𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐀𝐃𝐔𝐋𝐓 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐒𝐎𝐅𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐒
Newly engaged couple Sierra and Nick were eager to graduate college and move in together-finally starting their happily ever after.
But life isn't...
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"I'm disappointed we don't have time to make it through the rest of Italy," I admit with a frown as I carry our fresh laundry into the hotel room.
Sierra slides the pocket door open near the bathroom and tugs the suitcases out, then plops them down with a light huff. Our bed for two juts out toward a round table with a bench seat, and I stack the clean clothing there while I hear the familiar fiddling sound of the zipper behind me.
"We'll need to head back in a few years, mi amor. Venice, Florence, Sicily? There's no way we can miss those in this lifetime!"
Traveling isn't always romantic or sweet. Trying to decipher the language and understand the customs. The jet lag, the exhaustion, the grime. But the sweet parts make it all worthwhile. Escorting Sierra around the small part of Europe we're touring is as natural as breathing.
While I collapse onto the soft bed, propping my head up with my elbow, she happily chatters about dinner plans and expertly tucks clothing away.
"Sounds perfect," I murmur, smiling tiredly up at her until she leans down to kiss my eyelid. Giving her those eyes usually works for me to get a kiss.
As a habitual lazy traveler, preferring to spend my time reading in the sun, I'm surprised how I jump at the chance to take her anywhere she wants with zero resistance.
And I have no qualms about showing her affection everywhere we go. I couldn't keep my hands off her through Naples, then Pompei, the two days we spent in Rome, and another in Tuscany before ending up here.
A gleeful Sierra toured Milan yesterday, FaceTiming with a high-spirited, cackling Natalia, raving about street art and fashion. I simply wiped beads of sweat from my brow in the dry heat and smiled at Sierra's sparkling eyes and musical voice. She was too damn cute to be annoyed at the high energy.
The bed dips under my weight as I sit up, placing a soft kiss on her arm. "Do you want me to finish up?"
"Nope, I've got it."
"Let's check in with my family?"
Her eyes light up, and she eagerly nods. "I'll meet you on the balcony in a few. Start without me!"
*************
Sierra squeezes me around the middle as we mosey through the outdoor market late the next morning in Nice, France. "So gorgeous!" she breathes out, spinning in a small circle to survey the space.
"Tu es si belle, my love," I tell her, admiring her silhouette in the pale pink dress, and her long hair swept into a thick bun on top of her head. I slip my arm around her waist and nuzzle her neck. "You're so beautiful," I whisper, placing a light kiss there.
Her whole body vibrates as she sneezes, then flushes, the crook of her elbow still covering her face. "I love all the flowers, but, holy snot rockets! Talk about allergies!"
