Page 32 of Blood and Penance (The Puglisi Crime Family #1)

Chapter Thirty-One

Gianni

I can’t stop moving. I’ve been pacing back and forth for the last ten minutes.

I don’t know why I’m so nervous, but I am.

Today is the day I ask the most beautiful woman in the world to marry me.

Something I should have done years ago, but I let my fear of what my father would do derail my plans. Tonight, I’m making all that right.

After I resigned from the Church, I thought it was best if we all got away.

Phoenix was right. My journey with God is my own and I’m still as faithful to Him without the cloth as I am with the cloth.

Of course, there are still some things I need to work on just like anyone else, but I don’t think God looks down on me for the decision I made.

I chose love and my family. While I’m no longer a priest, I’m still His faithful servant.

The past few months have been stressful for all of us. While Giancarlo is still young, kids are not stupid. I’m sure he’s picked up on the tension especially between Seraphina and Phoenix.

Seraphina has tried multiple times to make amends with Phoenix, but she feels like she’s been betrayed by the one person who’s had her back her entire life, no matter the situation.

It’s heartbreaking to witness the battle Phoenix is having when it comes to forgiving her sister.

She loves Seraphina and helped her while she was recovering.

However, all that ended just as soon as Phoenix knew Seraphina was out of the woods.

Phoenix wants nothing to do with her sister because she can’t get past what she believes is betrayal and Phoenix has been depressed because of it.

No matter how much she tries to plaster a smile on her face for Giancarlo’s sake and mine, I know not having her sister around is affecting her.

Hopefully, things will get better after tonight.

The tapping of her heels against the stone roof and Giancarlo’s giggles reaches my ears. As soon as she spots me, a wide grin spreads across her features. She says something to Giancarlo, then points at me. A wide smile spreads across his face as he leaves her side and hurries toward me.

My heart swells with so much love whenever I see his face. When I’m with Phoenix, I thought I knew love, but my love for Giancarlo is limitless. Seeing him always brings me back to the realization of life’s value and how close I came to never experiencing this.

Phoenix and Giancarlo are my world, and despite missing out on significant moments in both their lives, my love for them remains unwavering.

And even though I’m no longer a priest, I thank God every day for bringing them back into my life and allowing me to experience this life with them.

I don’t know what kind of life I would have had without them, but I know it would never have been like this.

“Papa!” he shouts as I bend down and open my arms to him.

I engulf him in an enormous hug when he reaches me, feeling his warmth against my body. “My son.” I hug him tighter. “I missed you.”

He giggles. “I just saw you, Papa.”

I pull away. “And that was too long ago.” I ruffle his hair and stand to my feet when Phoenix reaches us. I pull her into my arms and peck her lips.

“Ewww,” Giancarlo says, and we both laugh.

“You look lovely, sweetheart.”

“So do you. This is beautiful,” she says looking out over the Aegean Sea.

I chose this roof top restaurant perched on the edge of a cliff in Fira because of its beauty and I thought this would make an everlasting memory for Phoenix. And of course, Giancarlo.

The terrace is lined with linen-draped tables and flickering lanterns.

Bougainvillea vines full of vibrant purple, white and pink blossoms spill over stone walls, and soft Greek music hums in the background.

And from this vantage point, you can see the volcanic cliffs plunging into the sea, sailboats drifting below, and the sky shifting from lavender to indigo.

It’s stunning but nowhere as stunning as her.

“Let’s sit,” I say, ushering them both to their seats.

I know this is something a couple does on their own, but I want Giancarlo to be a part of this special occasion.

We haven’t been a family long and I don’t ever want him to think I’m excluding him from anything, especially something so special and important even if he doesn’t realize how big the moment is.

“I’ve already put in our orders. Burger and fries for the little man since that’s all he’ll eat, and lobster linguine with saffron and ouzo for you, sweetheart. ”

Her smile is so radiant, it can light up a room. “You’ve got everything planned out. But what’s the occasion?”

“No occasion, I just wanted us to have a quiet family dinner.”

Her brow arches like she doesn’t believe me, but I’m not ready to pop the question just yet. I want to enjoy our meal first.

The waitress brings out our food and places it on the table. After a quick blessing we all dive in. Boat horns, laughter, and music blend together, the sounds dancing on the wind.

It’s perfect.

“This is one of the most serene places I’ve ever been,” Phoenix says before sipping from her wine glass. “I would love to live here. It’s so quiet, and the food and the scenery are otherworldly.”

“Well, what’s holding us back from doing it?”

Her eyes fill with curiosity. “You would move?”

“Of course. If this is where you want to be, that’s where I want to be.”

There’s no separating us anymore. It seems like it took us a lifetime to get back to one another.

“What about our families?”

I chuckle. “You know how my family works, Phoenix. My brothers and I aren’t that close. I love them but it won’t hurt them or me if we aren’t living on the same continent. What you meant to say is what about Seraphina, right?”

She blows out a breath and sadness fill her eyes. I reach for her hand, giving it a squeeze. “We can talk about it, later. Let’s just enjoy this time we have together.”

“Okay, I can do that.”

“I have something I want to give you.”

I push to my feet and grasp her hand, steadying her as she rises. Then I fall to one knee, and her eyes shimmer—unshed tears clinging to her long dark eyelashes.

I pull the ring box from inside my blazer and open the box then hold it up to her. While I want to get her something larger, I know Phoenix. She wouldn’t have wanted it. So, I got her a single solitaire diamond set in a platinum band. It’s simple, but all her.

“While I should have done this years ago, God has given me the opportunity to right my wrongs. I love you Phoenix Blaine and I want to share eternity with you. I want to be with you in this life and the next. So, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

“Yes!”

I get to my feet, slip the ring onto her finger, and press my lips against hers.

“This is the start of our new life together. You, me, and Giancarlo. Thank you for coming back to me. I love you.”

“I love you too, Gianni. I always will.”

While my life took a different path, I will never regret my family. Phoenix forgave me for the decision I made that tore our family apart before it began. That’s time I can never get back, but her forgiveness is just another thing I’m thankful for.

Love. Life. Family. Who could ask for anything more?