The sun’s glow radiating from the leaves and flowers all through the vineyard isn’t even comparable to the gorgeous creature next to me. From the way light hits her cheekbones to how her smile somehow makes the day brighter, Nicole is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known.

As we walk to our scooter I’ve rented, our arms sway together in a gentle motion as our hands are locked together between us.

“Where are we off to now?” Nicole asks eagerly.

“The Piazza San Marco,” I answer.

She has a puzzled look on her face that tells me this wasn’t part of her research when she decided she’d be coming to Venice.

“St. Mark’s Square. It’s a really beautiful place. You won’t even believe your eyes,” I continue.

“Well, I can’t wait to see it,” she replies sincerely.

We hop onto the scooter, and her arms immediately wrap around my waist. I start the vehicle, and we zip through the beautiful streets of Venice, taking in each gorgeous sight as we pass it.

When we arrive at the Piazza San Marco, I hear Nicole gasping behind me. She quickly climbs from the back of the scooter and stands at the edge of the plaza, her feet planted together, just taking it all in.

I walk up to her, placing my arm around her hip and pulling her tightly against me.

“Are you ready for a closer look?” I suggest, eager to tour the plaza.

I slide my hand across her back and lace my fingers with hers as we walk through the intense architecture and admire the structures around us as we find our way over to St. Mark’s Basilica.

We’re surrounded by crowds of other tourists, as well as many locals, talking amongst themselves, remarking on the beauty of the building.

“Wow. A place this gorgeous from the outside has to be just as pretty on the inside, don’t you think? We’re going in, right?” Nicole remarks.

“Of course we are!” I exclaim as we start walking towards the entrance to the cathedral.

As soon as we set foot into the building, Nicole gasps again, and her mouth is covered by her free hand.

I study her face as we stand in the doorway, practically blocking those behind us, just frozen, staring at the perfection. She’s staring at the mosaics. I’m staring at her.

I keep retracing my steps in my head, figuring out how I ended up getting to experience this moment with this most amazing girl. I understand it all, but I still can’t believe it.

And to think that Ryan was supposed to have all of this.

Knowing what he did to her, how he betrayed her when she had so much faith in him and took advantage of her, I know this is what should have happened.

Nicole deserves someone great. Someone to love her. Someone to take care of her.

She needs me. She desrves me.

And even if she doesn’t see it yet, even if she’s still processing what’s happened with Ryan, I’m confident she’ll come to understand how great we are for one another.

“We absolutely have to go upstairs. I need to see these mosaics up close!” Nicole demands. She’s like a kid in a candy store getting an opportunity to view such art first hand.

“No objection here. Let’s go,” I respond.

As we climb the flights of stairs, Nicole is just awestruck the entire way up. Her smile beams throughout the building, and she’s the most amazing sight in this cathedral. Ancient mosaics, metalworks, and architecture don’t hold a candle to this girl for me.

But I want to know what makes her love all of this so much.

“Hey, Nicole,” I call to her as we get up close to the mosaic that’s caught her eye since we walked in.

“Yes?”

“What got you so interested in art in the first place?” I ask.

“I’ve always just been appreciative, I guess, of other people’s perspectives,” she explains. “Color usage is always something that’s been especially amazing to me. It’s so powerful to be able to add a specific tone to a piece just by using purple instead of pink. You know what I mean?”

“Yeah, absolutely. When did you start sketching?”

“I think I must have been four or five when I started to doodle. But isn’t every kid? I think I was actually like nine or ten years old by the time I actually wanted to create in this specific way.”

“Well, that explains why you’re so amazing at it,” I comment. “I’ve never been able to draw much of anything. In fact, as a kid, I got teased when I tried to draw a deer, and it looked like a corgi,” I admit, laughing.

Nicole laughs with me. Her chuckle is so charming and sweet.

“After dad left mom, things got tough,” Nicole tells me. “I mean, at first, she encouraged me, but then…” she trails off.

“So why don’t you pursue it?” I ask.

Her eyes look a little sad. “Mom said being an artist is just not an option. We needed money. The pageant thing made sure we could pay for the necessities. Eventually, I thought things might change. I went to uni and started to study fine arts. But then Ryan came along.”

There’s a pause as she stares at her hands.

“Ryan also didn’t think I should pursue drawing as a career. He was looking out for me, saying it’s not a stable enough profession to rely on for the rest of my life. He was scared for me,” she adds, I think trying to convince herself more than me that Ryan had her best interest in mind.

“Nicole, you don’t have to bullshit with me. You knew you wanted to make it work, didn’t you?”

“Of course I did!” she says, more heated. “But what was I supposed to do? Ryan was my everything. My everyone. Even now, I’m confused about it all,” she says, a frown forming across her face.

“Nicole.”

“What was he even doing in Rome, anyway?” she scowls.

I lean in and embrace her. I don’t want to talk about Ryan. “Rome is a really beautiful city. You know, if you wanted to go there, say, with me…” I suggest.

“Maybe. I just don’t know how I feel about it. I know there’s so much to see there, too. Venice is really probably enough.”

“Well, I promise to you that if you do want to, I can make it happen. It’s no problem whatsoever. We can explore the city together,” I say.

Nicole looks into my eyes, a big smile spread across her face. “Thank you, Dante.”

“Anytime. Really,” I assure her.

She leans her head in against my shoulder, staring again at the mosaic that drew her in to the building. Just as she goes to lift her head, we hear a bell tolling around us. and I have the most grand idea.

“Let’s head up to the Campanile!”