And that, as they say, was that.
Rocco studied the place I was practically born in with so much interest, he didn’t even seem to blink. It was like he wasimagining my life here, too, and when I started to describe all the things I’d seen, done, smelled, he nodded his head, like that was what he was seeing, doing, smelling too. I went to turn my back, suggest we get going, and fast, when Mr. Louie, our landlord, came out of our side of the shotgun, but Rocco stopped me.
“Aria Bella,” Mr. Louie said. “Where’s my money?”
Nice guy, Mr. Louie, but as Nonna always said, he’d chop a finger off for a penny owed.
Rocco visibly stiffened.
I turned to my husband, putting my hands up. “It’s true,” I blurted. “I skirted out on the rent because I didn’t have enough to get to Italyandto pay the last month’s rent. And—” I took a deep breath “—I didn’t want to have to face the end of…losing my grandmother and my comfortable life here. This place was all I’d ever known, until I knew you.”
Rocco’s stance melted, his finger running down my face.
Mr. Louie whistled, and even though he did, the only reason we turned toward him was because we were ready to. Of course, his eyes were wide on my left hand. The rock on it was blinding him.
“What you went and did, girl?” he asked, shaking his head. “Now I’m really insulted. You can get a ring like that, unless it’s a Fugazi, but you can’t pay me for the last month’s rent?”
I went to open my mouth to respond, but Rocco stepped up, as if he were in a custom-made suit, and looked Mr. Louie over before he made him an offer the old man couldn’t refuse.
To sum it up, by the time we left, Mr. Louie was going to retire in style—he was a millionaire. Rocco had bought our old place, agreeing to allow the new tenants to stay until their lease was up. After that, we’d revisit.
In a daze, Rocco helped me into the armored SUV Guido had driven to pick us up, but after another SUV pulled behind us, and Guido got into the passenger seat, I realized Rocco wasdriving us. I stared out the window, not really paying attention, my thoughts consumed.
What would my grandmother think of this man? How he had valiantly stepped forward and erased all my debt, and going a step further, bought the house we had loved so much. I had so many warm memories there. But Nonna never raised me to become attached to worldly treasures.
I reached for the heart pendant around my neck, then turned toward my husband, who, I realized, was driving through New Orleans like he had a map of it in his head. We were headed in the right direction of the storage place, even though I’d never mentioned the name.
“Rocco,” I whispered.
He glanced at me.
“I would have married you without these rings.” I lifted my left hand. Then my right. “Any of these rings. That’s not why I said...well, not why we’re married.” He didn’t ask for my hand. Not truly. He knew I’d always say yes to him. Actions spoke louder than words. “You could have won me a ring out the bubblegum machine and I’d wear it. I married you because…my heart can’t stand not being connected to you.”
He brought my hand to his mouth, his breath almost trembling out. “You break my heart and heal it all in the same beat, Amora.” A few minutes later, he cleared his throat. “Tell me, what is this bubblegum machine you speak of.”
Laughter exploded from my mouth, and as we pulled into the parking lot of the storage place, I told him I’d show him inside. The office had a machine full of gum balls. Before the manager came out to speak to us, since I’d be closing the unit, I turned the knob of the machine and got him two pieces. It seemed like he didn’t know what to do with the taste at first. It was gum but nowhere close to what he was used to chewing. It was a bit stale and chalky, and one of those humongous things that take oneor two bites to crack—but the taste, for me, was like crack. My mouth watered whenever I thought about having one.
The room was completely empty, except for him and I, and he looked to the left and to the right, then went back to the machine and turned the knob himself, like he couldn’t help it. He had to touch it. It was so…innocent in his dangerous hands, and his eyes were so guileless, tears slipped down my cheeks while my heart was internally grinning.
As if he smelled the salt, he came over to me, like someone had hurt me. I laid my hand over his wrist when he went to dry them. I knew I had to talk to him in a way he would understand this, without me setting him back.
“You overwhelm my heart, Rocco,” I whispered. “And when a woman’s heart is overwhelmed, sometimes it overflows—not only with sadness but with happiness. So, if you ever see me cry, and it’s because I’m happy, it’s because…my heart can’t contain the feeling. This is my right as your wife, ah?”
“Ah,” he breathed out, gazing into my eyes. “I am touching your happiness.”
I nodded, smiling at him. “That’s exactly it.”
The manager came out, sighing at the sight of us, a dreamy look in her eyes. “You have to be newlyweds.”
“We are,” I answered, but from behind me, Rocco said, “We will forever be this way.”
I thought he was going to have to pick her up from the floor, but she was able to look up my account and give me all the details on closing the unit after we moved everything from inside of it. It wasn’t one of the bigger units, but it was filled. And I was all paid up on that. I’d paid for the entire summer and all of September before I’d left. I had no clue where I was going after Italy, but I’d hoped to save enough money to move after—hoping my stalker had forgotten all about me.
My stalker.
That sent a cold feeling lancing through me. Not only because he was still out there, but because my husband hadn’t mentioned it since the night I spilled my guts about the entire situation. Yeah, we were here to get my things, but…there was more to this visit. I went to open my mouth to say something, but Rocco had the key to the unit out and was lifting the metal door.
The smell hit me first.
