Chapter One : Farewell

Wearing a white bateau neck dress, covered in detailed French lace and an A-line skirt that falls above her knees, the beautiful woman with dark brown hair places a bouquet of lily on top of the marble grave. Tears fall on the edge of the grave and she knelt to pray. Drawing the sign of the cross, she closes her eyes and bows her head.

The cool wind brushes her soft cheeks. Causing the tears she had held for so long to continue to wet her cheeks so she quickly wipes them away, not wanting the child beside her to notice how sad his mother was.

“Amen.” She whispered the last word of her prayers and slowly gets up. A slight pinch of pain on her knee after kneeling on the black and white pebble-covered ground made her flinch so she softly rubbed the pain and dust away.

Her heart aches, curling up inside her, making her want to bend down and fight the pain currently enveloping her whole body. His death still felt surreal. It didn’t feel real but the proof of the matter was staring right back at her.

How much she misses him, how much she cries for him, all meant to drive her against the edge for she was weak to accept the reality of her situation. She won’t ever see him again. She won’t ever speak to him again and she was trying so hard to keep herself alive at that point.

A tug on her skirt made her glistening, piercing green eyes with gold fleck gaze down upon a boy who shared the same color as his father rather than hers.

“I want to go home, momma.”

She smiled and cup his small cheeks which were no bigger than the size of her palm.

“Soon, baby. I’m almost done here.” She replied to him. Rather than throwing a tantrum like any 7-year-old boy his age, he nodded and just stare at the grave of his father.

“Momma, why is daddy inside this box? Isn’t it dark? Wouldn’t he be afraid of it?” He pointed to the grave.

She smiled at his innocent questions and pulled her closer to her side.

“Sooner or later, we will be here too, my love. It’s normal for anyone who has passed away. This is what people called ugh…. Final resting place.”

He frowned and shook her head looking frightened. “That’s scary. All dark and… dad surely can’t move a lot in this small space. Why don’t you just bring daddy to rest with us, momma? Maybe he will feel a lot safer if there’s light?”

She smiled. “We can’t because he’s not with us anymore. You see, God has invited your father to heaven. He is with the Lord God now and waiting for us to see him soon. We can’t bring him back to us.”

The boy bit her lip and later, sighed in disappointment. He turns his gaze at his mother and replied. “You sure we’ll see him again, momma? You promise?”

He held out his pinkie finger which she just stares at it for a while and later, shook her hand and nodded.

“I love you, baby.”

I love you too, momma.” He replied while hugging her mother. As his face was staring back at the grave with his father’s picture the frame was placed in the middle of the grave.

“I love you too, daddy.” He whispered ever so gently.

...

3 years before

“In the name of God, I, Alessandro Kennedy De Rossi, take you, Selena Salvatore to be my beloved wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.”

Sandro took the sparkling, ring with 6 and ½ carats, pushing the tiny, shimmering, diamond, encrusted metal band into Selena’s finger. She could hardly see the ring with tears blurring her visions. Her soft veil brushing against her exposed back and her long, lace fitted sleeve that stretches up to her wrist gave a gorgeous overall alongside her wedding ring.

No words could describe how ecstatic she was today. To finally marry the man of her dream. The man who is basically, her everything, and with all the journey they had gone through together, she can’t wait for more.

As long as Sandro is by her side, she knows that she could do everything. Never in her life would she ever thought that she would be married to the most handsome Italian specimen she has ever laid her eyes on. He could be a model with his black and thick wavy hair, straight nose, light beard around his cheek, and piercing blue eyes against his tan skin yet he chose to put his talent and book smart to good use like being the CEO of De Rossi Corporation.

The finest real estate company that specializes in luxury houses, apartments, estates, and resorts all over the US. Dealing with the rich and famous, he was a self-made millionaire, after breaking off his relationship with his toxic father.

One of the reasons why it happens was due to his choice of marrying her, a 21-year-old only daughter of a teacher and a lecturer. A whole other league from what Sandro has spent his years growing up, yet the life of the rich and powerful he had gotten used to for the past 27 years didn’t affect his values. To this day, he was as kind, generous, hardworking, and loving as his mother, Elena, who too had broken off with his husband after catching him cheating with his young secretary turn mistress, Sonya.

Memories of him proposing to her after months of dating and getting to know each other would bring tears to her eyes. To marry a man who was also her best friend was the best thing she could ever ask for.

Now, it was her turn to say her vow.

“In the name of God, I, Selena Salvatore, take you, Alessandro Kennedy De Rossi to be my beloved, husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.”

She took his wedding ring and placed it on his ring finger. Ever so slowly, she takes pleasure in every second she could hold his hand and couldn’t help but giggled in joy. Just when she thought the whole ceremony was cute, she opens her mouth in surprise when she notices tears pooling in Alessandro’s eyes.

He was smiling so widely yet tears drip down his cheek. He pulled her hand to his lips and shower it with so many kisses that the small crowd which has joined them started to laugh. He didn’t care until the priest next to them cleared his throat and it made Sandro stops just so he would peek at the priest who had known him ever since he was a kid.

“I know you are very excited to spoil your, precious bride with kisses, my son but let us all finish with this ceremony and we can all go and celebrate on our way.”

The crows laugh alongside Selena and Sandro holds his chuckle from bursting out. He nodded and winked at Selena before proceeding to stand still to finish everything up.

When Father Anton finally finishes the ceremony with “You may kiss the bride. I present to all of you, Mr. and Mrs. De Rossi.”

The old man couldn’t even finish his words when Sandro just snatches Selena's petite body and kiss her like there was no tomorrow. The crow erupted with cheers and applause from their loved ones.

Sandro pulls away panting for a minute and whispered to her lips in a sultry voice.

“ I should’ve known kissing my wife’s lips is better than just kissing her hand. Both are sweet but your lips make me an addict, love.”

“God knows I feel the same way about you too, husband. Oh God, I’m so, so happy, Sandro. I love you so much.”

Sandro leans his forehead on hers and gently rubs their noses together.

“And I love you, Tesoro mio.”