“I collected them,” he tells me, his voice shaky. “For years, I collected each nice note you wrote me. Granted, more often than not, you wrote me veiled insults, but over the last nine years, you’ve written me over a hundred nice ones. I guess some of them may not sound nice, but every single note here made me smile. The ones at the start of the lake right here, those are simple ones from when we first started working together. Some simply read Hope you have a great day, or Congratulations on signing that deal. Others are a bit more personal, a bit sweeter. As the years passed, your tone changed.” He points at one that reads It’s an honor to work with you. I remember writing that after he covered for me when I made a huge mistake at work.
“And these,” he tells me as he stops paddling when we’re in the middle of the lake. “These were written when I was starting to realize that I was falling for you, but I couldn’t really admit it to myself or you.”
He points towards some of the lanterns around the boat, and I chuckle. “I guess I was becoming a little more comfortable with you,” I murmur as I glance around me, at the passive aggressive notes near me.
Would it kill you to smile at our new staff every once in a while?
You’re the boss. Drinking that much isn’t going to get you out of work. Suck it up and get over the hangover.
If you keep asking me for coffee, I can’t guarantee what will be in it. This is the last one you get today.
I burst out laughing and shake my head. “Was I really so brash?” Then I pause, the smile melting off my face. “Wait,” I whisper. “Luca, I wrote these two years ago.”
He looks at me then, his gaze vulnerable. “Yeah,” he murmurs. “You did.”
He continues to paddle until we’re closer to the tree, its leaves hanging above us. This entire scene is truly magical, and I can’t believe he did this for me.
“These are my favorite,” he tells me as he points around.
I love you. Signed, Mrs. Windsor
Your office is right next to mine, but I miss you so much
I have a surprise for you after your meeting, come find me
Utility closet? Me + you? 3pm
I deserve a reward for closing that deal, husband. How about 200 kisses?
He grabs my hand and lifts it to his lips. The way he looks at me makes my heart race in a way it never has before. “This, right here, portrays the journey of our relationship. I didn’t really think much of it back then, but I must have felt something for you back when I first started collecting these sticky notes of yours, six years ago. When my grandmother told me to pack my belongings before throwing me out, my box with notes was the first thing I grabbed. You have no idea how many times I’ve reached for these throughout the years. You never realized it, but you’ve been silently encouraging me all along. Without you, I wouldn’t be me. You are the foundation of everything I am, everything I’ll ever be.”
Luca lets go of my hand then, and the butterflies in my stomach flutter when he reaches for his pocket and takes out a Laurier ring box. He carefully lowers himself down onto one knee, keeping the boat as still as he can. “This,” he tells me as he snaps the box open, “was the second thing I grabbed.”
I stare in shock at the stunning oval engagement ring. This can’t be happening. “But… we’re already married,” I murmur stupidly.
Luca chuckles and grabs my hand. “I know we are, but I don’t want you to miss out on anything that you should have had. When I packed this ring, we’d just had our argument, and I’d been wondering whether I made a mistake when I forced you into this marriage. Despite that, even then, I knew I could never let you go. You are the love of my life, and I will never stop fighting for you, for us. I know that I’m not worthy of you, Valentina, but you truly are the light in my life. You brighten up my darkest days, and you give me purpose when everything feels hopeless. At the core of all that I am, there is you. Until I breathe my last breath, that will be true.”
He takes the ring out of the box and holds it up. “If you let me, I will do everything in my power to make you smile every single day. I’ll carry your burdens like they are my own, and I’ll stand by you no matter what we face. I’ll supply you with an endless stack of pink sticky notes, and I’ll even throw in some pink gel pens.”
I laugh then, and he smiles at me, his eyes twinkling.
“For the rest of our lives, will you let me be the man that gets to call you his? Will you let me be the one you lean on, the one that gets to love you? Valentina, will you marry me?”
I nod, tears in my eyes. “Yes, Luca. Yes.”
He breathes a sigh of relief, as though he genuinely thought there might have been a chance I’d say no, and I can’t help but laugh through my tears. Luca slides the engagement ring onto my finger, until it’s flush with my wedding ring, and then he reaches for me. His hand wraps around the back of my neck as he pulls me in close. “Thank you,” he whispers against my lips. “For choosing me, even now.”
I drop my forehead to his and inhale shakily. “I will always choose you, Luca. Over and over again, no matter the trials or tribulations we face. You are, and always will be, the one for me. I love you more than you’ll ever know.”
His lips brush against mine, and my breath hitches. “I love you more,” he whispers.
Chapter Sixty-Seven
Luca
Valentina stares at her engagement ring and holds it up to the light, watching the diamond shimmer. A soft giggle escapes her lips, and my heart skips a beat. It’s been a few days since I proposed to her, and she still isn’t over her ring. I’m so glad I ended up proposing to her. She deserves every bit of happiness I can grant her — I just wish there was more I could do, more I could give her.
Being with her in this way takes away every single doubt I’ve ever had, but I’d rather live with my fears for the rest of my life if it means showering her with everything her heart desires. This isn’t the life I want her to have. Because of me, she lost the job she fought so hard for. She’s being shunned by the industry she rose to the top of on her own merits, purely because she’s my wife. Is it truly okay to ask this much of her?
“Luca,” she says, her hands sliding up my chest and around the back of my neck. “What are you thinking about so hard?”
Her expression conveys concern, and I hate that. She doesn’t smile as much as she used to, and though I know that it’s partially because of the grief she still carries, it’s also because of me. Valentina won’t admit it, but I know she’s growing increasingly concerned about our future. She knows as well as I do that a Windsor Kiss of Death means we won’t be able to find jobs in our industry. No one will risk offending my grandmother.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” I say carefully, my arms wrapping around her.
Valentina leans back in my embrace, her gaze curious. She looks at me with such utter faith, and nothing scares me more than letting her down.
“I received a job offer from a company in Canada. I’m not sure we can escape my grandmother’s influence if we stay here, you know? I have no doubt she’ll tire of this eventually, and I don’t think she’ll punish us forever, but we also can’t keep living with this kind of uncertainty.”