"Love finds a way where wolves fear to prey..." -Lord Byron
~
"I can't do this!" We stare out at the crowd of photographers, journalists, news stations, and businessmen.
"Rizzo, YES you can! I believe in you."
"They aren't going to listen to me. How can I make them listen to me, ciccino?"
"I KNOW you can do it," I murmur. "Just speak, like you are speaking to me...or Gui."
"You are one in a million," he whispers, his piercing blue eyes sparkling. "I love you, and you loved me in a world that says I am incapable of loving."
"I am YOUR one in a million, and you are mine. Do it for me, for Gui, for our tigers: Florentina, Stella, Bagheera, and Bihaana."
"Florentina, Stella, Bagheera, Bihaana." He repeats the names at least three more times, then he puts his hands to his face, overwhelmed.
I grab them and stare him in the eye. "Mr. Gianrico Balistreri, what is it that you envision for this company?"
He trembles.
"One, two, three...BREATHE..."
He fixes his tie, takes a deep breath, and runs his fingers through dark brown curls. He whispers, "Eyes on me."
"I wouldn't dream of looking anywhere else."
"Do it for him." I put his hand on my womb, where he can feel the beating heart of out unborn child. "He will follow your legacy, Rizzo."
"Cuore mio."
As he ventures out onto the stage, I swallow hard. He will do fine.
"Friends, family, guests,
My name is Gianrico Balisteri. For this company, I hope to take it further than any photography company has gone. As your CEO, I hope to incorporate photography into scholarships, schools, fundraisers for wildlife parks, and entertainment in a way no other CEO has ever envisioned. Up close and personal, turning it into a performance art. Photography will become a part of the reason people come to see the show or want to take a tour."
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I guess you are wondering how we got here, but this is not the right point for our story to begin...when I think of the events that brought us together, I like to let my mind wonder back to a very specific night...
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