It's a Love Story

Jared nodded, placing a hand on the side of Cassie's belly. In the shirt she was wearing it made her look smaller than she actually was. "She is a sweetheart. She looks sad though." he said softly.

--

Sami laughed as her and her brother went running around, just happy to be with family.

--

Lilli answered the door and smiled at Pavo. "Well, hello." she smiled, opening the door for him to walk in. "You must be Pavo. I'm Lilli Kinglsy."

Cassie rested her hand on her loving husband's hand. "That's why we're here, sweetheart," she told her husband softly. "To cheer her up and welcome her."

--

Pavo smiled. "Good evening, Mrs. Kingsly. Is pleasure to be invited to dinner," he said.

He nodded and kissed her forehead. "Of course, love." he smiled down at her. "Are you feeling okay? Do you need anything?" he was sometimes over protective of his wife and their baby inside her.

--

"It was mostly Roman's idea. Come on, we're all out back, I'm sure that she's excited to see you." Lilli smiled, leading him through the house.

--

Roman went up to Rosie who was already in Aiden's arms. "Are you sure I look okay?" she asked her sister.

Cassie smiled lovingly at her husband. "I'm fine, honey. Both of us are, I promise," she reassured him, kissing him softly.

--

Pavo smiled and followed her. "Your house is beautiful, Mrs. Kingsly. Inside and out. Almost something out of a fairy tale."

--

Rosie laughed. "Rome, you look great. Trust me. Stop worrying."

Jared smiled and kissed her again. "You promise?" he asked.

--

"Oh, thank you." Lilli smiled. "You can call me Lilli. Being called Mrs. Kingsly, as much as I love being a Kingsly, makes me sound old and I'm not old yet." she winked.

--

"You're sure?" She asked again

"Roman, girl, you look nice, really. And he's honestly just a guy." Aiden said.

"But he's a Roman guy.... A hot Roman guy...." she sighed then froze when she saw Pavo comming through the back door into her back yard with her mom.

"I promise, love," she smiled, kissing him back lovingly.

Pavo shook his head. "I apologize, madam. But I cannot call you by your first name. It does not show respect. My mother, she would kill me if I ever called any married woman by her first name. So you see, I cannot." He looked around and his eyes fell on Roman. He smiled, seeing her. She looked beautiful. "Why does your daughter look like she is afraid," he asked Lilli. "Should I not be here?"

--

"Just a guy, Rome," Rosie murmured to her sister. "Same as any other."

Lilli looked over at Roman and smiled. "No. You should be here." she said, holding back her amusement. "She just wants to impress you, but don't tell her I said that. She went to a lot of trouble to look as good as she does, not that she really needs to try." she shrugged. "Anyways, thank you for the respect. Go to Roman, have fun. Food should be done soon."

--

"Just a normal guy? Try saying that about Aiden." Roman mumbled to her sister. "Try making Jon say that about Ren or Dad say that about Mom...."

Pavo chuckled, agreeing with Lilli that Roman didn't really have to try to look beautiful. She was on her own. "Thank you, Madam Kingsly," he smiled at her, hoping that was more preferable than Mrs. He walked to Roman and bowed, offering her a rose. "It is tradition in my family to offer a rose to a beautiful young lady who has invited you to their home. It is tradition to tie a white ribbon around this rose to show her that she is the only one who holds your eye," he told her in a gentle voice. "Will you accept my rose, Madam Roman? And my white ribbon?"

Roman blushed brightly and she nodded. "Of course." she smiled, slowly and gently taking the rose.

Pavo smiled happily. "You look beautiful," he told her. "You looked so afraid when I walked out with your mother. I thought I had to go home," he chuckled.

She smiled and took his hand, leading him away from her staring family. "I was just nervous." she shrugged.

"Why were you nervous," he chuckled. "No need to be," he told her as he followed her.

"I.... I'm a girl... It's what I do." she smiled up at him. "Don't question it, just go with it."

He chuckled. "You should never tell an Italian man not to question anything. He will ask questions persistently about everything if you do," he teased her.

She smiled, her hand still in his. "Well, I answer most questions if I know the answer. But the answers to your questions may be to complicated for me to answer and you just have to accept them."

Pavo laughed. "Fair enough, madam. Fair enough."

She smiled. "Can I show you something?" she asked. "will you keep it a secret?"

Pavo nodded. "I will," he promised, squeezing her hand gently.

she nodded and took him into the forest. "My dad owns all this land. It's not very wide but it's really long." she said as she walked. "My brother and I are both sort of loners. He draws, I write. Our emotions run deep and we often need to be alone, so him and I found this. No one else knows, not even Rose. She doesn't come out this far in fear of ruining her shoes and she doesn't ride the horses as much as Jon and I do. And when she does, she doesn't ride alone or where people cant see her. She's really social... Anways..." she drew back some branches and showed a small spring. It was obvious that her and her brother spent time there since there was things moved and things left. "We call it our space." Roman smiled.

"It is beautiful, madam roman," he smiled. "I see why you and your brother have chosen this as your own space. You look like you belong here, in the forest," he gazed at her softly.

she smiled at him and then blushed and looked away. "Calling me madam makes me feel old..." she mumbled though had a smile on her face still.

He chuckled softly. "What would you rather have me call you," he asked her, moving ever-so-slightly closer.

yours.... she thought to herself and then looked at him. "Roman. Or Rome... Which ever." she said, noticing that he was moving closer.

He chuckled softly. "Rome, then," he said, still gazing at her softly.

She smiled, still blushing. "why are you looking at me like that?"