Hold My Love

Chapter 54: 12/20/20

Two months later

We pass houses glowing with red, blue and green lights. Inside Giovanni's house the smell of gingerbread cookies coats the air. It's everybody's most favorite time of the year where family come together and little kids knock on your door to sing carols and give out candy canes. There are five days till Christmas but Gio hasn't even cracked a smile.

His family come here from Italy to spend the holiday with us. His precious mother wakes us all up with her prayers everyday at 6 am and his little sister annoys us all with her terrible singing.

But...I love them. The house was so quiet before they got here that I would have to blast music. I was born in chaos, raised in chaos so a house being dead silent creeps me out. Giovanni on the other hand loves his peace. He is extremely paranoid too, he complains when we are too loud that a killer could sneak in the house and we would never hear him.

Tonight he ordered everyone to dress fancy because we were going out to dinner. I was not in great mood because my cramps were were on 100 this month and I already took 4 pain killers.

A knock on my bedroom door alerts me and I frown when I see it's him. I swallow mustering the courage to tell him I can't go tonight.

He steps in and kisses my forehead, "Sophia what's wrong?"

Feeling self-conscious I take one of the small pillows from my bed and those it in the air.

Giovanni notices my movement and reads into it, "No Soph you look beautiful as always. Please, it's just dinner with the same old people we always have it with. We're even gonna be isolated from outsiders and-"

He thinks I'm feeling insecure and don't want to go out. My heart flutters at his effort to make me feel more comfortable.

"It's not that...It's just...I'm on my period and my cramps are really bad".

It's not that I'm a teenage girl who doesn't like discussing normal body functions but you have to understand that I was raised by women and the first time I got my period it was at school and an immature 13 year old boy decided to shout out during class that my white pants had blood on them.

Giovanni sits next to me on my bed and lifts up my chin, "Sophia if we are planning on spending the rest of our lives together we have to get comfortable with each other. I know you are still a bit traumatized by that foolish little kid but understand that maturity is what separates a boy from a man. I understand if you do not wish to go but if you won't go then I don't want to either. We can stay at home and cuddle until you feel better. We are two in one yes? I don't mean to quote Ruth but where you go I'll go".

So he wasn't lying when he said he's been reading the Bible?

I laugh obnoxiously loud, "No...let's go, if I stay at home and think about the pain it will be worst than If I go out and distract myself".

He cups my face, "Only if you're sure".

I press my lips to his then pull away to point to the gold cocktail dress that was hanging in my closet.

"This dress is way to pretty to stay in my closet another minute".

***

After taking three bites of my pasta I push it away and distract myself by feeding the twins.

"Sophia why you no eat?" Greta asks.

I look over at my full plate of pasta, "I don't have an apetite".

She raises an eyebrow, "You pregnant?"

I chock on air as the table goes dead silent besides Alessandro who is doubled over laughing.

"Ma you think Giovanni would be able to get some from a church girl like So-"

Giovanni hits his cousin in the back of the head before he could finish is sentence.

I clear my throat, "no I am not".

Viola raises an eyebrow, "then why are you unable to eat".

Giovanni opens his mouth to change the topic but I decide that I don't care anymore-it's not that big of a deal.

"I'm on my period".

Mary's eyes go big and she shifts uncomfortably in her seat but the mom's look unaffected. Giovanni gives me a small smile when I look his way and Less shrugs his shoulders.

Lucia looks at me confused, "you loose your appetite when your on your period?"

I nod, "yeah".

All three women stare at me in disbelief.

"I eat like a sumo wrestler when I'm on my period", she shakes her head, "wow must be nice".

Soon the convo goes back to how Viola misses Italy and all her friends. Less rolls his eyes and jokes how she calls them everyday so there was no gossip she was uninformed about.

Giovanni leans into my ear, "what day is it Sophia?"

I scrunch up my nose, "I think...Sunday the 20?"

He kisses my nose, "Promise me no matter what you'll remember that date forever?"

I roll my eyes thinking he was joking because he knows I never know the date.

He confuses my when he stands up and takes my hand, "I met Sophia on May 14th 2018 and as the May flowers bloomed so did my love for her. She taught about God, how to get deals at the book store, how to let loose and have fun and...how to be me. You all know growing up with...father was...rough. He broke me until I didn't know who I was. But Sophia, my Sophia. She's the type of women father warned me about. The type that make me feel...alive".

He looks down at me rubbing a tear that was on my cheek, "I asked you to be my girlfriend on October 24, 2018. You took my breath away when I saw you that day. You wore jean shorts and a yellow tank top. I never told you how great-full I am that you decided to dress like that. I was scared that I would come back and find that you had changed. But you didn't, you were still my Sophia. I took you to meet my family for Christmas, I for sure thought you would run away when they all attacked you but here we are huh? Today is Sunday December 20, 2020. Before this moment this date meant nothing, but I want all of you and you mio amore to remember this date forever".

I stood up as he got down on one knee. His mother was sobbing and his aunt was was screaming. He pulls out a small black ring box, than looks up at me, his face falling victim to the moonlights glow.

His teary grey eyes were lighter than usual like how they get after he smokes a Cuban Cigar. They had specks of blue and violet that stood out from the gray. Almost as if someone had...painted them there.

"Sophia my love, the first time I saw you I knew you were gonna leave a mark on my life. But you caught me of guard when you left a mark on my heart. Will you do me the honors to be called your husband? Sophia, will you marry me?"

I nod, "YES YES YEEEESSSSS".

I bend down smacking my lips against his. He stands up spinning me around as our tongues dance together. We pull away and he takes my hand slipping the ring onto my finger.

When I turn around I am surprised to find Lace, her father, Amir and Sienna among my soon to be in-law.

"I'M GETTING MARRIED", I scream.

Alessandro makes some random dog noises, Amir and Mr. Santayana pat Giovanni's back and the ladies swarm me to see my ring.

My cramps were completely gone...I was right.

56 chapters and they are finally about to get married. Lmao sorry for the long wait, I promise it wasn't on purpose.

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