“I’m here, honey. What’s wrong, Sophia?” Mom replies as Dad extends his arm so I can see them both now.
Taking a deep breath, the tears streaming down my face, and Dominic’s arms wrapped around me from behind, I look into my parents’ eyes and tell them that Shawn is dead. We cry together as I recount the details of the evening and Dominic fills in the blank spots for us. After talking and crying for the last thirty minutes, we disconnect with promises to try to get some rest and talk again later.
We all need time to process this.
Dominic madesure that Shawn’s funeral was beautiful. No expense was spared as he tried to help us find closure and come to terms with the gaping hole left in our lives. Mom and Dad wanted him buried in Dallas, close to Dominic and me, because they plan to move here with us soon. Dominic’s parents and his sisters, Emma and Stephanie, also came in a show of emotional support. Kayla and Rick hugged Dominic and me a little longer than usual after the funeral ended.
Tucker was with us, too. He told Dominic that the cartel would probably try to retaliate against him for killing the boss’s son and two other members. Shadow’s contacts are staying close to the situation and keeping him updated on what’s happening. Dominic and I talked about it and made a decision that life is too short and too precious to live scared all the time. Whatever happens, we’ll deal with when we have to. For now, we’re focusing on the good.
Darren has been charged with pre-meditated murder for killing Shawn and attempted murder for shooting Dominic. There are other charges for the conspiracy to commit murder and arson. He’s currently in the county jail awaiting trial. Dominic was concerned about his wife and his sister, so he set up trust funds for them both to live comfortably. If only Darren had just told Dominic to begin with, none of this would’ve happened.
We all made a trip to Shawn’s apartment and packed up the few belongings he had left. In his room, on the nightstand next to his bed, was a note he’d written to me. It must have been written right after our meeting at the restaurant. He told me how much he loved me, missed me, and how sorry he was for how he’d treated me. The letter said that he was trying to find another way out of it, even if he had to kill Harrison himself to protect me. I consider that letter our reconciliation now and it’s in a box with my most precious belongings.
The box is now at my new home with Dominic. My life. My love. My family. The weather has turned cooler and Thanksgiving will be here in another month. The best birthday present I could ever ask for is happening tonight–we’ve moved the last of our belongings to the newly built house.We’re home.
“Are you ready to officially move in our new home,My Angel?” Dominic murmurs in my ear as we climb the front steps to the door.
I can’t help but laugh at him. “Dominic, we’ve been here every day for the last two weeks, arranging furniture, decorating, and getting all the finishing touches done. What makes you think we haven’tofficiallymoved in yet?”
“Because now it’s all completed and this is the first time we’ve unlocked the door to our new, completed home!” he explains, as if that makes all the sense in the world.
“Okay, if you say so, Dom,” I concede in mock surrender.
“Oh, your Dom says so,” he replies with that wonderfully wicked gleam in his eye.
Dominic sticks the key in the front door, turns the lock, and opens the door for me to enter first. When I walk into the great room, my breath is taken away. I can’t believe my eyes and I’m shocked at the lengths that even Dominic has gone to this time just to surprise me.
The room is pitch black except for the blanket of stars across the ceiling. The tiny, white lights are suspended from the ceiling, casting a soft candlelight glow onto everything. Slow music is playing softly from the surround sound speakers. As I step fully into the room, I notice the red carpet that creates a path from the great room to the kitchen. On either side of the path is a row of staggered luminaries that have been suspended from the ceiling. Each one has a different letter cut out that’s illuminated by the candle inside.
Adorning every open space the room and along the lighted path are vases upon vases full of the most gorgeous red long-stem roses I’ve ever seen. The fragrance in this room alone smells finer than the most extravagant florist. All of my senses are on overload– sight, sound, smell, touch, -and if the aroma wafting on the air from the kitchen is any indication, taste is next.
“Oh, Dominic, it’s beautiful! I can’t believe you went to all this trouble! You really didn’t have to do this for me,” I ramble, but I love that he did this for me.
One side of his mouth lifts as he tries to contain his smile. “My Angel, take a few steps back and tell me what the luminaries say.”
Doing as he asks, I take a couple of steps back. I start at the beginning and call out the letters. “M- A –R –R – Y – M – E.”
My head is spinning and my heart is pounding out of my chest. Surely I misread that. Staring at the candlelit lettering, I go over them once, twice, three more times in my mind.He’s asking me to marry him?
Whirling around to face him, I find him knelt down on one knee with a small, velvet box in his outstretched hand. “Sophia Michelle Vasco, you’ve been the master of my heart from the moment I met you. If you say yes, I will gladly surrender it to you for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me?”
Gripped by shock, I can only stare at him for a few seconds. He takes the opportunity to open the box and display my engagement ring. The candlelight reflects off the diamond solitaire, showing off its brilliance and sparkle. Even as big and beautiful as it is, the diamond ring doesn’t hold a candle to the man holding it.
“Yes,” I say softly, “yes, Dominic. I will marry you.” The full weight of the moment finally sinks it and I shriek,“YES! I WILL MARRY YOU!”
My heart is already so full of love and happiness that only my Dom can give me, and then he does something like this and completely lifts me up to a whole new level. I can’t live without this man, who is more than I could’ve ever dreamed up. He slips the ring on my finger and stands up to kiss me. His kiss is never just a simple kiss, though, and soon we’re on the thick, throw rug in front of the fireplace. He makes sweet love to me and repeatedly refers to me as the “future Mrs. Powers.”
When we finally make it to the kitchen, I am famished and we enjoy an intimate, candlelit dinner. Feeding each other and enjoying our time alone, this is a moment I want to hold onto forever.
“One more thing,” he says with a smile. “Happy Birthday,My Angel.” He pulls a beautifully wrapped box from underneath the table.
When I open the box, I’m floored again at his thoughtfulness. Pulling out the gift certificate and artwork pamphlet, I unfold it on the table between us and gasp. “It’s beautiful, Dominic! I love it! Where?”
“Come with me,” he says with an excited smile. He leads me to the main staircase and points to the bare wall. “Right here.”
The gift certificate is from a local, well-known artist who will come to our home and paint a large family tree on our staircase. Every member of our family has a place on the tree and in our home. Standing with our arms wrapped around the other, we envision and plan for the tree, how many children will adorn the limbs, and where our parents and siblings will go.
“Dominic,” I say hesitantly. There’s something I feel I should do, but I don’t want my request to douse his excitement. “I have an idea. Don’t say no right away–take as much time as you need to think about it first. Promise?”
Tilting his head to the side, he studies me for a few seconds, “Promise, love. Let’s hear it.”
“I think you should give your baby with Carol Ann a name and memorialize it here.”
He wraps his arms around me, fully embracing me and pulling me tightly to him. Kissing the side of my hair, he whispers softly into my ear, “You are the most amazing woman. I love your idea, Sophia, and I love you more than life itself.” His quiet sniffle is the only clue I have to how much it affects him.
