“Honey, focus.” Stella taps his leg, her eyes on me. “You really like this woman, Lucca?”
“I really do,” I say.
“Well, you could always announce your impending marriage on national TV.” Stella breathes out a laugh.
“Not helpful.” Roman’s eyes dart to his wife with the smallest of glares.
“I mean, I could. Do you think that would work?” I look at Stella. At least she’s got ideas. “It would force her to speak to me.”
“Are you kidding me? Two months ago, you hated the woman. Now you’re willing to announce your marriage?” Roman stands. “I’m getting a drink. When I come back in here, maybe tone down the crazy.”
I glare at him. “Do I need to remind you?—”
Roman groans. “You did not break any laws to help me!”
“Okay, do I need to remind you that you announced our future wedding to the world before you’d talked it over with me?” Stella rests one hand on her flat stomach. They say she’s three months along, but she doesn’t look any different to me.
Roman growls before disappearing into the kitchen.
Stella looks at me. “Marriage, Lucca? Come on.”
“I don’t want to get married. Not yet, anyway.” I sigh. “But I like her. I haven’t been out with a woman since we started to get to know one another.”
Stella leans forward, elbows on knees. “And for the first time in your life, you don’t want to see anyone else?”
I nod. “Yes. It’s strange. I can’t explain any of it.”
“It’s called falling.” She reaches out a hand, taking mine and squeezing my fingers. “Have you ever been in love, Lucca?”
I smirk. “Many, many,many, times.”
Stella leans back again, her hand resting on her abdomen. “Okay, let me adjust that question. Have you ever had feelings for one woman and one woman only?”
My brows cinch as I replay her question in my head. “I…”
I’m still thinking when Stella starts talking again. “You said you haven’t been out with another woman since you started talking to Maggie.”
My eyes widen. “I know. Crazy.”
“Not crazy.” She rolls her eyes with impatience. “That’s called only having feelings for one person. I don’t think you’ve ever been in love, Lucca. You’ve had a whole lot of fun. And sure, you like women. But these are sincere feelings. Nothing fleeting or paper-thin about it.”
I lean back and cross my legs, scratching through the bristles on my chin. Roman walks back into the room, but I ignore him. His wife is enlightening me with so much knowledge—about myself. “But so many women have been in love with me,” I say.
Roman scoffs out a growl and turns around to walk back into the kitchen.
“No, they haven’t,” Stella says. “Maybe they were infatuated with you. Strong, charming?—”
“Handsome,” I say, helping her out.
“Yes, but those are surface-level feelings, Lucca. No one’s ever loved you because you’ve never given them enough time to. You get bored and move on.”
I hold up my hands. “I wouldn’t say I get bored. More like sparks fade and then light somewhere else.” I shrug. I’m not as shallow as she thinks. And I’ve never wanted to be left again. Mom left. Vovó stayed. But she’s right, I’ve never given a woman enough time to decide whether she wanted me for the long haul or not.
Maggie started out not liking me—we can only go up from there.
“And with Maggie?” Stella pats my knee, bringing me back to reality. “The spark is still there?”
“A spark?” I shake my head, slow and thoughtful. “Maggie isn’t a spark. She’s more like a fire blazing in the hearth.”
