"You have not been forgiven for not getting in the water," I said to Dominic, laughing.
Dominic had been home for a couple of days now and kept insisting that he feels so much better, even though I kept telling him he needs to take it easy.
"You said yourself that I need to take it easy," Dominic said, repeating what I had just thought about.
"Just a couple of toes in wouldn't hurt, old man. You know how to swim now, Dominic, and if you don't want to swim, just fucking stand. You are massive anyway," I said, and he started laughing like it was the funniest thing that I had ever said.
Right...
We both had our shirts off, and we were sitting by the pool with a couple of snacks. Dominic had water, and I had a little bit of wine that I wasn't allowed to pour for some reason, but that's okay. Something about being a wineaholic or something, but I don't know WHERE he could have gotten that idea.
"That's too much, but I will gladly watch you get in the water," Dominic said, giving me these weird, flirty eyes. I pointed at him, "Don't give me that look, weirdo. You are still very much injured. Look at your stomach."
He looked down at his own stomach, which was now unbandaged because we had gotten an okay from the hospital. We were just given a very strict warning for Dominic to take it easy, or he will rip every single wound back open and will need surgery again. I do think that last part was thrown in just to scare him, but thankfully, it did, and Dominic has been slowly hobbling around the house and actually asking me for help when he needs it.
"My abs are gone forever."
"Right, not what I was talking about," I said and pointed at the stitches that were covering a lot of his stomach and chest, "I don't need you back in the hospital, do you understand?"
"Yes, I do."
"Good," I said and took another sip of my wine.
Dominic let out a sigh, and then he slowly turned his head to me.
"What?" I asked him with my eyebrow raised, "I'm so glad I met you."
I gave him a weird look, "Why?"
"I can't just be happy?"
"No, there's always a reason," I said.
And he let out a small laugh, and I watched as he stared at the plants towards the fence of the yard, "just feeling nostalgic."
I felt my stomach sink as I felt this anxious feeling start to creep in, "Why are you lying to me?"
He made eye contact with me again, "I'm not lying."
"You are, you didn't look me in the eye when you said that."
"Sorry. I said I'm just feeling nostalgic, you know? It feels like we just met, and now I wanna spend the rest of my life with you," Dominic said with a big smile as he tried to sidetrack me from my feelings, and it very much worked as a smile came across my face.
"Probably because it was almost like yesterday. They say when you find the love of your life, the lines of time start to blur, kind of like a good book."
"Where'd you hear that?" Dominic asked, his smile still big.
I shrugged, "I don't know. I made it up," I said, and we both started to laugh like it was the funniest thing in the world.
Love is such a beautiful thing because it means you have someone who will care for you no matter what. Through thick and thin, sickness and health, I guess that's really love and life. Gives you something to look forward to every day, gives you something to wake up to, and gives you someone who will laugh at all of your stupid jokes, no matter if they are funny or not.
That's really love.
"I'm surprised you actually fell for me. I don't know, it feels kind of ironic in a way?"
"How so?"
"I don't think ironic is quite the word, but just the timing of it all felt so weird, like we came into each other's lives at the perfect imperfect time, you know? Were you looking for a relationship?"
I shook my head, "No. No 21-year-old going to the park to knit and smoke would be looking for a relationship. I don't know, I kind of thought the whole idea of love was overrated, you know?"
"Why?"
"Well, first my parents. Like I know they love each other and people say that kids can either help or hurt a marriage and in my parents case my siblings and I definitely hurt their marriage and I think I definitely played a big part in that, because I didn't really have life goals after high school and my parents had worked so hard, so of course that made them angry, especially my dad, and I know why, but I also don't. But that put a MASSIVE strain on their entire relationship, and I didn't really wanna end up like that, you know?" I said, and Dominic nodded, "I can understand that."
"I think also because, I mean, I like guys? So, of course, love coming from that can't really be normal, or like society's version of normal, you know? And I feel like people my age who were gay were either weird or they were so far in the closet they were homophobic, it was just annoying, so I kind of gave up."
Dominic squinted his eyes at me, "Did that brothel also play a role?
I let out a tasteless laugh, "I mean, yeah. That would fuck anyone up. I guess that was kind of the nail in the coffin of like 'hey maybe I shouldn't get into a relationship.' Or maybe I should just wait until I find the one or die alone, whatever comes first," I said, and Dominic started laughing, "that's the dream."
"Yeah. What about you?"
"I was planning on dying alone," Dominic said.
"You're being dramatic," I said, pushing his arm lightly.
"No, I'm being deadass."
I laughed, "You're being what?"
"Deadass, do you like that use of lingo?"
"Stop, please," I said, and he started laughing.
"Okay, okay. I'm what, in my late 30s, about to turn 40? I have a 12-year-old daughter, I'm a mafia boss, that's not exactly the target for a lot of people."
"You are the perfect romance novel candidate."
"I don't know what that means."
I rolled my eyes at him, "like you are the perfect fit for a protagonist in a romance novel."
"Is that a compliment?"
"Dominic."
"What?"
"You are pissing me off," I said.
He put his hands up in the air slowly, "Sorry, sorry, I'm just confused."
"Of course you are." Old ass fucking man.
"I don't know…there was something about you that really caught my eye. I mean, for one, your looks are truly out of this world, and I usually don't go for the superficial. But there was something about the way you acted on the first day that we met. The way you shield those kids you didn't even know, you made sure they were okay before yourself. The way you protected your siblings. God, it was a love at first sight kind of thing, and I'm not just saying that. You are a once and life time kind of thing, I'm telling you," Dominic said, smiling.
I smiled back at him, "Thank you," I said, and leaned over to peck him on the lips.
I tried to pull back, but he grabbed onto me, "don't," I gritted in between my teeth.
"Don't what?" He asked playfully.
"You are hurt, let go before I kick you."
"Wouldn't that make me more hurt?"
"Dominic."
"Give me another kiss, and I will let you go," he said with an evil smile.
I pecked him again and then pulled back as he started to do this weird thing with his hands. "You are being so weird today. What is your problem?"
"Nothing, I'm just so happy," he said, and his eyes turned into this weird look.
"Don't look at me like that."
"Like what?" He asked in a fake pouting voice. I smiled. God, he is so fucking weird. He is being all jittery, and the best way I could describe it would be like anxious or weird, but it's cute, in its own way.
"Isabella's at school."
"Okay? Stop trying to change the subject."
"And Matteo and Leo are god knows where."
"Are they on a date?" I asked, throwing off whatever perverted question that was to come out of his mouth next.
His face dropped, "Are they?"
"I asked you, stupid."
Dominic pointed at himself, "Why would I know?
His eyes went wide, "THEY DEFINITELY ARE!" He yelled.
"Why are you yelling?"
Dominic stood up and leaned over me, "Leo didn't even ask."
"Why does he have to ask you? And sit back down," I said, and he sat back down. "He's a grown adult; he can do whatever he wants."
"But it's with him…it's with Matteo. The guy he used to cry over day after day, and I didn't even know. That guy ruined his life. Why would I be okay with them going on a date?"
"Who knows if they are on a date. Dominic, you need to calm down. If Leo found it in his heart to forgive him and give him a second chance, then it's not your or my place to judge or control their relationships. He's old enough to make his own decisions, and if he feels like Matteo has changed, then let them be happy," I said.
He sighed and leaned back, "God, you're so right. You're always right." he sat back up in the chair, "Okay, they can be happy."
"Yes, they can," I said and whipped around and pointed at me, "but if he tries anything like he did back then, I am going to fucking pummel him."
"And you can do that, if Leo lets you."
"Okay."
"Okay," I repeated.
His eyes went back to the perverted look, "back to my point earlier…"
I cut him off, "No, we aren't going to fuck."
He sighed, "and that's okay."
"That was a good reaction."
"Because you deserve…how do you say good man in Spanish?"
"Hombre bueno."
"You deserve an hombre bueno!"
"Why didn't you ask to translate the whole sentence, weirdo?"
He shrugged, "I don't know, it sounded cooler with just some Spanish."
"Right, right."
I reached over and grabbed his hand and put it in mine, "What are you doing?"
"I can't hold hands with my man?"
Dominic smiled, "I take my question back."
I started laughing as I looked at the pool in front of us, "It's like everything is coming full circle now."
"I guess so."
I looked at him with an adoring smile, "You had your life-or-death scare, and ended up in the hospital just like me."
"Is that a full circle moment, or do we just have bad luck?"
"Probably both," I said, and we both started laughing again.
I stared up at the nice blue sky. "My dreams that I planned on burying forever are back. With your help, I'm applying to fucking acting school, which is crazy. I didn't think I would ever come back to that. I mean, I quit smoking after such a long time, and I haven't gone back to it, which is the best part. I mean…" I let out a sigh.
So much was racing through my brain, but also nothing at the same time; I couldn't really explain it.
"We should adopt kids."
"Where's that coming from?" Dominic asked as the two of us locked eyes, and I turned my head to face him.
"I was just thinking about some of the dreams I had when I was younger, and that was one of them. Adopting kids. One black one and then one Mexican one and the one that was both."
"When were you planning on doing this?"
I shrugged, "I don't know. I think it was a dream kind of thing that I never really thought about literally. I mean, I'm 21, I don't have a job, and I have lived with my parents up until a couple of months ago. I didn't fully think about the regulations, the money, and all that; it was just a dream."
"Damn shame we can't make that happen physically," Dominic said, and he started to raise his eyebrows up and down like a weirdo.
"What?
"Biologically was the right word."
"You're grossss. I am telling you my deepest darkest secrets, and you say this?" I said, dragging out the s as he started laughing, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I think…realistically speaking, the money is not a problem, I just do think you are pretty young, and I want you to get all of your schooling done and whatever else before you decide to adopt kids. I also think that for adoption, we should adopt whatever kids need a home, instead of specifically by race."
"Yeah, I know, I know. I don't know if I will fully go through with it, and of course, I want you to be fully on board with it, because it's your money. And I think right now that I'm not ready, but after a while, maybe, and if I'm never ready, then that's okay because we have Isabella, and I will forever love her like my own."
Dominic smiled at me, "Thank you, that means more than you could ever know," he said, and he leaned over to kiss me.
"God, I fucking love you."
"I love you too, stupid," I said, kissing him back, "I love you so much," I said.
I love him more than words could ever describe.