Stella stood before four men and one woman, the counsel of the Sicilian Historic Society. It felt odd to be standing on Sicilian soil again since this was where she’d lost her heart to the only man she’d ever truly loved. His rejection of her was a conscious part of her being during every moment of every day. Not a breath or a second passed that her skin didn’t ache for his touch or her ears didn’t reach for the sound of his voice, but neither ever came. Acceptance that she’d lost him had come slowly and painfully, but it had come. Despite that, a flicker of hope still danced in her heart like a little flame, but it was tiny and the beliefs that fueled it were being burned off one by one so that soon even it would die.

It had taken her three weeks to comb through the boxes and boxes of materials sent by Leonardo to her home, and it had taken her another week to craft her final argument, one that presented a solid body of evidence that the Romano del Mare’s continued classification as the landmark resort that had become known the world over should be upheld and supported by the Sicilian Historic Society. Their ruling had the power to overturn the court order pushed through by the International Preservation Society to reclassify the old monastery as a historic monument. She’d shown in her argument how many historic buildings had fallen into decline through years of disuse, and she’d contrasted the rare and fantastic condition that the nearly 1000 year-old building was in still today, and it was because of the careful upkeep and maintenance that had been performed on the building by generations of the Romano family. In addition to that, the monastery’s continuing function as a resort provided a much needed and long term economic boost to the region. She’d demonstrated how the region had suffered in the two decades since it had closed its doors as an international hub of commerce and travel, and she’d demonstrated the cultural loss that had occurred when the Romano del Mare closed its doors as a resort as well. Generations of families had vacationed there year after year, not to mention wedding festivities and the hosting of many local government celebrations and gatherings.

Despite all of that, Stella would be lying if she said she wasn’t nervous now. Only three days had passed since she’d presented her argument, and the counsel that sat before her on their raised dais behind a long table looked upon her now with long, stern faces. She searched their eyes but saw no hint of their decision. The cost of pursuing the reinstatement of the monastery for commercial use had been the loss of her happiness and possibly the loss of an entire life with a magnificent man to stand by her side. She’d bartered it all away for this. She’d spared nothing. Now, she needed to know that her efforts were not in vain. Though, to be honest with herself, it didn’t fully matter if they were in vain. She’d done what she’d had to do. She had chosen to live her life hands-on and to face its hardship head on rather than to live a life of careful passivity, and she’d do it all again in the blink of an eye. She had to. She’d been given this new heart as a second chance, and there was no way that she was going to squander that chance by living a life dictated by fear.

The single elegant woman on the counsel sitting in the middle of the dais between the stately and aged men cleared her voice, and when she spoke, she thankfully did so in English out of an apparent kindness to allow Stella the chance to keep up with what she had to say. “We are indebted to you.”

Stella’s heart pounded in a staccato double time as her mind connected with the councilwoman’s words, and she fought against the smile that wanted to light her face. Nothing definitive had been said yet, and she did not want to appear presumptuous by assuming that her argument had succeeded in saving the Romano del Mare’s life as a resort to be enjoyed by all.

“We did not want to uphold the cease and desist presented to us by the International Preservation Society. We find them… heavy handed in thinking that they know what is best with regard to preserving the heritage of other countries.” She glanced down at her notes before lifting her gaze to look at Stella again. “When the original argument came through, we found it compelling even though it did not match our desires. Regardless, we could not turn our backs on the logic it made. I understand that it is you who wrote both the first argument to strip away the Romano del Mare’s classification as a commercial property and it is you who penned the argument to overturn the first request?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Stella said, feeling tiny beads of sweat break out on her brow as her chest got tighter and tighter, but as the woman before her smiled, transforming her entire visage from an authoritarian into a person with a passion for life, Stella’s breath returned and a glow of happiness took root inside of her.

The councilwoman nodded. “I am glad. You have done a good thing. Thank you.” Lifting a gavel, she hit the table with a loud bang, then with a lifted voice that filled the giant, spacious room, she decreed, “the property defined as the Romano del Mare shall be returned to its status as a commercial holding so long as its owners strive to show respect to the property’s structures as being of landmark value for the Sicilian people.” Her gavel slammed down again with a finality that was music to Stella’s ears.

* * *

Stella’s flight back to the States was scheduled for the day after tomorrow. With every second that ticked past, she fought the urge to seek Leonardo out. She didn’t know whether he was in Sicily or not. She didn’t even know if his family had heard about the overturning of the ruling from late that morning. She only knew that she wanted to see Leonardo again but couldn’t allow herself that luxury. She would throw herself at him, tell him that she wanted to be with him, but that wasn’t really true. She’d fallen in love with a man who didn’t exist. She’d projected onto him her own values, those of a generous heart and a zest for life that didn’t falter just because the going got tough.

Yet despite that, her body, mind and spirit all called to him. She had never laughed so freely with anyone but him, and when they had moved their bodies together in a dance designed to lift them to the very heights of bliss, she had felt herself become one with him—one mind, one spirit, one body. In every way, he had been the best time of her life, and she missed him. She missed his friendship and how easy it was to be near him without the need to constantly fill the silence. He made her comfortable… and oh so happy.

But that time of her life was done, and taking a page from Leonardo’s playbook, she was putting her relationship with him behind her. She was letting it go.

So why am I standing at the Romano del Mare? She sighed heavily, accepting the truth about herself. She was not ready to let Leonardo go no matter how much she told herself that she should. But, to soothe the ache of wanting to go to him, she would give herself the next best thing—her memories.

It was odd to be near the monastery and for the old building to be silent. The ruling to allow the place to open once more as a resort had only come down that morning, and no work crews had yet resumed their restoration work.

Walking around the side of the building, Stella walked up the slope toward the pool and then veered to the side to the start of the path that she and Leonardo had walked together. It was lonlier than she had imagined it would be as she walked it alone. Possibly it was the fading sun as the day’s light softened in preparation of becoming night. She would likely be caught in the dark on the walk back, but she didn’t care. For now, following the path was easy, but if she got lost on the way back she would return to the beach where Leonardo and she had first made love and she would give herself the night to remember him so that maybe, just maybe, she could burn her want of him clean from her soul with the rays of the morning sun.

Determined to hold on to as much happiness as she could, she walked with a determined step and her head held high, but even with her quick pace, sure enough, the light was already fading when she reached the beach.

In memory of what they had shared, she was tempted to strip off her clothes and bathe in the waters that were so welcoming as they lapped on the shore. Their distant sound eased her pain as the memories of being in Leonardo’s arms flooded her. Closing her eyes and soaking in everything the place had to give her, she was sure that she could even smell him as she took a deep breath.

“You do know this is a topless beach, don’t you?” A smooth, deep voice rolled over her from out of nowhere, causing her to jump and her eyes to pop open. Her neck twisted and turned as she spun around in search of its owner, then she stopped when she’d spotted him.

“Leonardo.”

* * *

His name on her lips had only been a whisper, but it seared itself onto his heart. She was every bit as beautiful as the last time he’d seen her, and he couldn’t help but doubt his senses and think that he might be dreaming. But the sound of his name on her lips shook him to his core so deeply that he knew he was either in heaven or the love of his life was standing right in front of him, and he decided to trust the latter.

“I shouldn’t have let you go that day. I shouldn’t have driven you away.” This wasn’t the way he’d wanted to do this. He’d heard from Luciana that Stella was back in Sicily, and he’d started plans to turn their small beach into a sea of floating lanterns. Two cello players would sit at the base of the cliff on the path side of the beach, and the petals of a thousand flowers would adorn the beach along with wine and other decadent offerings ready on hand to celebrate in the event that she said yes. He’d had it all planned, but none of it meant anything to him now. She was here, and that was all he needed. Now he hoped that she felt the same.

“I didn’t think you’d be here. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude. I’ll go,” Stella said as she turned to leave.

“Wait!” The word came out from some primal need within himself and his voice boomed through the space between them, strong enough to make Stella stop and turn to look at him.

“I was wrong. I can accept whatever happens to the Romano del Mare, but I was wrong to ever give up on you. I should have supported your decision to continue to fight, no matter what the outcome. I chose myself, and I have regretted it every second of every day since.” He stepped forward and took her hands in his, half expecting her to yank them away, but she didn’t. “You’re all that matters to me. All of the rest of this, it’s going to come and go and eventually fall into the sea, and that’s okay because if I know that I have you, then my life is complete.”

He could see the pain that he’d caused her in her eyes as she stared up at him. What he didn’t see was trust, not yet, and he didn’t want to give her a chance to shut him down before he’d said all that he needed to say. If she refused him after that, he could live with it. But if he held anything back about the way he felt about her, then he had truly failed.

Dropping to one knee, he released one of her hands so that he could shove his own hand deep into his pocket. A moment later he withdrew a ring. Holding it up for her to see, he said, “Stella, you’ve shown me what it means to live after I’d thought I was already living. You make my days brighter and my nights warmer, and you make me happier and more fulfilled than I have ever been in my life. Please, give me the chance to give to you all of the gifts of love and joy that you’ve given to me. Stella, would you marry me?”

Stella’s eyes were wide and in the setting sun he could see the sparkle of her tears. He held his breath, uncertain whether she was sad or happy, but then her smile lit her face and she nodded her head. “Yes!”

Leonardo threw his arms wide as she launched herself into him, locking lips as they fell backward to the sand. He rolled her under him in the next moment and deepened their kiss until her frenzied energy was gone and he could feel her body turning supple beneath him. “You’re the only one for me,” he whispered, brushing her hair away from her cheek.

She nodded her head in agreement. “Always and forever.”