“Ooh, I’ll have to add it to my to-be-read list.” I laughed. “Sounds like fun.”
“Fun my ass.” She scoffed, but we both knew she didn’t mean it. “Anyways, Gabriela, will I be seeing you soon?”
“Yes, you will. I’m hoping we can all do dinner next week. I want to introduce you guys to someone.”
“Oh.” She sensed the hint of excitement in my voice. “Who is this someone?”
I barely managed to tame my big grin. “A boy that I really, really like, Nonna.”
“Is he Italian?”
“Nope. But he does have some Irish in him.”
“Bummer. It’s a no from me.”
“Nonna!” I complained good-naturedly, nearly stomping my foot. “You haven’t even met him yet. He’s perfect and so handsome. Like a real-life Prince Charming.”
She laughed at my dreamy tone. Obviously, she was joking and pushing my buttons. Her own husband, my late grandfather, whom she loved dearly, was Irish. When they married, he changed his surname to Bellafiore as a token of love for Nonna, making us all the Bellafiores.
“All right, send me a picture of him through the app you put on my cell phone,” she said. “I’ll be the judge of this so-called Prince Charming.”
“Okay!” I perked up and cradled the handset in the crook of my neck, while plucking my cell phone from my skirt pocket. I quickly sent her a series of pictures I captured of Hunter while he did mundane things like driving with his sunglasses on, sitting on the sofa watching a movie with my feet in his lap, playing with Luna. Including a screenshot of that one picture from Josh’s social media, where Hunter stood in the locker room post-game, unaware that he was being photographed with the rest of his teammates, body glistening with sweat, his tattoo and silver nipple piercing on full display.
Nonna would appreciate the last shot.
“Mamma mia!They still make them like that?” she hollered. “Gabriela, he’s stunning!”
I giggled. “Isn’t he? I really, really like him, Nonna.”
“You already said that,” she teased. “And does he ‘really, really like you’ back?”
“Yes. He adores me. Practically kisses the ground I walk on. He’s so good to me. No one’s ever treated me like him. He picks me up every morning for school, buys me my favourite donuts, brings me flowers, watches horror movies with me, reads my romance books, dotes on Luna and he…He’s my comfort person.”
And I’m so in love with him.
I hadn’t told that tidbit to anyone else yet. Not even my best friends.
I wanted Hunter to be the first person to hear it and I was waiting for the right moment to confess. There were many times that I wanted to and yet, the second I opened my mouth, my words died on the tip of my tongue, nerves getting the best of me.
“Men like that are a rare breed, Gabriela.”
“I know. That’s why I’m holding onto him. He’s never escaping my clutches.”
She laughed, probably thinking I was kidding. “I’m happy that you found your person. You deserved to be loved right.”
“Thank you. It means a lot to me.”
“Arlene’s here, so I got to go, but set up a date so we can meet him soon.”
“Okay,” I said. “I love you, Nonna. Have fun with the book club ladies. Tell them I said hi!”
“Love you, Gabriela, and will do.”
In the upcoming days, Hunter and I fell into a routine. We went out for walks despite the temperature dropping. He usually bought me a hot chocolate to keep me warm. We also went to cat-friendly cafés with Luna so we could study and work on our assignments. Luna always sat in Hunter’s lap, glancing athim with love, and he snuck her little treats. And sometimes in the evenings, when we didn’t want to stay cooped up at home, we drove around aimlessly, listening to his playlists, until we found a clearing where we could gaze at the stars. Hunter even signed me up for driving classes so I could get my license. He encouraged me to practice on his Jaguar and I did, feeling more confident behind the wheel with every session.
Mere days into our relationship and I was glowing. Not to mention that I felt calm and relaxed, my system at ease from its usual anxiety.
I guessed that’s what happened when you were in a healthy relationship with a man who didn’t drain your cup, but rather filled it and uplifted you into a higher version of yourself.
