Page 70 of All You Need is Greece

Marco silences me then with a thrilling kiss and when we finally pull apart, he gets down on one knee in front of me.

‘Marco, what are you doing?’ I can feel my heart thumping through my chest.

‘Making myself clear. Beth Wilson, you are the love of my life and someone I simply can’t be without.’ He hesitates for a second, as he takes a deep breath. ‘Will you marry me?’

He’s done it. He has proposed properly, after me wanting him to for so long. Yet I am almost too stunned to speak.

‘But… you don’t believe in marriage.’

‘Maybe not as much as youdobelieve in it. But if it means keeping you in my life, then I am happy to be married. I would be happy to do anything you asked of me.’

‘Anything?’

‘Of course.’

‘Even shave your head?’

‘Okay, maybe not anything.’ He touches his hair, and I burst out laughing. ‘But I love you, Beth. I never stopped. So what do you think?’

‘Well, I know it’s what I want, but is it really what you want? I have to be certain.’

‘It is,’ he says softly, taking my hands in his.

‘Oh, Marco, I’m not sure.’ I can hear the words coming out of my mouth, but can hardly believe I am saying them.

‘What are you saying?’ His face falls in confusion.

‘Why the sudden change of heart?’ I ask, searching his eyes.

‘Because I can’t lose you again. My heart would not take it.’ He places his hand over his heart. ‘Being apart made me realise how much I love you. I can’t bear the thought of spending my life without you. Ti amerò per sempre.’

He has just told me that he will love me forever. Marco knows I love it when he speaks to me in Italian.

‘Can we walk?’ I ask.

‘Of course,’ he says, a perplexed look on his face.

Walking on, a dozen thoughts fill my mind. If Marco wants to get married, surely that is everything I wanted, isn’t it? Didn’t we miss each other dreadfully when we were apart? And hasn’t Marco just told me that he can’t live without me?

We come across a bench overlooking the valley, and I invite Marco to sit down.

Sitting side by side, we stare silently ahead of us. A moped drives by then, its harsh drone puncturing the stillness of the evening. What am I afraid of? I wonder. I realise this moment may never happen again. Maybe having a little distance between us has convinced Marco that he really wants us to be together forever. Would he have come all this way to see me if he didn’t truly love me? He could have waited until I returned home, surely?

I look at Marco’s beautiful profile in the moonlight.

‘So what now?’ he asks, heavy disappointment in his voice.

‘I never actually said no to your proposal.’

He turns to face me. ‘What?’

‘I’m just saying, it wasn’t an outright no. I just said I wasn’t sure.’ I smile at him and his face breaks into a grin.

‘Shall I ask you again?’ he asks, a look of hope and excitement in his eyes.

‘If you like.’

Down on one knee, he proposes to me for the second time and this time there are no doubts. Marco came here to find me. I love him with all my heart. Tears are streaming down my face, as I give him my answer.

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