Ren

"Why is Gio's stuff everywhere? Work papers, receipts, mail, wallet, change—how am I supposed to set the table with all this stuff all over the place?" I grumble to myself.

Well, you're one to talk. It looks like a clothes bomb exploded from your suitcase in the bedroom.

The house is uncharacteristically messy, but we've both just been so busy with work since we've been back. It's been almost a week since we arrived home from our vacation, and we still haven't completely unpacked.

As expected, the process server's agent was there to serve me the divorce papers the day after we got home, and I quickly filled them out and sent them back. Alex texted a few days later, reporting he filed them with the court, and now we wait for the decision—which will take who knows how long—though Alex wrote confidently that we will be "free of each other by Christmas."

I don't know why he has to say it like that. I'm honestly so relieved that that is hopefully the last text I'll ever get from that man.

I do have to give him credit for making this process so much smoother than I thought it would be. Alex has handled it all and paid for it. I know we still have to wait for the official judgment, but signing those papers already made it feel so final.

This last looming cloud will hopefully blow off soon enough. However, that's not what the weather looks like as I glance out the dining room window. Uncharacteristic summer clouds are blowing in humid air from the east. I feel a different energy in the wind.  An unripe apple falls prematurely from the tree into the dry glass.

That's too bad. Weirdly, I have this feeling that I might cry suddenly.

"Mmm, something smells good," Gio hums, breaking me from my short-lived daze. He hugs me around the waist from behind, and the stubble on his cheek lightly scratches mine as I feel him smile at me. "Need help setting the table?"

My smile shines back at him. "Yes, please." 

We stack all of Gio's things neatly in a pile, and he carries them to his office while I wipe down the table that hasn't been cleaned in a week.

"Hey, so today, I had another brilliant idea for the Taylor project," Gio says briskly, walking back into the dining room.

"Really, what is it now?"

"I'm going to terrace it. I think it will flow better. I was thinking way too inside the box before. It's going to look amazing. I've just been having so many great ideas lately. I can't believe how much that vacation energized me," he says, his eyes bright. There definitely has been a glow about him since we got back.

"Wow, I'm impressed, babe. You've been so focused and productive, and I still feel like I'm on island time moving in slow motion. It's been so difficult to get back into my work headspace since we've been back. I'm definitely going to pay for it next week."

"Quit that job already," he says, playfully hip-checking me and grabbing the pile of silverware and napkins.

"After the wedding. We need to save up some money first," I assert, taking the spray bottle and cloth back into the kitchen.

Gio sets out the napkins and silverware while I plate the food. For dinner, I've made my famous and quick chicken enchiladas.

"So," I say after we have both sat down. "When should we start planning the wedding? Have you thought about it yet?" I ask, just as I pull a bite to my lips, the cheese pulling out in a long melted string.

Mmm. The cheese and chicken melt perfectly with the avocado and sour cream in my mouth.

"I've thought about it a little. This is soo good, by the way—thanks for making it." Gio says with a mouth full of food. " I'm so hungry. I forgot to eat lunch today."

"You forgot to eat lunch?"

"Yeah, I just got so caught up in work that I didn't even think about it."

Somewhere in my head, a little warning bell went off, but then I dismissed it. I skip lunch sometimes when I'm really in the zone.

"Anyway, what about you? What kind of wedding are you picturing?" he asks, locking his dazzling hazel eyes with me, taking another big bite.

"Oh, well...," I begin, feeling fluttery talking about wedding plans together. "I always thought about a beautiful but simple outdoor wedding at a winery or something. Or even at a friend's house. Something not too big... low-key. It's my second wedding, after all. What about you?"

He shrugs. "Um, I haven't really thought about it too much..." But I can see in a flash of his eyes as he looks away. That's not the full truth.

"Come on. What is it?" 

He lets out an embarrassed puff of air.

"Well," he begins, not making eye contact, setting down his cutlery. "Actually, when I was young, I always pictured I'd have a big church wedding."

A breath of a laugh accidentally escapes me. "A big church wedding?!"

"Why is that so hard to believe? You know I was raised Catholic!" 

"Yeah, but you never go..." 

"I know. I just always pictured us married in a big dramatic cathedral—you walking down the aisle in a white dress with a long train and veil, lots of people throwing rice when we come out. A white horse-drawn carriage to take us away..." 

My mouth hung open in disbelief. "Like Princess Diana's wedding?"

"Yeah!" He laughs self-consciously, and a faint blush rises to his cheeks."I guess exactly like that!"

"Wow," I say, shaking my head slightly. "Just when I think you can't surprise me anymore... I did not expect that from you." I cover my mouth to stifle a giggle, then compose myself to carry on. 

"Well, I wasn't raised religious, and now I will be divorced, so I don't know if the Catholic church will approve of that dream of yours," I say, cringing a little.

"Nope, probably not," he agrees, with his cute, disappointed, half smile. Then, loading up his fork with another bite, he asks, "Well, what about a beach wedding?"

"That sounds perfect," I sigh.

"Okay, Bella," he says, a soft smile spreading across his face. He brushes my cheek with his finger lovingly, and it sends a gentle tingle through me. "I'll look into it."

♥︎♥︎♥︎

"Babe, are you going to come to bed? It's almost 11:30 pm?" I yawn, coming into his office. I kept reading, expecting him to come to kiss me goodnight, but he's been in his office since dinner.

"It is?" he says, without looking up. "Shit. I didn't even notice. I'll come to bed soon."

Again, something sounds somewhere deep inside.

"What happened to your whole bedtime routine?" But he doesn't answer me. He's so zoned into his computer. "Ever since Hawaii, you've been staying up late as I do."

"It's just jet lag. It'll pass, I'm sure," he mumbles.

Hmm. I had jet lag in Hawaii. It's not been so bad for me coming home... but everyone is different... I guess.

"I'm almost done filling out this application, Bella, then I'll come to bed. I promise," he assures me with his beautiful smile.

"Application for what?"

"To go back to the junior college, I'm going to finish up there, and then maybe I can take some courses online to get my degree in Landscape Design. If I'm accredited, I can justify charging my clients more for my services," Gio explains without looking up as he furiously types away on the keyboard.

"That's great, baby. I thought you were over here looking up possible beaches for the wedding."

"Oh, yeah, and that too!" he beams. He opens another window and clicks through a bunch of open tabs. "I got a list of possibilities for you to look at! Come sit down. I also found a few places for a reception. All this stuff books up fast, so we should get on that."

"Babe, we don't even have a date yet," I remind him.

"Good point. Let me pull up the calendar. Do you think spring or summer? No, summer's too foggy out at the coast. Is spring too soon? Maybe we should wait till fall. I could build a little arbor to put in the sand that we could string ivy through. Or flowers! Is that too much?"

"Um... it's getting really late," I say, rubbing my face." I think we should save this for another night."

"Okay," he huffs like I burst his bubble, turning back to the computer screen and opening up the application again.

I pull him up from his chair. "Come on, you can finish all that tomorrow. Come to bed. You should try to get back on your schedule." 

He reluctantly follows me. We pass through the dining room into the kitchen, where I pour us each a glass of water before bed. We both grab our glasses, and I see his ears perk up to the music softly playing on the stereo in the living room where I was reading my book.

He sets down his glass and moves swiftly over to the stereo. But instead of turning it off, he turns up the volume and starts the song over. As the melody starts up again slowly, he looks at me from his crouched position with alluringly playful eyes. I give him a look that says now is not the time. 

"Babe—" 

"Shhh, it's like our favorite song right now. Have fun with me." He stands up, giving me his most impossible-to-resist charming look through his long lashes.

The music quickly picks up pace, and he crosses back to where I'm standing. He grabs my hand and pulls me into dance with him on the blue tile floor of our small kitchen. The single light overhead washes us with its yellow glow and cocoons us against the dark of night outside, the music drowning out the whistling of the wind through the old windows.  We step together in time to the rhythm of the song, his arms wrapped around me, and I can't help but melt inside.

He spins me out, and when our eyes meet, he smiles his gorgeous wide grin—damn. I'm loving this! He pulls me back to him, and we dance faster as the tempo picks up, laughing at how much fun this is. He dips me at the perfect moment.

"Talkin' bout a true love." The vocalist sings, and he dips me again.

God, he's so goofy and romantic. I love him so much! That trip has put him in the best mood.

The song slows back down, and we wind our arms tightly around each other. I rest my head on his chest, dancing slow—and it takes me right back—right back to the first time we ever slow danced together when he told me he wanted me to be his girlfriend behind the gym at my middle school dance.

My heart throbs with emotion—mixing between memory and the present in this private little moment—and I know I'll remember this night with him... all my life. 

After our dance is over, I can barely keep my eyes open as we get ready for bed. We brush our teeth, and he follows me into the bedroom. I can't even be bothered to put on PJs. I unhook my bra and pull it from the shirt I'm wearing, struggle out of my pants, and climb like a bear into bed.

Gio pulls his shirt over his head, drops his pants on the floor, and crawls in next to me in his boxers. He wraps his arms around me, pulling me to the warmth of his body, and now everything feels right with the world. I finally close my eyes.

Just when I'm about to nod off to sleep, I feel something prodding my ass.

Ohhhhh-no.

"No, babe, it's so late!" I mumble.

"I know, I'm sorry," he whispers. "I'm just super horny lately, and you haven't wanted to have sex all week. Please?"

"No."

God, I am so tired right now. Why can't he see that and leave me alone?

"Come on, just really quick." He puts his hand up my shirt, pushing his erection into me again.

"Yeah, right. No. Absolutely not," I say firmly, scooting away from him closer to the edge of the bed to make my point. He groans.

"Ugh! Fine!" he snips and flips over.

Oh... Tears suddenly prickle at my eyes as my heart sinks.

You wanted him to leave you alone. Well, now he is. Go to sleep.

I know, I just— Another wave of emotion floods me, and my lip quivers.

I really don't want to cry myself to sleep, so I push the feeling down. After an hour, I finally drift off with the air feeling heavy around me.

♥︎♥︎♥︎