Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78011 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78011 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
I now show her the box and open it, showing her the four-carat square diamond ring I bought. “I bought this ring right after you moved in. When I walked into the shop, there were so many different choices, and I didn’t know which one to pick. But then I saw this one, and it drew me in, not because of the diamond but because of the infinity symbol on the side.” I take the ring out of the box and show it to her. On the side of the square cut is the symbol in diamonds all the way around. “You see, what we have is unbreakable. Seven years couldn’t break it.”
“Oh my God,” she says, sobbing now, putting her right hand on her mouth while I take her left hand in mine.
“Eliahn, would you do me the honor of being my wife?” I ask her and look into her eyes. My heart pounds in my chest; I’ve never in my life been more scared than I was when she was sick. My parents, fuck, even her parents had to talk me off a ledge and told me that I had to be strong even when I was dying inside.
“Yes,” she whispers, and I slip the ring on her finger. She bends down and takes my face in her hands and kisses me on the lips. “Every single day, yes.”
She starts to get down on the floor with me, and her hands slide up my shirt, but I stop her. “Um, you’re sick and pregnant.”
“Okay,” she says. “I’m not sick now. In fact, I feel the opposite of sick.”
“I don’t think we should.” I don’t finish because the front door opens, and I hear Aiden yelling and then our mothers talking to each other as they walk in.
“What are we going to tell them?” She looks at me.
“Whatever you want to tell them we will,” I say. “I mean, I don’t think we can hide the ring since you’re never taking it off.”
She laughs at me, and we don’t have a chance because Aiden comes running up the stairs. “Mom, Dad!” he yells and then comes into the bedroom. “Nonna, Grandma! Mom is crying, and so is Dad.”
“I’m not crying,” I say, and I just look at Eli who gives me a yeah right look. My mother is the first one up, followed by Maryse.
“What happened?” my mother says, and she already has tears in her eyes. Maryse stands next to her and puts her hands in front of her mouth, and I swear I hear a whimper. The front door opens, and now my father comes in, and I think Leonard follows him.
“Where is everyone?” I hear Leonard yell.
“Mom and Dad are crying!” Aiden yells, and I close my eyes. “And now Nonna and Grandma are crying.”
“What?” I hear shrieked out, and then the men run up the stairs like a stampede.
“What happened?” My father is the first to ask, and my mother sobs out and turns to him, and he takes her in his arms.
“Is she sick?” Leonard asks, and then he puts his hand on his forehead. “Oh my God, is it the C word?”
“I think I’m going to be sick,” Maryse says. “I think I’m going to faint.” She now turns around and puts her hand to her neck. “Leonard, I don’t feel okay.”
“I’m fine!” Eli yells. “There is nothing wrong with Luca or with me,” she says, and all four sets of eyes look at us.
“Holy shit!” my father now shrieks and then looks at Aiden. “Sorry, I meant, holy bananas. Are you getting married?” he says, and now he points at the ring on Eli’s hand, and we smile.
“They are getting married,” Maryse says now, sobbing out. “Leonard, they are getting married.”
“And that isn’t all,” Eli says and then looks at me, and I just nod at her. “We are having a baby.”
“I’m going to be a big brother!” Aiden shouts, putting his hands in the air.
“A baby?” my mother repeats.
“Actually,” Eli says. “They think it’s twins.” I lean and kiss her, ignoring the eruptions from our parents.
Epilogue
Seven months later
Luca
“This party is insane,” Nick says from beside me as we sit on the round table in the backyard of Leonard’s house. If I thought the welcome back party was over the top, it’s nothing compared to the baby shower that he is throwing for us.
“There is a pasta station and a sushi station,” Tom says, sitting down. He flew in for this occasion and to also meet Aiden.
“Your father-in-law does not fuck around when it comes to parties,” Jason says, sitting down in one of the empty chairs. I look around the backyard that has close to two hundred people walking around and smile when I see Eli as she talks to a guest. Her left hand rests on her belly, and the rings sparkle in the sun. We got married one week after we got engaged with Aiden as my best man. The three of us went to the courthouse and just got it done. To say that our parents were pissed is an understatement of the year. But I couldn't care less; the only thing that mattered was her being a DiMarco.