Proposal for Real
1262 Words
6 months after the trial.
The house is quiet.
Kids are with Maya for the weekend.
Alessandro has been weird all week.
Secretive. Smiling to himself.
On calls in the other room.
"What’s going on," I asked Thursday.
"Nothing," he said. "Just work."
"Liar," I said. "You’re terrible at lying."
He kissed me. "You’ll see."
---
Friday night he said, "Get dressed."
"Where are we going," I asked.
"Date," he said. "Just us."
"Alessandro," I said. "We haven’t had a date in a year."
"I know," he said. "That’s why."
He picked out my dress. Navy blue. The one he likes.
He wore a suit. No tie. Sleeves rolled up.
We drove. Not to a restaurant.
To the water house.
---
It was lit up.
String lights in the trees. Candles on the dock.
A table. Two chairs.
Music playing low.
"What is this," I asked.
"Our first date," he said. "Redo."
He pulled out my chair. "Sit."
I sat. "Alessandro. What are you doing."
"Having dinner with my wife," he said.
He served pasta. My favorite.
He poured wine.
He told bad jokes.
Halfway through dessert he got quiet.
"Hey," I said. "You okay."
"Yeah," he said. "Nervous."
"About what," I asked.
He stood up. Walked around the table. Kneeled in front of me.
My heart stopped.
"Seraphina," he said. "6 years ago I asked you to marry me for the wrong reasons."
"Alessandro," I whispered.
"Let me finish," he said. "I asked you because of a contract. Because of money. Because I was scared and alone."
He took my hand.
"Today I’m asking you for the right reasons," he said. "Because I love you. Because you’re the mother of my children. Because you’re my best friend. Because my life is better with you in it."
He pulled out a box.
Not the ring from before. A new one.
Simple. Gold. One diamond.
"Seraphina Moretti," he said. "Will you marry me. For real this time. Not on paper. In your heart."
I was crying. "You’re an idiot."
"I know," he said. "But I’m your idiot."
"Yes," I said. "Yes. A thousand times yes."
He slid the ring on my finger.
Then he kissed me.
Right there. On the dock. Under the lights.
---
After, we ate cake. On the floor.
"Why now," I asked.
"Because we’re ready," he said. "Because the past is done. Because I want to start the next chapter with you. Officially."
"On paper didn’t count," I said.
"It counted legally," he said. "But not here." He put his hand on my heart.
"Here counts now," I said.
---
We didn’t sleep that night.
We talked.
About the wedding. Small.
About vows. Real ones.
About what we wanted.
"I want you to wear white," he said.
"I want you to cry," I said.
"I will," he said.
---
The next morning we told the kids.
We picked them up from Maya’s.
"Big news," Alessandro said.
"What," Lucia asked.
"Mama and papa are getting married," he said. "For real."
Lucia screamed. "A wedding. I get to be a flower girl."
"Yes," I said.
Matteo clapped. "Cake. Cake."
"Yes," Alessandro said. "Lots of cake."
---
Planning was easy.
We didn’t want big.
Just family. 40 people.
At the water house.
In June.
Lucia helped pick flowers.
Matteo "helped" pick the cake. Ate 3 samples.
Alessandro and I wrote our vows at the kitchen table. At midnight.
"What are you writing," I asked.
"The truth," he said.
---
Daniel handled the legal stuff.
"Need to file this," he said. "Dissolve the old contract. File a new one."
"Love it," Alessandro said.
---
A month before the wedding, my mom called.
From Chicago.
"I heard," she said. "About the wedding. The real one."
"Yeah," I said.
"I’m proud of you," she said. "Of both of you."
She flew in for it.
---
The week of the wedding I got nervous.
"What if I cry," I said.
"Cry," Alessandro said. "I’m going to cry."
"What if the kids are crazy," I said.
"They will be," he said. "And it’ll be perfect."
---
The night before, he stayed at a hotel.
"Tradition," he said.
We texted until 2AM.
Me: "Are you scared"
Him: "No. Are you"
Me: "No. Are you sure"
Him: "I’ve never been more sure of anything"
---
The day.
June 14th. Sunny.
I got ready in my old room.
White dress. Simple. Hair down.
Lucia in yellow. Matteo in a tiny suit.
My mom did my makeup. "You look beautiful."
"You do too," I said.
---
Alessandro was waiting at the dock.
In a suit. Hair wet.
He looked at me and his eyes got wet.
"Told you," I whispered when I got to him.
"I know," he said. "I’m crying."
The officiant was Daniel.
He was terrible at it. And perfect.
---
Vows.
Me: "I chose you in an office. I chose you in a hospital. I chose you in fear. I choose you in peace. I will keep choosing you."
Him: "You taught me how to be a man. A father. A husband. You saved me. I’m yours. Today and every day after."
We both cried.
Lucia cried.
Matteo ate a flower.
Everyone cried.
---
"By the power vested in me," Daniel said. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. For real."
Alessandro kissed me.
Not a contract kiss.
A real one.
---
The reception.
Food. Dancing.
Lucia danced with her dad.
Matteo danced with me.
Alessandro gave a speech.
"I wasn’t a good man when I met her," he said. "She made me one. This is my family. This is my life. Thank you."
He couldn’t finish.
I finished for him. "We love you."
---
At night we danced. Just us.
"You’re my wife," he said.
"I’m your wife," I said.
"For real," he said.
"For real," I said.
---
We left late.
Just us. One night. At a hotel in the city.
No kids. No phone.
He carried me over the threshold.
"Still cheesy," I said.
"Still love you," he said.
---
The next morning we woke up late.
Ring on my finger. His ring on his.
"Now what," I asked.
"Now we live," he said. "As us."
---
We came home to chaos.
Kids. Dog. Laundry.
It was perfect.
Lucia wanted to see the pictures 100 times.
Matteo wanted to wear his suit again.
Alessandro put the ring box on the mantle.
"To remember," he said.
---
A week later we went back to work.
But different.
I introduced him as "my husband." Not CEO.
He introduced me as "my wife." Not doctor.
People smiled.
---
Daniel sent us the new marriage certificate.
Framed it.
Hung it in the office. Next to Lucia’s art.
---
One month after the wedding.
We’re at the water house.
Alessandro is grilling. I’m reading.
"Hey," he says.
"Hey," I say.
"You happy," he asks.
"Yes," I say. "Are you."
"Yes," he says. "I didn’t think I’d get this."
"What," I ask.
"A real marriage," he says. "A real family. A real life."
"You do," I say. "You have all of it."
He comes and sits next to me.
Takes my hand. The one with the ring.
"Thank you," he says. "For saying yes. Twice."
"Thank you," I say. "For asking. Twice."
---
Tonight.
We’re in bed.
The ring catches the light.
Alessandro rolls over. "Mrs. Moretti."
"Mr. Moretti," I say.
He laughs. "Sounds good."
"It does," I say.
He pulls me close. "To us."
"To us," I say.
Outside, it’s quiet.
Inside, it’s home.
And this time, it’s for real.
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