Expanding The Comfort Zone

The Deluca-Bishop Family Crest

"Maya! Come stai?"
Gabriella rushed out of the international arrival gate and hugged Maya, kissing her on each cheek.
"Sto bene Gabri, com'e stato il tuo volo?"
Gabriella smiled and laughed.
"Brava Bella! Your Italian gets better and better every time I talk to you!"
"Hahaha, well now that Carina has Liam learning Italian and the girls hear it all the time, I have to make sure I'm not falling behind."
Both women laughed easily as they made their way to the escalator heading toward baggage claim.
"I can't believe you packed it in your luggage. I really hope nothing happened to it."
"Maya. I'm a skilled doctor, I know how to properly pack precious items. Besides, I couldn't take the chance that it wouldn't arrive with me."
"Listen, I'm just grateful that Zia Sophia gave me permission to have it made, because I couldn't exactly ask Carina."
"My country may legislatively be stuck in the wrong century, but if there's one thing Italians do best, it's famiglia. And you Maya, you are famiglia. It's true that Carina is the Principessa of the Deluca Famiglia, but Sophia still holds the final say in important matters such as this. You came to the family villa and didn't demand acceptance, you gave Carina children to carry on the family name, you risked your own life to save your wife and family. You have earned your rightful place. This makes it official."
Maya blushed as Gabriella put an arm around her and hugged her just as the carousel began to move. After only a couple of bags, Gabriella pointed to hers, as an oversized large Gucci suitcase came rumbling toward them. Maya reached for the handle and pulled it off the turnstile, carefully placing it on its wheels as Gabriella grabbed her other bag.
"Andiamo, I want to see the building, but do we have time?"
"Yeah, Carina is doing rounds at the hospital until nine tonight. She thinks I'm at work until eight so I told her I'd just meet her at home. And you're sure she has no idea you were coming?"
"None. I talked to her two days ago and told her I was going to Milan on a shopping trip. I actually think she was un po' geloso."
"Oh trust, I'm not looking forward to the shopping spree I know she's going to want to go on when we bring the girls to Catania next summer. I heard her talking to Camille about it."
"Oh si si si! I'm going on that trip too, we are going to have so much fun!"
Maya chuckled as she and Gabriella crossed the bridge to the parking garage.

Carina opened the front door and heard the laughter coming from kitchen. Kicking her shoes off and slipping out of her coat, she made her way there, her eyes getting wide as she realized whose voice she heard besides Maya and Katherine's.
"Gabri? Sei davvero tu? Cosa ci fai qui?"
"Tesoro! Sono cosi felice di vederti!"
Carina grabbed Gabriella in a tight hug as Maya and Katherine smiled and looked on. Carina couldn't hide her excitement as she looked Gabriella up and down.
"You told me you were going to Milan! What are you doing here in Seattle?"
"I'm here because of your wife Tesoro, she tasked me with the very important job of bringing something very special for you."
Carina looked at Maya and scrunched her eyebrows and nose before her eyes got wide again and she smiled at her wife.
"Am I finally getting this surprise you've been torturing me with waiting for Bambina?"
Maya smirked and shrugged as Carina came over and grabbed Maya's hands, her eyes sparkling with anticipation, and kissed her quickly. Maya smiled and looked at Gabriella and Katherine.
"Let's go into the living room."
Maya took Carina's hand and led her to the couch as Gabriella took a seat next to Carina and Katherine sat in one of the arm chairs. Clasping her hands together, Maya couldn't hold in her excitement as she looked at Carina lovingly.
"When we first met, I had no idea about just who you were my love. Since that first meeting in Joe's, we have spent six incredible years together and yet it was only this past summer that I learned I didn't just marry a hot Italian doctor, I married a real life Principessa who comes from a proud and powerful family. So, during our time in Italy, I was able to learn about your family history and see just how incredibly lucky I am that you chose me to build a family with. We've traveled a long road my love and as you once said to me, our love story is beautiful. So before we left Catania, I asked Zia Sophia's permission and she granted it. She gave me the name of who I needed to speak to and what I needed to do to make sure it was completed and registered properly. That's why Gabriella is here, it's finally finished and it's officially recorded in irrevocable fact. Carina, my love, I truly hope you know that this is a symbol of our family and our love for generations to come."
Maya reached behind the arm chair and pulled a large square wrapped in brown paper up, setting it on the coffee table in front of Carina. With trembling hands, Carina reached for the paper and ripped it open as her breath caught in her throat and she scrambled to peel the entire wrapping off. Tears welled up in her eyes as she gazed at the coat-of-arms bearing 'DELUCA-BISHOP' across the base of a braided rope shield over the doctor's twin snakes with a firefighter's axe nestled between the heads and wings spreading out from their backs. A laurel wreath and the Olympic rings above them, with grape vines adorning the top corners of the shield framing it all. And sitting at the very top, a crown, with a heart in its center, the infinity symbol intertwined across it.
"Maya....I...I...wow....oh my love, it's perfecto!"
Carina stood up and stepped around the coffee table, taking Maya's face in her hands and staring intently in her wife's eyes for a long moment before kissing her. She pulled her face away and once more stared into Maya's ocean blue eyes.
"I love you Maya, grazie mille amore mio."
Maya wiped the tears from Carina's cheek and kissed her gently.
"I'm so glad you like it, but I've still got one more surprise for you tomorrow morning my love."

**(please see the photo attached to the header of this chapter to view the actual real 'Deluca-Bishop' crest as designed by myself and drawn in collaboration with an extremely talented artist.  If it is not visible and you would like to see it, please send me a message, thank you!)**