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When I encouraged you to marry Elysa, Dante, I did so because I knew you needed her. I saw how you worked yourself to the bone, how you let ambition consume you. And I knew that if you didn’t find someone to pull you out of that world, you would lose yourself entirely.
Elysa, I’m sorry if I meddled in your life more than I should have. You were exactly what Dante required, even if he didn’t see it at first. And, Dante, I hope you see it now. I hope you see that life is more than work, more than success. It’s about love. It’s about family. It’s about moments like this one, where you sit across from the woman you love and realize that nothing else matters.
And Dante is exactly what you needed, Elysa. A man who would love you to distraction and never make you feel like you weren’t enough. He’d shower you withaffection and let you be your fabulous self.
I pushed you two together because I believed in you as a couple.
Now, I hope you believe in yourselves. If you’ve made it this far, I am proud of you—more than you’ll ever know.
I hope you have wonderful children and a great life. I love you both, and if you’ve messed this up, I promise I will haunt you.
With love,
Nonno
P.S. The lawyers were told to deliver this to you on your fifth wedding anniversary. Don’t go yelling at them for not giving it to you before.
I looked up at Elysa, whose eyes were shining with tears. “He knew,” she whispered. “He knew.”
I reached across the table, taking her hand in mine. “I love you,” I vowed passionately. “More than anything. More than I ever thought I could.”
She smiled through her tears, squeezing my hand. “I love you too, Dante. And he was right. This...us...it’s everything. And we’re going to have another baby.”
“I hope it’s a girl, just like you.”
After dinner, we decided to walk. The night airwas cool and refreshing, and the city was alive with people and the faint notes of street musicians playing love songs in hidden corners.
Elysa slipped her hand into mine as we strolled along the cobblestone streets, her head leaning against my shoulder.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.” There was a quiet certainty about her, which grounded me.
“Neither have I,” I admitted, brushing a kiss against her hair. “You’ve given me everything, Elysa. A family. A life I didn’t even know I wanted. And now...”
I placed a hand over her belly, my heart swelling at the thought of the new life growing there. “Now we get to add to it.”
She laughed, her eyes bright as she looked up at me. “We’re doing pretty well, aren’t we?”
“Better than well. We’re perfect.”
As we walked back to the villa, the stars shining above us and the city of Rome wrapping around us like an embrace, I realized that Nonno had been right about everything. Life wasn’t about work, ambition, or control. It was about this—these moments, this love, this family.
And I’d never been more grateful.