Chapter Forty

Italy is beautiful and I'm glad our parents chose it.

We arrived yesterday and I've only just had the time to explore today. Traveling with a baby is work but I figured it out pretty fast thanks to Ana.

We left the kids with their fathers and we're all out exploring. Me, Ana, Grace, my mum and Andrew's mum.

It's been so long since we've all had time for each other as a family. Ever since we moved to Nigeria seven years ago, things definitely changed. The past two years have been tougher for Andrew and I.

We've been through the toughest times and I'm just glad that we both came out of it together. Even though we have scars that will forever stay with us but the fact remains that we overcame together.

We're always better together and even though it took me a lot of wrong decisions for it to finally really sink and for us to stick to it, at the end, we figured it out and that's all that matters to me.

"So Grace, when are we going to hear about that special someone?" Ana asked with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

Grace rolled her eyes. "Not you too."

"I kind of support her, who's the lucky guy we're expecting to hear from soon?" I piped in now.

Grace has always been the quiet one amongst three of us and the most distant. Mainly because after she was done with high school she went all the way to France to study and is only around a handful of times, if we get to see her around, we're lucky.

After she graduated college she worked for a little while before she started on her masters and she's now at her PhD, in France.

She most definitely loves it there.

Ana's married now and I have a baby so it's normal for us to wonder who her lucky guy is going to be.

"Well there is someone." She started with a shy smile and took lick of her ice cream.

Ana and I looked at ourselves and our smiles slowly grew.

"What's his name?" This time I wiggled my brows at her.

She looked at our mothers who were not too far from us but they could definitely not hear our conversation the she looked back at us.

"His name's Safir, he's French obviously." She chuckled. "We've been seeing each other for about a year now." She filled us in and I found myself squealing in excitement.

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" Ana playfully pushed her shoulder.

"I wasn't so certain about him. You know him being French and all. He's a really busy person, always traveling around so I still had a lot of making up my mind to do. To be sure if I'm really ready to keep up with his lifestyle." She explained.

"What does he do?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Not going to tell you guys, not yet."

I looked at Ana. "Then when are we going to meet him?" I looked back at Grace.

"Soon." She nodded and licked her ice cream again.

"That sounds promising." I chuckled and looked ahead at the city in front of us.

"Speaking of guys, Riya I still need to spank you for what you did to my brother." Grace's words made me look at her.

"Yeah. You deserve a bug apology from her." Ana said in Grace's defense.

"Are you really sure he's who you want?" Grace fully turned to me.

Ana moved so she was standing in front of both of us.

I nodded. "I'm sure. Even though it took me a long while to realize it but yeah, I want him."

"Gosh you're so grown up now, deciding which man you want." Ana fanned her face and looked up, pretending as if she was about to cry.

"I know right, it's feels like just yesterday when we were babysitting her." Grace said now.

"Hey," I pouted.

We all laughed and my mother's voice cut in.

"Girls, we have to go, the men are miserable without us, also we have to be back in time for dinner." She said and began to walk back into the building we were at.

"Let's go." Ana said as we all began to walk back into the building.

***

"How do I look?" I did a twirl for Andrew as I stepped out of the bathroom, finally done dressing up.

His mouth was literally on this floor as he looked at me.

"Fuck you're so beautiful." He opened an arm for me. "Come here."

I stepped into his arms and he snaked his hands on my waist while mine stayed on his shoulders.

He leaned in to kiss me but u shifted back. "I've got gloss on."

"I know I hate that stuff but right now, I don't care." He held me in place then planted a short kiss on my lips.

"What are we doing Drew?" I asked when I noticed that we were just standing there.

"Enjoying the moment," he shrugged. "I know we won't have time for ourselves once we step out if that door and not until we step back in again." He said with a slight frown on his lips.

"Hey," I cupped his cheek. "If at anytime you want us to leave dinner, then tell me and we'll leave."

He nodded. "It's a relief Ana got us a babysitter because Brayleigh would have definitely gotten in the way."

"Hey that's our baby you're talking about." I lightly hit his chest.

"Sorry," he chuckled. "I'm just saying, having a child is work."

"I testify." I chuckled too.

I looked at the clock sitting on the side stool. "We have to go babe, if we're late my mum will definitely have our heads on a stake."

He laughed, "okay let's go."

He released me from his grip and I walked towards here I plugged my phone to unplug it and I dropped it inside my purse.

Andrew was looking at me in some sorrt of way and I glared at him. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing," he shrugged and his smile widened.

I just shook my head and walked ahead of him and the next think I felt was a spank on my ass. I'm not completely surprised.

I rolled my eyes and waited for him to lock the door behind him before I interlocked our hands and we both headed towards the restaurant where we'll be having dinner.

***

The food was amazing and I didn't want to stop eating but I had to save some space in my stomach for dessert.

"So Victoria and Andrew, what are going to do for Brayleigh's birthday?" Mum asked as she wiped her mouth.

I looked at Andrew then at my mum. "We don't really have anything in mind," I shrugged.

"And it's you guys' twenty fifth so you definitely have to do something." Dad added.

Andrew shrugged. "We know, we just don't really have anything in mind."

"When the time comes we'll figure it out." Andrew held my hand under the table and gave it a light squeeze.

My mum and dad looked at themselves and smiled. Andrew's parents were also doing the same thing so I looked at Ana who was definitely looking at our parents.

Michael took the attention to himself as he started talking about what his university choices.

Dessert finally came and honestly I don't remember the name but it was amazing too.

"I heard there'll be fireworks tonight," Ana took out her phone from her purse.

"Christiana no phones at the table." Mum warned.

"Dinner's over mum." She smiled and mum groaned in response.

"Should we-" Andrew's dad started but the light in the sky stopped him and he turned around to watch, everyone seated on the other side of the table turned to watch.

"Come on, I want to show you something." Andrew whispered in my ears and I grinned.

"Okay." I stood up after Andrew, carefully so as not to distract our parents from the fireworks.

"Where are you guys going?" Ana asked when she noticed us sneaking away.

"Andrew wants to show me something." I said with a tap on her shoulder. "We'll be back."

She nodded and went back to looking at the fireworks.

Andrew walked ahead of me, his pace a little too fast for me because I was on heels.

"Babe can you slow down? Remember I'm wearing heels." I pointed to my legs and he reduced his stride.

"Sorry," he laughed at himself and waited till we were side by side before walking again.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked when I noticed we were back into the hotel lobby.

"You'll see." He pressed the elevator button and we waited for the doors to open before stepping in.

I didn't see the floor button that he pressed because I was busy checking myself out in the reflections of myself on the elevator wall.

"Babe you look just fine." He assured me.

The elevator ride was so long and I already had an idea of where we were going.

The roof. I heard the view up there is amazing.

A few seconds after and I realized I was right but what I saw wasn't what I was expecting. Up here had different booths that had different people in it.

I could call this a couple's garden.

"Welcome to the couple's garden," a waiter walked up to us. "Do you have a reservation?"

I called it.

"Yes, Mr. Ezzeh." Andrew placed his hand on my lower back and I leaned into him.

"Right this way." The waiter led the way to a booth at the far end, where we could get a really nice view of the city in front of us and let me say the view is really amazing. "Would you like anything? Water? Wine? Champagne?"

"Chardonnay please." Andrew order and the waiter walked away with a head nod.

Andrew guided me to sit first before he sat beside me. "The owners of the hotel noticed guests usually come up here for the view so they made I to this." He waved around us.

"It's beautiful. The view, everything." I looked at him and he leaned in then kissed me for a few seconds before pulling away.

The waiter returned with the wine and poured us each a glass.

Andrew picked up the glasses and gave one to me. He rose it up and I clicked mine with his.

"God I'll never get tired of this taste." I moaned as I took the first sip.

Andrew chuckled and set the glass on the table in front of us. "How do you like Italy so far?" He leaned into the chair, stretching his hand on the chair.

I sat back too and leaned into him.

"I love it, it's amazing, every single thing about it is just beautiful." I said as I remembered the experiences I've had so far.

"I knew you'd love it." He took my hand in his.

We just sat in silence as we watched the view in front of us and sipping our wine.

After about five minutes he spoke again. "I love you Riya." He said.

I turned to look at him. "I love you too."

He released himself from.my body, leaving a little distance between us then he took my hand in his. "Riya, we've been through hell together." He chuckled. "But that's what makes us us, because we came out of it together and stronger. I'd be a fool to not want to make you mine forever, to not want to have you by my side every morning when I wake up, to not want you there by my side when I reach milestones and to not be there with you when you reach milestones. I promised you forever Riya and I'm keeping that promise, forever." He got on his knees and reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a small black box. "So will you help me keep that promise by being my wife, forever?" He opened the box to reveal a ring that was just breathtaking. "Will you marry me?"

This isn't something I should even think over because I already knew the answer way before he ever asked me.

I nodded. "Yes." I smiled. "Yes Andrew."

A grin broke out on his face and he took out the ring and slowly slide it into my finger. I leaned in and kissed him.

"I love you."

I heard cheering which startled me and I nearly fell off of the chair.

"That was so beautiful." I heard my mum's voice before I saw her.

Andrew's face said it all, they all planned this. He shrugged and pulled me to stand up and he wrapped his arms around my waist.

"It's me and you forever Riya, nothing can ever change that." He locked eyes with me and I felt the tears welling up at the corners of mine.

"Nothing," I agreed with him. "Forever." I got on my tip toes and kissed him.

I'm ready for whatever the world throws at us and one thing is certain, we're going to be together through it all, forever.

THE END

I'm currently holding myself back from crying at the moment, so that my roommate won't think I'm crazy.

First of all a big thank you to every single one of you! Honestly without you guys, I wouldn't have been able to finish writing this series, even when I felt like I couldn't write it anymore, the fact that you guys are here and I couldn't just leave you hanging kept me going. You guys are the best and I love you all! ❤️

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