Carlo was definitely going to blow something up.
Carlo pulled his fiancée to him.“If you want to leave,” his eyes and his voice went low and quiet, “you leave.And you take it.Take it all.I don't fuckin' care.Because if you leave—” his voice cracked, “if you leave, I've got nothing.”
Oh, gosh.
Even my knees nearly gave out when he said that.
“Carlo,” now Giselle's voice cracked, too.“I'll never leave you.”Tears filled her eyes.“I've wanted you from the second I saw you.The second I looked through that window, honey.”Her hands touched his cheeks.“I knew you were the one.And so did Daniella.”
Carlo's eyes slammed shut like he was in pain.And at that moment—I knew exactly what his pain felt like.
Because when I thought I'd lost Stefan forever—there was always a constant ache in my heart.Even though I felt like leaving was the right thing to do—it still killed.And if Carlo really thought that Giselle was going to leave him—he probably did feel like dying.
Carlo opened his eyes—his very wet eyes.“You'll still have me?”A few tears betrayed him and fell down his cheeks.
Giselle smiled and sniffled as her fingertips wiped away his tears.“As long as you'll still have me.”Then she kissed her fiancé.“Marry me, Carlo?In our house?Surrounded by our family.Make me your wife,” she whispered against his lips.Her tone was so touching—and so desperate.
But not as desperate as Carlo's voice, or what he said next.“I saved you once, Giselle.Breathed life right back into you.And while I was doing it, I asked God to save your life.But I also asked him to take mine, too—if he didn't.”
There wasn't a dry eye in the room.The sound of sobs and sniffling echoed through the room.
Until Giselle spoke through her tears.“You saved me once, Carlo.Breathed your life right into me.But what you don't know is—you keep on saving me every single day.There's no one else in the world I want to spend the rest of my life with.Only you.”Carlo stood, taking Giselle with him.And then he kissed the absolute crap right out of her.I mean—even I was breathless from watching them.
Then—they spoke softly to each other for a moment.
And they both grinned.
“I think we're ready now, Father.”Carlo gazed over at the priest.
9
Francesca
The ceremony went off without a hitch.Or—at least any more hitches.
There was more crying, though.
By Carlo and Giselle.
And everyone else present.
But they were good, happy tears.
After the priest pronounced them man and wife—everyone cheered and followed Carlo and the new Mrs.Sovrano outside.Carlo had arranged for a company to come in and set up tables and chairs outside under their huge gazebo.The caterers stood at the food tables and assisted whoever needed help.
Nick and Stefan gave a couple of short speeches.Eve toasted the bride and groom.
Luckily, I didn't have to do anything like that.My job was making sure Dani had a good time, which was easy.She was the happiest child I'd ever met.
And she was fully enamored with her nonna.And vice versa.
It was cute.
After the caterers brought out a magnificent cake—and after Giselle and Carlo did the cheesiest thing and smushed cake in each other's faces—and after we all laughed, especially Dani—things wound down.
Anna left.
The nannies took the kids next door and put them to bed.
