Chapter 82
MARK
"Kristen, I cannot thank you enough," I stated appreciatively, my palms clasped in front of me. "Thank you so much for accommodating us. And thank you for the stress," I joked.
He smiled, reaching out and pulling me into a hug. He was definitely adding some weight. Talk about June's cooking. "Don't mention at all," he said. "The best part about all of these is that we get to see you and Giulia back together. Love wins after all." He turned his smile to June who stood beside him. I'd almost forgotten that June was standing beside us. Kristen was greatly beekeeping age. There were red streaks of hair in his ponytail and beautiful white stands decorating his jaw.
"We will miss you," June said. Her eyes turned solemn. "Mark, I just want you to be happy. You have had to... endure a lot. Giulia loves you so much. Don't let her down."
"I won't." I stole a glance at Giulia. She was with Mary, consoling the heartbroken lady who couldn't stand the thought of our departure. They did this same shit the night before, standing in each other's arms in the courtyard, weeping like babies. You'd think they had been together for fifteen years.
"They have a very tight bond," June observed. It seemed she was also on the verge of tears. Not for the girls, of course, I could tell. There was something different about her gaze. It was... more warm. Motherly. June did change a lot. And I didn't get to see those changes happen.
"If this keeps on, we may miss our flight," I murmured. I wasn't against their nostalgic farewells, but we had a flight to catch. I didn't want to spend another night here when I could be in the comfort of my bed, cradling Giulia to myself. The thought made me impatient. Mary would never allow us in the same room here. Never. She was out against us "... doing gross things!"
Twenty minutes later, Mary zapped past us without a word, her hands covering her face, shoulders heaving with sobs. I wasn't expecting a goodbye from her anyway.
*~*~*
June followed us to the airport. She said she only did that because her driver would be dropping us off, but I knew better.
We hardly said anything during the journey. Giulia left us at the back of the car.
When we got to the airport, June waved goodbye and kissed my cheeks. She said something I couldn't catch to Giulia, and the both of them laughed at it.
After waving goodbye with tears in our eyes, Giulia and I walked hand in hand, our excitement palpable as we approached the check-in counter. The early morning light filtered through the expansive windows, casting a golden glow over the terminal. Giulia's eyes sparkled with anticipation, her smile radiant as she glanced around at the hustle and bustle of travellers.
"Am I the only one feeling this wave of nervousness?" she murmured, squeezing my hand gently.
I nodded, feeling a surge of happiness and nerves intertwine. "Nope, I can feel it too. Let's go... home."
As we navigated through security, Giulia and I chatted animatedly about a lot of subjects starting with Mary and then later finishing on Kenzo. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her voice filled with excitement. "Kenzo might hide under a rock today if he gets to know of your arrival."
I grinned, imagining the look that would be on his face. "That is why I told the men not to inform him. He would be equally pleased to see you."
Boarding the plane, we settled into our seats, exchanging tender looks as the engines hummed to life. Giulia leaned over, her lips brushing against my cheek. "I love you," she whispered, her voice soft against the background noise of passengers settling in.
"I love you too," I replied, caressing her cheek with my fingertips. Love? Something I never expected to find after losing June. It was now with me, showing in her radiant smile.
During the flight, we stole moments to gaze out the window together, marvelling at the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean below. Giulia rested her head on my shoulder, her warmth comforting as we discussed. The hours passed in a blur of shared laughter whispered promises, and stolen kisses.
Upon landing in Spain, the warm Mediterranean breeze greeted us as we stepped off the plane. The sun-kissed our faces, and I couldn't help but smile at Giulia, whose eyes shone with joy. We navigated through the airport, our hands intertwined once more, eager to get home and rest.
"Welcome to Spain," I murmured, pulling her into a gentle embrace.
Giulia grinned, her laughter ringing out melodiously. "You make it sound like this is my first time."
Well, I wanted to imagine it as her first time, because her previous visit was filled with memories I could tell she didn't want to revisit.
Just as I expected, one of the boys was waiting for us. He greeted us, joy spreading over his face as he started the car. The drive was filled with shared laughter and stories from him as he narrated how Kenzo had stood in my place, rejecting any message or call from me because in Kenzo's words "He doesn't love me anymore."
Poor boy. If only he knew just how much I loved him. Seeing Giulia love him just as I did made him more important to me.
"Is he at home?" I asked, looking into the rearview.
"Yes, boss. He was making breakfast when I left."
"Well, we are just in time for breakfast, aren't we?"
Giulia chuckled and caressed my chest lovingly. "If you keep up this attitude, you and Kenzo may brush past each other without a word."
"I'll rip his skin off his bones the day he tries that," I said. "Then I'll make him prostrate before me every morning as punishment." I wasn't expecting her to find it funny, but she did laugh. The infectious laughter scaled me and got to the driver. Soon, they were laughing loudly. "Just make sure your eyes are on the road," I said to the hyena behind the wheel, rolling my eyes, surprising myself further.
We got to the premises moments later. When the car rolled in, I realized just how much I missed everything. All my boys were outside, standing on both sides of the gate in wait for us. Smiles began to spread amongst them, some murmuring to each other in delight.
"This is so sweet," Giulia remarked, palming her chest as we stepped out.