We Come Alive 4

In The Name Of Love

Sunday morning while Manny was still in the hospital after giving birth, Clover went out for the morning. She borrowed Kiara's car to go run a quick errand that they all knew she needed to do.

Clover walked up to the front porch of the house she parked outside of and rang the door bell. She shifted her weight around on her feet as she waited. When the door wasn't opening, Clover felt her heart sink and her stomach drop. She let out a deep breath and was about to walk off back to the car when she heard the door slowly open. Clover turned back around and was face to face with the hazel eyes she fell in love with.

"Clover?" Dante frowned, unlocking the screen door and pushing it open for her to come in.

"Hey." She breathed, stepping inside and following him into the living room where she saw he was cleaning. "Is it cool if we talk real quick?"

Dante nodded as he stopped at the couch, motioning for her to sit down. "Yeah. What's up?"

Clover flopped down on the couch and saw his bed was neatly made. She brought her knees up to her chest and smiled softly to him.

"I was...I just wanted to come see you." She smiled softly.

Dante chuckled as he leaned back in his chair. She watched him use his upper body strength to adjust himself in his chair before staring at her with his intense hazel eyes.

"Wanted to come see me?" Dante wondered. "Or is there a motive of you being here? Wanted to talk about something specific?"

Clover pretended to be offended just as she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. She looked up to see his dad Joseph coming downstairs with his keys.

"Hey Clover." Joseph smiled, slightly surprised. "How are you?"

"I'm good. And yourself?" She smiled, shifting her gaze to the middle aged man.

Joseph looked at his son who was still staring at Clover, so he just looked at the young lady. "I'm great. Glad you're back to keep this boy out of trouble and keep him on the straight and narrow. That Hadya girl wasn't good for him. Good thing he broke up with her for you. Always liked you a lot better. Also, I'll pay you back for bailing him out of jail, since he thinks activating down the street is more important than getting some education."

Clover gasped dramatically and looked at Dante. "Dante Alejandro Rye! You need an education!"

"Clover Faith Jones, stop calling me by my full name." Dante told her, trying to hide a smirk. "Or I'll call you by yours."

Clover shrugged as she ran her fingers through her hair. "You already do. Maybe I'll put my hands around your neck and wring it to get you to act right."

When Clover pretended to do so, Dante reach forward and tickled her side making her squirm away. Joseph chuckled at the two as he walked off and went to work at his restaurant.

Once the front door closed and the two were alone, they became silent. Clover didn't say anything and looked away from him while Dante kept his eyes focused on her.

"You know I still love you. And as if in every lifetime that you and I have ever lived we've chosen to come back...and find each other, to fall in love all over again." Dante said poetically.

Clover looked up at him through her eyelashes and smiled softly. "If someone told me how badly that heartbreak would hurt when we took a break, I'd go through it a million times just to be with you for that year. The best year of my life."

"Who says we can't do it again?" Dante shrugged. "Why don't we try again? In the name of love."

Clover smiled softly as she got on her knees and leaned forward. Dante put his hands on her cheeks and leaned forward to the best of his ability and met her halfway to. The moment their lips touched all the memories, all the passion, all the compassion, all the fears, hoped, dreams, faith, all the love came flooding back. Sparks flew between them while shivers ran down their spines and goosebumps rose on their skin.

When they pulled away and looked at each other, a single tear ran down each of their cheeks. Clover wiped away his, while Dante kissed her's away.

"I always loved you." Clover whispered.

"I never stopped." Dante told her.

Clover leaned back and held onto his hand. She slightly felt her heart ache when she saw his joyful smile falter. When he caught her gaze, she gave him a look letting him know that whatever he needed to say, to just say it.

"Do me a favor? Can you at least give me the respect in telling me when this gets to much? At least leave me my dignity if anything."

Dante's whole attitude brightened when Clover smiled widely. "If you're waiting for that day, than you're gonna be waiting a long time. I'm not breaking up with you just because you're in a wheelchair. Hell, I'm not going anywhere just cause you're in a wheelchair. Are you crazy? If you think this is bad, I hate to see how you are without me. You're my dream man, with or without the ability to walk. With or without a wheelchair. With or without being in the army. I love you no matter what."

Dante reached forward and put his hand on her cheek. He ran his thumb across the stitches on her lip before guiding her towards him. Clover got up and straddled his lap. She pressed her forehead against his as he begun to cry.

"How'd I get so lucky to find a girl like you?" Dante whispered, soft sobs escaping his lips. "How'd I get so lucky to feel true love at such a young age? Something people search their whole lives for. What if you don't want this one day? What if one day all I gave you is gone? We already said we'd never break up but...we did. Multiple times."

Clover grabbed Dante's cheeks and looked him in the eyes, but he couldn't look back. "Look at me." She requested. "Dante, look at me. Look at me."

When their eyes connected, she could see the fear behind his. The fear of all they worked for will be destroyed. That their empire will all fall down, tumbling down like it was stone.

"I am going to marry you. I am going to have kids with you. I am going to grow old with you. The day your brother told me I could've lost you, I...I begged him to give me 30 more seconds, 20 more seconds, 10 more seconds. More time for me to remember what was. The moment he said you were alive, I knew my future was still intact. I love you. I'm in love with you. Love isn't perfect. It isn't a fairytale and it doesn't come easy. Love is overcoming, facing challenges, and fighting to just be together. Love is fighting to hold on and never letting go. Love is work. Love is realizing that every hour, minute, second was worth it because we made it together. I don't care if in five years you're in this wheelchair or you're walking on your own two feet. I'm not leaving you behind no matter what. I'm scared of how much I love you. You can break me apart without lifting a finger. I'm scared of the feeling that I'd never be able to find happiness without you because I...I don't let people run my life. Nobody. So if you think I'm gonna just let you go because you have some damaged vertebrae, you're insane. Utterly insane. So either you can love me back or not. Either way, I'm madly in love with you and you're stuck with me."

"I love you too." Dante whispered. "Thank you."

Clover put her head in the crook of his neck and hugged him tightly. Dante's puffy red eyes stared forward at the mirror hanging on the wall and he couldn't help but smile seeing the love of his life in his arms. He had his arms wrapped tightly around her waist and she had her arms around his neck in a hug. Just below the mirror he was staring at was the blanket she given him for their one year anniversary.

"I love you, little mama."

"I love you too, Rye."