𝘐𝘯𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵

𝘍𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘺-𝘧𝘪𝘷𝘦.

𝘊𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵'𝘴 𝘗.𝘖.𝘝.

I smiled drowsily, feeling a doting kiss on my forehead while the soothing, tantalising, spicy scent of bergamot and sandalwood tickled my senses, making my heart brim at the familiar feelings.

"Happy Birthday, gattina."- whispered lovingly my husband as my green eyes fluttered open, watering the moment I saw him.

That beautiful, knees-buckling smile with dreamy, deep dimples is my best gift, my favourite thing to wake up to. His slightly curly, velvety, jet-black hair is messy, yet I love it so much this way. His face is all I imagine a masterwork to be like: flawlessly shaped and arched brows are as dark as the night; the longest, the thickest, the darkest lashes; his delicately turned-up nose must have been created by someone divine and gifted; the defined cheekbones and razor-sharp jawline seem sharper than any knife could ever be. 

The sight of his shirtless, muscular torso is the reason for my pink cheeks and nose. Every hard, vigorous muscle is on the display, daring my mind to remember how I trace each of them at night and every morning. The tattoos on his rugged arms and strong hands compel me every time I look at them. The platinum chain is around his neck and his ring is in its rightful place. 

The flowers are something I struggle to call earthly: a massive bouquet of colourful plumerias - it is the type of bouquet you can only dream of. The cake is as breathtaking as the flowers: 2-storey, an ivory-coloured cake is ornamented with edible versions of plumerias. 

"I really don't want my birthday princess to cry."- said Sandro lovingly, making me sob more as I hugged him tightly, searching for the right words. 

"This is the best birthday I have ever had."- I professed, the happiest to spend my 22nd birthday with my husband and our son.

He kissed my face gently and whispered the sweetest wishes to me while holding me tightly in his warm embrace, melting every ounce of my being, making me feel things that are too exquisite to be described by words that by now are not enough when it comes to him and us.

Once I calmed down, my beloved husband gave me 2 small velvety boxes. 

"You really didn't have to, my love."- I murmured as he kissed me intimately, tenderly pulling me closer to himself. 

I asked him not to get me anything because being with him is all I want, especially on my birthday. I'd be over the moon with his hugs only. 

"I think, once you see what's inside, you will really like it."- he said warmly with a smile, pecking my forehead dotingly as I smiled at him, falling for him extra deeply and extra devotedly.

I untied the white ribbon and opened the lid of the first velvety box, going speechless at the sight of something I thought I will never see again.

A golden bracelet with emeralds encrusted in it - a gift from uncle to auntie when they had just gotten married. 

Auntie sold the bracelet with tears in her eyes, choosing my health and future over the memory of her husband. It was a very expensive bracelet, but its history is way more precious and I knew how much it pained auntie to part with it. I have been saving up for years to get it back for auntie, but its price has always been too high for me - 80 000 pounds. 

𝘈𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘰'𝘴 𝘗.𝘖.𝘝.

I knew I had to get that bracelet for Celest no matter what - it is the only memory of her aunt and uncle.