Chapter 38 #2
I remember once, when I was a kid, my mum told me she named me Romeo because of the way things ended with my dad. She said it felt tragic, like something out of a story that never got finished.
Back then, I didn’t really get it, but now, as I stand here with her ashes in my hands, I do.
Because for her, that name reminded her of the love that never had a chance to become anything more.
Like Romeo and Juliet, two people who found something real, only to have it ripped away before it could truly begin.
My nostrils flare as I expel all the air from my lungs and unscrew the lid on my mother’s urn.
“I hope you both find eternal happiness and peace,” I say, my voice low as I tip out the contents.
Her ashes catch the breeze, soft and weightless, drifting down onto the earth in front of his headstone. It’s so quiet, just us, the wind, the trees, and the sound of something in me finally letting go.
When I’m done, I replace the lid and bend to set down the urn beside my father’s headstone.
It’s simple, matte black ceramic, with a soft, smooth finish. It’s shaped like a teardrop, rounded at the bottom and narrowing at the top. There’s a small silver band just below the lid, with her name engraved into the metal.
Elena Vitale
I never carried her last name. De Luca was my father’s. Interestingly, Vitale means ‘life-giving’. And now that I’ve laid her to rest beside the man she loved, it feels like this whole fucked-up, tangled mess has finally come full circle.
And maybe for the first time ever, I’m thankful she gave me life, because if she didn’t, I never would’ve known what it feels like to love and be loved by the woman who is now tucked into my side.
When we leave the cemetery, I take the back roads intentionally. They stretch out in front of us, vast, empty, and sun-soaked. Nothing but asphalt and the horizon before us.
I grip the wheel with one hand and shift gears with the other, the engine responds instantly, roaring like it’s been waiting for this exact moment.
Lucia leans back in the seat, the wind is tugging at her long hair through the open window, and a small smile plays on her lips.
I press my foot down. The Ferrari launches forward, the force pinning us back as the speed climbs to 100, 110, 120, 130, 140. The sound is pure adrenaline, deep and clean like thunder in my chest.
I love this fucking car, but I love the woman sitting beside me more.
I fought my feelings for so long, convinced I didn’t deserve something good or real. But Lucia was right. On the other side of fear, you can find happiness. I’m proof of that.
And right now, with her hand resting on my thigh, the wind in our faces, and the engine humming beneath us, I finally believe it.
I feel lighter, free, and so fucking happy it’s almost hard to believe. Like life isn’t pressing down on me, and for once, I have something to look forward to … a future.
I ease off the gas as we hit the edge of the township, the engine dropping to a soft purr.
When I drive straight past the exit we’d usually take to get home, Lucia shifts in her seat and looks at me.
“Where are we going?”
“On a date.”
She raises an eyebrow. “A date?”
“Yeah,” I say, glancing at her with a grin. “I’m taking my wife out to lunch. I’ve never had the chance to do it before, but that all changes today.”
“Aww, that’s sweet, but we’ve been on dates before. What about all the times we went out with Dante and Arabella on double dates?”
My eyes leave the road as I glance in her direction. “They were hardly double dates, babe, since we weren’t even together back then.”
She lifts one shoulder. “We were in my mind.”
I bark out a laugh. “They weren’t dates. This, right now, will officially be our first.”
“But I’m horny.”
“Horny?”
“Obviously. You can’t be too sexy for your shirt, drive like a damn fantasy, and not expect my body to react.”
I chuckle, lightly shaking my head. “Too sexy for my shirt?”
“Yes,” she deadpans. “Like the song. You probably should take it off.”
I let one hand drop from the wheel and wrap my fingers around hers, lifting it slowly to my mouth. I press a soft kiss to her knuckles, holding her there for a moment, just long enough to let her feel it.
“I’ll take the shirt off when we get home. You may be horny, but I’m hungry.”
She blows out a puff of air. “Fine, I guess I can wait a little longer. Can we get the food to go?”
“No.”
“Can I give you a blowjob before we go inside the restaurant, then?”
“Jesus, Lucia,” I groan as my hand moves to my crotch to adjust my swelling cock.
“Is that a yes?” she asks with hopeful eyes.
“No … no it’s not.”
“Ugh.”
When she turns back in her seat and slumps into the chair, with her arms crossed over her chest like a brat, I have to roll my lips to hide my grin.
“If you’re a good girl, I might get you off with my hand under the table while we wait for our food.”
Her head snaps back towards me, and the slow smile that curves her lips warms something deep in my chest.
“I guess I can live with that,” she says.