Tre Ragazzi e Una Ragazza

21 ~ The Moment

Lucio and I kept walking through the city, taking in all the familiar sights and sounds of the Bay Area. We reminisced on many happy memories in our minds as we passed by places that reminded us only of each other. My mom's restaurant, Caffe è Dolci, Lorenzo's Deli, and even the iconic sloping streets of San Francisco were all home to good memories. I remembered how Lucio and I gradually got to know each other and for so long, both hid our feelings for one another. 

The sky was an orangish-red as the sun started to set on our perfect day. After a while of walking hand in hand together, soon we were standing on the path to a very familiar and famous San Francisco site. I smiled with delight as I realized Lucio was taking me up to the Golden Gate Bridge. As we stepped onto the large, red bridge, I felt a flood of happy memories rush to my mind and heart. I recalled the sweet and emotional moment Lucio and I shared here so long ago on our first outing. How funny that this moment occurred before I was even certain of my feelings for him. Now that I look back on the memory and how I felt that day, who was I kidding? I knew even back then that I loved him.

Lucio took me to the middle of the bridge, exactly where we were standing on that one beautiful day in that one precious moment. On that day, Cosimo and Amedeo were also with us, pressing forward and marching across the bridge. They hadn't even noticed that we had both stayed behind together. However, this time, it was just Lucio and I staring out at the beautiful horizon with the setting sun in front of us. It was a postcard moment. I made sure to take a mental snapshot. Both Lucio and I leaned forward and rested our elbows on the railing, staring out into the beautiful horizon and at the water below us. The cool air intensified as we stood right above the ocean, but the chill in the air didn't bother me one bit. I was just happy to be standing here once more with Lucio. Amore mio.

Lucio turned back to me smiling and, without warning, said something that melted my already fast-beating heart. "This is where I fell in love." I turned back to him, a look of surprise on my face. Did he mean that day when we stood here together? He nodded his head, almost as if he was reading my thoughts. "It was the day me, you, Amedeo, and Cosimo all went out together. Already, as the day went on and I got to know you more and more, I was pretty sure I was in love with you." He chuckled and I blushed. "Hasty, I know, but what can you do when you feel it?" He rested his hands on the railing, gripping it tightly. "But then, we both felt the need to stop here at this particular point in the bridge. You seemed to appreciate the view as much as I did. I just felt comfortable around you." He turned back to me, hands still clasped around the railing, almost like it was steadying him.

"It was the fastest I had ever opened up to someone. I kind of regretted saying talking about it at first. As soon as the words left my mouth, I so desperately wanted to put them back inside." I tilted my head. "Why?" He shrugged, but I knew he knew the reason. "I didn't know how you were going to react. I didn't want to make myself into a depressing person you wouldn't want to hang around with." He smiled, eyes looking at me lovingly. "But you just listened. You were so kind, and you made me feel better. You helped me that day in a way I didn't know I needed it."

"It wasn't just that. I saw the way you were with Cosimo and Amedeo." Lucio sighed, eyes focused on the ground below. "You know, sometimes the guys and I have been friends with a girl that definitely played favorites. She would usually totally ignore two of us and solely focus on one of us. Even if she made an effort, you could tell it was forced. Our friendships never really went anywhere because of that. I never really met someone who got along well with all three of us." He smiled. "But I noticed you throughout the day. I noticed you consoling Amedeo outside the deli when he told you about his nonno. Then, I saw you with Cosimo at the Ghirardelli shop when he was telling you about his mother and how you were really listening to his story. That really stuck with me." He smiled. "I saw how much my best friends in the entire world liked you, and that made me fall for you even more." 

He took a tiny step closer to me. "And then, the way you were with me? That moment we shared here in this very spot so long ago?" He smiled, bringing a hand up to gently caress my cheek. "It sealed the deal. I knew that night that I was in love with you." My heart felt like it was going to burst. I smiled up at Lucio, a tight hand on my heart as I listened to all he was telling me. He continued to smile his usual handsome smile at me. "I was so relieved that you felt the same about me. I'm so ecstatic that we're finally together. I wouldn't trade one second with you for all the principal tenor positions in the world." I gasped and giggled, knowing just how much that meant to him. 

He held my hands in his, squeezing them in the usual comforting way he did. His hands felt so strong in mine. "Io ti amo, Daniela. Per sempre." I struggled to hold back the tears that were welling up in my eyes, but eventually I succumbed to the pressure and let them fall. I hugged him tightly, him hugging me back just as tight. "Io ti amo, Lucio. Per sempre." I responded in kind, sniffling a little. It was a touching moment. We embraced, the sun setting behind us. The beeping horns from the cars behind us and the noisy foghorns of the ships seemed to melt away as a sweet song of love played for only us. It was like we were the only two people in the world. We pulled away from the hug, looking into each other's eyes. "Is this another special moment, Daniela?" He asked me. I nodded. "The most special moment."

We looked out into the horizon, holding hands. I rested my head on his shoulder, and he rested his head on mine. "We have our performance tomorrow. Are you nervous?" I suddenly remembered, feeling a bit jittery already. Even though I couldn't see his face, I could tell that Lucio was smile. "Of course. It's only the biggest performance of my career so far." He turned to look at me. "But I feel less nervous knowing I get to perform with you." I smiled back, gratefully squeezing his hand. "We'll nail it, definitely." I tried not to think about what would happen if we were both offered scholarships in places across the world from each other. Or worse, if one of us was offered a scholarship and the other wasn't. I shook the thought out of my head. I wasn't going to let anything ruin this moment. "Should we start heading back?" Lucio asked. I nodded. "We will, just one more minute." Lucio giggled. "Un minuto, amore mio."

Lucio and I stood posed perfectly together on top of the Golden Gate Bridge. The sun was nearly finished setting, the beautiful orangish-red rays bouncing off the ripples of the ocean below. A lone sailboat in the distance painted patterns in the waves as it sailed on by. The rolling hills of San Francisco were the perfect background for this picturesque scene. Millions of lights twinkled like stars in the distance. It truly was the perfect portrait of two people who were truly in love. We watched the rest of the sunset, basking in the perfect end to the most perfect day. I took another mental snapshot of this moment.

Il nostro momento d'amore. Our moment of love.