The Temporary Wife: Luca and Valentina's Story(104)

Luca pulls up on the side of a dirt road and turns toward me. Is he… is he trembling? “Please wear this,” he says, holding up one of his ties.

I frown in confusion, and he reaches for me, his hands shaking as he covers my eyes with it. “Oh. A blindfold? Seriously, Luca. What is going on?”

He doesn’t answer and gets out of the car instead. He’s acting so weird tonight, and I’m not sure what to make of it. Our routines have become incredibly predictable lately. We spend our days applying for jobs and helping Mom around the house, and we spend our evenings talking and enjoying each other. It’s a simple life, but it’s far more enjoyable than I thought it would be. Tonight is a strange deviation from the norm.

“Careful,” Luca says as he wraps an arm around me. “It’s a bit of a walk. We’ll go slow, okay?”

“You know I’m not the type to like surprises,” I murmur. I’m too much of a control freak, and I hate not being in the loop. He definitely caught me off guard tonight.

“I’m very much hoping that you’ll like this one,” he tells me, his tone uncertain. “I’m going to lift you up for a moment. Hold on to me?”

“Lift me—” I yelp when I’m lifted into the air and placed into something that feels an awful lot like a boat. He pulls my blindfold away just before he pushes off the shore, and I stare around in shock. We’re at the lake where my tree is. I can see it in the distance, all lit up with countless fairy lights, but that isn’t what’s most shocking. There are hundreds of lanterns in the water. Each with a pink sticky note stuck to it — all of them ones I’ve written throughout the years.

Luca smiles at me nervously, his gaze filled with emotions I can’t quite describe. This is more than just love. It’s reverence.

“How?” I whisper. “Why… why would these… how come…”

“I collected them,” he tells me, his voice shaky. “For years, I collected each nice note you wrote me. Granted, more often than not, you wrote me veiled insults, but over the last nine years, you’ve written me over a hundred nice ones. I guess some of them may not sound nice, but every single note here made me smile. The ones at the start of the lake right here, those are simple ones from when we first started working together. Some simply read Hope you have a great day, or Congratulations on signing that deal. Others are a bit more personal, a bit sweeter. As the years passed, your tone changed.” He points at one that reads It’s an honor to work with you. I remember writing that after he covered for me when I made a huge mistake at work.

“And these,” he tells me as he stops paddling when we’re in the middle of the lake. “These were written when I was starting to realize that I was falling for you, but I couldn’t really admit it to myself or you.”

He points towards some of the lanterns around the boat, and I chuckle. “I guess I was becoming a little more comfortable with you,” I murmur as I glance around me, at the passive aggressive notes near me.

Would it kill you to smile at our new staff every once in a while?

You’re the boss. Drinking that much isn’t going to get you out of work. Suck it up and get over the hangover.

If you keep asking me for coffee, I can’t guarantee what will be in it. This is the last one you get today.

I burst out laughing and shake my head. “Was I really so brash?” Then I pause, the smile melting off my face. “Wait,” I whisper. “Luca, I wrote these two years ago.”

He looks at me then, his gaze vulnerable. “Yeah,” he murmurs. “You did.”

He continues to paddle until we’re closer to the tree, its leaves hanging above us. This entire scene is truly magical, and I can’t believe he did this for me.

“These are my favorite,” he tells me as he points around.

I love you. Signed, Mrs. Windsor

Your office is right next to mine, but I miss you so much

I have a surprise for you after your meeting, come find me

Utility closet? Me + you? 3pm

I deserve a reward for closing that deal, husband. How about 200 kisses?

He grabs my hand and lifts it to his lips. The way he looks at me makes my heart race in a way it never has before. “This, right here, portrays the journey of our relationship. I didn’t really think much of it back then, but I must have felt something for you back when I first started collecting these sticky notes of yours, six years ago. When my grandmother told me to pack my belongings before throwing me out, my box with notes was the first thing I grabbed. You have no idea how many times I’ve reached for these throughout the years. You never realized it, but you’ve been silently encouraging me all along. Without you, I wouldn’t be me. You are the foundation of everything I am, everything I’ll ever be.”

Luca lets go of my hand then, and the butterflies in my stomach flutter when he reaches for his pocket and takes out a Laurier ring box. He carefully lowers himself down onto one knee, keeping the boat as still as he can. “This,” he tells me as he snaps the box open, “was the second thing I grabbed.”

I stare in shock at the stunning oval engagement ring. This can’t be happening. “But… we’re already married,” I murmur stupidly.

Luca chuckles and grabs my hand. “I know we are, but I don’t want you to miss out on anything that you should have had. When I packed this ring, we’d just had our argument, and I’d been wondering whether I made a mistake when I forced you into this marriage. Despite that, even then, I knew I could never let you go. You are the love of my life, and I will never stop fighting for you, for us. I know that I’m not worthy of you, Valentina, but you truly are the light in my life. You brighten up my darkest days, and you give me purpose when everything feels hopeless. At the core of all that I am, there is you. Until I breathe my last breath, that will be true.”