Page 53 of Banter & Blushes

A lump formed in my throat, and I reached out, taking her hands in mine. “We’ll be whatever we make it. I’m willing to fight for us. Whatever it takes. I care aboutyou. I want the chance to show you that we can be more than you could imagine.”

Rebecca stared at me for a long moment, her eyes flickering with doubt, but also something else—something warm, something real.

She took a shaky breath, and for the first time since I’d arrived at the airport, I allowed myself to hope.Maybe... maybe I finally said the right things. I finally made her understand what she means to me.

She didn’t pull away. And that was enough.

“Alright,” she said, her voice low and hesitant. “Alright, Luca. I’ll give you a chance. But you’d better make sure I’m not walking away from this a broken woman.”

I nodded vigorously, feeling like my whole world had shifted in that moment.

I dropped to one knee in front of her, in front of everyone, grateful for her willingness.

“I swear to you, Rebecca, I’ll never let you down,” I said, my voice fierce with determination. “I’ll never let you go.”

EPILOGUE: THE QUEEN OF PLANNING (AND LOVE)

REBECCA

You know, when I first met Luca, I never imagined that my life would end up like this. I mean, I was just a woman who needed a vacation and got way more than she bargained for. But here I am, almost a year later, and I’ve turned into... well, let’s call it avirtual planner.

And by “virtual planner,” I mean I’m theonlyone in town who’s remotely good at it. That’s right. I’ve become thego-togal for anyone who wants to get married, have a party, or even just throw a really fancy birthday dinner. I plan everything from destination weddings to kids' birthday parties with themes so elaborate that even Pinterest gets jealous. But hey, I’m good at it, and Luca... well, Luca supports me. We’ve even partnered up a few times to use his restaurant for catering.

He’s been awonderfulsupporter. Sometimes too wonderful.

Take this morning, for instance.

“Rebecca, you don’t need to work today,” Luca said as he handed me a steaming mug of coffee and thenkissed me on the foreheadlike I was some sort of frail flower he had to protect. “I’ve got it covered. You’re tesoro mio, you deserve a break.”

I blinked, staring at him over my coffee cup. I bit my bottom lip at his endearment. Tesoro Mio—my treasure. The way he uses it in a sentence always made me feel like his queen. But even queen’s couldn’t simply sit still and look pretty. “You do know Ilikeworking, right?”

“Not anymore.” He grinned, his eyes sparkling. “You’ve been planning everything for everyone else—now it’s my turn to take care of you.”

I rolled my eyes, pretending to be annoyed, but I couldn't hide my grin. Luca had become... well, Luca. The guy whoalwaystreats me like I’m made of glass. As romantic as it is, sometimes it makes me wonder if I’m secretly in arom-comthat’s not as self-aware as it thinks it is.

But that’s not the end of it. Oh no. Luca has this thing where he’ll randomly make meincrediblemeals and try to convince me that I don’t need to work. It’s cute. It’s sweet. It’s also a little ridiculous because, despite him saying I “don’t need to work,” he’ll still leave little notes in the kitchen that read:Cuore mio, my heart, I made this for you—enjoy. Also, can you please organize the spice cabinet? It’s driving me crazy.

I’ve seriously never been so spoiled in my life.

And don’t even get me started on his family. Oh. My. God.

They’re everything I never had growing up—loud, warm, and unconditionally loving. Theyadoreme. And the best part? Luca's mother insists on calling me “her little star”—picolla stella—and has even tried to convince me to take part in all these Tuscany traditions that involve way too much food. Like, way too much.

I swear, I’ve eaten pasta every other day since I got here. I thought my metabolism would revolt at some point, but... no. The universe is clearly on my side. At this rate, I won’t be anyone’s little anything.

But the thing that gets me every time is howdifferentthis is from the family I grew up with. Mine was distant, full of expectations, and the only affection I ever received was probably during the holiday season, when my mom would ask me if I wasstill single.

Luca’s family, though? They make me feel like I’m not justaccepted—I’m celebrated. And every time his mom tells me how lucky Luca is to have me, it makes me feel like I’ve won the lottery of life.

I mean, Ialmostcried the other day when his dad pulled me aside and said, “You’ve got a good man there, Rebecca. Hold onto him.” It was the first time I’d heard those words from a father figure who wasn’t sarcastic or condescending. And it hit me hard.

Of course, life can’t be all sunshine and rainbows (even though it often feels like it is). Maya, mydearbest friend, is back home—still giving me crap about Luca and Joe. She justcouldn’tstay away from Joe, even if shedeniedit. The phone calls I get from her are hysterical.

“So, tell me about Luca,” she said one afternoon, trying to sound casual on the phone. “I mean, what’s he like now that you’ve been... you know... together for a while?”

I could hear thewinkin her voice, even over the phone.

I rolled my eyes. “Same as always—annoyingly perfect and over-the-top romantic.”

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