knew just what to say to Al's request.
"Joey, catch! This is for you," Al called from the kitchen, where he hid all of his presents. Al never trusted his brother when it came to Christmas presents, and even though it's been a few years since they have celebrated a Christmas together, Al wasn't going to chance it.
Joey laughed, catching the small gift in his hand, "Really? Still?"
Al simply shrugged heading back into the kitchen to get the small box out of the bottom drawer and stick into his pocket for the last time. How can one small box weigh so much, he thought as he walked away from the kitchen to take his seat back on the couch beside Lilly. She was rubbing her eyes. Brody joined her, while he was in the kitchen, sitting on the other side on her. His head taking up her lab.
"Okay! We are done!" Joey announced, high-tailing it over to his pile of presents. "And we open in three," he began, and Al handed Lilly a gift to open, "two," Lilly did the same for Al. "One."
Everyone quickly demolished the wrapping paper. Joey called "Yes!" at seeing his gift, a new pair of shoes he has been asking for, but was too broke to get them.
"Awe," Maria smiled at seeing, a photo album that had photos of Al, Lilly, Joey, and her from these last few days.
Lilly just laughed when she saw a small ring box with a ring pop in it. "Thanks, Joey," she smiled.
"I wanted to get you something that would keep you here forever," he chuckled.
"I'm going to ignore how creepy that sounds because I love you, and move on," she laughed, closing the gift, and moving onto the next.
Al had torn through his, and found a watch in it, "Is this?" he asked his mama, who just nodded. His Grandfathers watch. Al let out a breath, before securing it to his wrist. It works! Mama must have put in a new battery too. He looked down at the new addition to his wrist and decided it's time. "Lilly," he started to get her attention.
Lilly heard something different in Al's voice and quickly looked to him. She watched his face, his gentle eyes were right on her.
"Lilly, do you remember when we met for the first time?" He asked.
"How could I forget, I was terrified," she laughed.
"And, yet, you stuck with me. You've always been there since the first day when I broke into your car to get out of the cold. You were there even when I tried to shut you out, you forced your way in. You created cracks in my armor and found me. You pulled me out. You were my angel. Lilly, I fell so deeply maddeningly in love with you. Your sleepy face is the first thing I want to see when I wake up. Pillow fights with you are the only ones I want to have. I want to be there for you. I want to watch you live out dreams. I want to be there. I want to marry you, Lilly, so," Al, got down on one knee in front of a sniffling Lilly, he dug into his pocket and got out the small box. "Will you marry me, Lilly?"
Before Al even finished asking Lilly was already nodding. She kneeled down beside him, and kissed him, pulling him closer to her. "I will marry you, Alessandro," she whispered. When they parted, Al took her hand, but his mind blanked.
"Which finger is it?" He asked, and everyone started laughing. "Hey, I've only done this once," he chuckled.
Lilly took the ring and placed it on, before leaning to kiss him on his adorable pouty lips. "That's okay, but if you mess up at the wedding," she mocked.
"The wedding," Maria cheered, appearing so happy by the prospect of a wedding.
After everyone had opened presents and cleaned up Lilly and Al went on a walk with Brody. Well, after Lilly had put on all of her snow gear. "Lilly there is more I need to talk to you about," he started out.
"What is it?" she asked, a little nervous. Oh god, here is where the other foot drops.
"I-I have a savings... a pretty large one that my mama kept for me, while I was away," he began.
"Okay," Lilly said slowly.
"Anyway. When we get back to Arizona, I might have told a few places that you would no longer be working there," he told her looking down at her face, trying to gauge her reaction.
"You quit my jobs for me?" She asked, trying to understand what he was getting at. He nodded, like a kid in trouble. "Which ones?"
"VONS and the security guard. I gave in the two weeks notice," he added.
Lilly let out a huff. "I'm not mad. Just what the hell were you thinking! I need those to pay the bills, and my schooling and--" Al cut her off.
"Lilly, don't you remember what I said. I have money. You don't have to work as a security guard at four in the morning, or a cashier for a grocery story unless you want to. You can focus on school, or lawyering, or whatever you want. You are the hardest working person I have ever met. It's time to stop going a thousand. Let me help."
Lilly listened to what he said and couldn't help, but chuckle at the notion of not working, and simply going to the stadium and school. It sounds surreal and impossible. Wait. "How much money do you have?" She asked, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.
"Um-enough," he stated. Is he nervous because it's really not a lot? I mean he did say it's a savings. "Lilly, trust me when I say, I'm taking care of you from now until the day I die."
And he did just that. Lilly and Al married a year later. They had two children Rose and Luca. Lilly graduated with her masters in Education and became a third-grade teacher. Every day she came home with paint under her nails, glitter somewhere, hair falling down from her bun, and a wide smile on her face. Al opened a restaurant that served every Italian dish he could make. Every night he would come home to his family put on some music and they would make dinner together. When Luca got sick it was hard, but they all stayed strong for him. Thankfully, he recovered and went on to become a lawyer. Rose decided to follow in her father shoes and became a chef at his restaurant.
The two weren't always happy. They would get frustrated at each, they would fight, but in the end, neither one of them could really go too long without missing the other. They loved each other, and it all started during a car ride home.
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T h e e n d