Fate

Chapter 11

Rose

Having lost an entire month and with Vincent putting extra time in at the restaurant to save up for a car, summer was flying by. Rose was already busy with soccer training for her college team, so they weren't spending as much time together in the restaurant as they'd originally thought they would. Vincent had already talked to Sal and his uncle about being able to stay out here even after the summer was over.

Unlike Rose who'd accepted a soccer scholarship to the University of San Diego, Vincent would be attending community college. But he was excited about it, and that excited Rose. He'd even looked into getting certified in firearms training and had already gone down to the college to find out what classes were needed and how long it might take.

His fascination with guns made Rose nervous, but at least he was looking to do something good with it: make a career out of it. He told Rose that once he got certified, he could look into getting into training at the local firing range. A lot of the trainers at the firing range he frequented so often back home did private training on the side, and they weren't cheap. He said he could make a business out of it. Vincent played it down, but Rose could see how excited it made him that Sal had agreed it wasn't a bad idea.

"I thought he might shoot it down. You know a lot of people have this thing about guns, but he said with as much passion as I have about firearms, I'd be sure to be successful. He said the most successful people in the world were the ones doing what they loved for a living. He even said he'd be willing to help me get the business going once I got there."

"Really? He said that?"

Vincent beamed, nodding. "Sal puts up a pretty good hard-ass act, but my dad's right. He just means well. Family is everything to him and his brothers." The gleam in Vincent's eyes was one Rose only saw when he spoke of how much she meant to him. It was full of pride, and there was no hiding the sincerity in those eyes. "He said he's proud of me, Rose, and he said he's always believed in me." Vincent laughed. "It shocked the hell out of me; let me tell you." Vince went serious suddenly. "You know I always had the feeling he looked down on not just me but my family for not being," he shrugged and looked away for a moment then looked back at her, "I don't know, as refined as him and his family I guess...maybe even resented having people like us in his family. But since I've gotten closer to him and all of my cousins, I realize I couldn't have been more wrong."

The beautiful smile was back again, and Rose couldn't help smiling with him. "Okay," he laughed, "so Sal is a little more type-A than your average type-A person." Rose nodded with a laugh, agreeing wholeheartedly. "But he's a good guy. I've seen the way he talks to all his brothers and his sister, even Romero. He's just looking out for those he cares about. And family is who he cares about most. He even said he always knew I'd come around and straighten my shit out."

Rose saw not only the pride he was feeling at that moment but the excitement he felt about his future—their future. She was excited too not just because he was excited about this future he spoke so eagerly about but because Sal was also agreeing to let him stay here and continue to work for him. Things couldn't be working out more perfectly.

Then later one evening, he brought up something that took Rose by surprise.

"I want us to get our own place."

Silenced by this out of nowhere announcement, Rose wasn't sure she'd even heard him right. "What?"

"Well, not until after I get certified and get a job. I wanna make sure that I can handle paying rent and all the bills, but wouldn't that be cool? If I'm gonna be living in La Jolla full time and seeing you every day, why not go home together every night?"