Second Chance (Anthony Rizzo)

(49) Hope Is A Beautiful Thing

Anthony

Once the jet lag wears off we get our feet wet. Jess goes into her wedding dress consultation and lets me hang around for a while until I get kicked out. She pulls out her phone to FaceTime her sisters and let them get a look but I wasn't allowed to peak. So I look at some suits and shirts and I actually find a few things I liked. I of course need to figure out what we're doing with the groomsmen and what they'll be wearing but at least now I have an idea. Jess won't tell me if she found a dress she likes or not. She wasn't budging in the least about this dress and it was killing me. I know she's going to look beautiful, she always does. But the anticipation was killing me.

After doing some shopping and sight seeing we finally got to go up in the tower. I've always wondered what it would be like, I've been in the St. Louis arch but it wasn't really all that. Once you've gone up not much else happens. But here in Paris there's so much to see, so much to do within the tower. I paid a lot for us to get the whole deal so my expectations were high.

"Did you know that the Eiffel Tower has been painted many different colors before? And it was once a scientific lab" Jess starts making me smile big. She was such a nerd, loved to read and research, completely engulf herself in history and culture. From the moment I told her we were coming here she was looking up the foods she wanted to try and what to wear and all the major historical things we might see in our visit. Her brain might have been damaged but nothing is stopping her from learning even though she can't remember.

"I did not know that" I admit as she turns to me with the biggest smile.

"It's so funny because in the two years it took to build this they said it was hideous and useless. And sure, depending on who you ask it is. There's no real function for what was the worlds tallest structure for a few decades. Planes now have to go around it and people couldn't use it on a daily basis. It might have been more trouble than it was help.

But it withstood the test of time. It's now a symbol for love, giving hope to people who travel far just to find an old romance in a new city. Now it's the most visited structure in the world" she sighs.

"I can see why, it's quite charming" I admit.

"It's so stunning. There was nothing like it for so long, that's what made it unique. Now you can find a smaller version in Vegas which is quite less charming than this place" she teases.

"I'd say" I agree. "But the lack of Casinos and bars really pulls this place together."

We show our tickets and we march up to the sky deck part. The first level was the only one open to the public but that's okay. I'm not good with heights when I'm not strapped in and the view from up here was still stunning. There's 5 billion lights on this thing and it really lights up the night sky. There's never a bad time of day to be in this city but from my few days here the night life has been my favorite. So we watch the sun set on this amazing day and watch as the tower lights up the sky.

"It's almost like the stars" Jess admits as I smile. Of course she finds a way to bring the stars into this.

"I think so. They twinkle and help people of this city find their way. Find hope" I admit.

"What do you hope for" she asks me and I look at her weird.

"What do you mean" I question.

"Some people hope to come here one day. To fall in love. To make a family. What do you hope for" she wonders.

I shrug my shoulders as I look out over the city. So many people were all here in this one place just living their lives. Somehow we all ended up together and we can't explain why. Hope, fate, all of that is such a mystery to me. Just when I think I have a handle on the things we don't see but can feel, something happens and I'm all confused again.

"I hope for peace. And not world peace, we don't deserve world peace. Too many are too far gone and they pass their hatred down to their kids and their kids kids. The cycle can't be broken.

But for peace in my life and what happens to me. I hope that one day I will have everything I want and it'll be enough. I'll look at you and your kids and my family and I'll see that everything I did on the baseball field will one day be forgotten. Records will be broken and the city moves on to the next generation of players. And I'll be at peace with it because what matter the most I'll have, and that's you" I say.

She just smiles as she pulls me down into a kiss. My hands grasp her waist tight as I press her body against mine. "I hope you find you peace" she whispers on my lips.

"Being in this city with you, it's the closest I've been to peace in my life. And maybe this is the closest I'll ever get. Kids don't exactly equal peace. I know that. But maybe this is my peace, and I'll always have this" I say.

"And you'll always have me" she promises.

"Always" I ask.

"Always" she nods.

We take about a million pictures of us since you're not supposed to take pictures of the tower at night before climbing down. It was dark now and we should probably turn in. There was still a bunch on our agenda before we had to leave and we didn't want to miss out on a thing.

So we make it back to the hotel and decide to sit on the porch for a little. Just admire the tower and the city and dream for a while.

"What do you hope for" I wonder as she raises an eyebrow at me.

"Excuse me" she asks.

"I told you what I hope for but I never asked you. So what do you hope for" I question.

"Too much honestly. I hope for everyone who needs it can find their second chance as I did. For I don't know what would happen to me if I never found mine. I hope people get a chance to do what they love, even if they fall short. At least they know they tried and it wasn't meant to be" she says.

"That's beautiful Jessie" I whisper as she smiles.

"Hope is a beautiful thing" she responds.