VENUS
MEL
A week later, Mel had landed in Rome, Italy. She was excited. She'd never been to Rome before and she was dying to see the city. She'd heard it was beautiful at night. Especially at night.
But more than anything, she was so excited to see Jason that she could barely sit still, despite the jet lag she was already feeling after traveling for nearly twenty hours. Sleep on the plane wouldn't have happened had she not brought extra help for that but it still didn't mean that she slept comfortably. However, now she operated on pure adrenaline from the notion that she was in a gorgeous, new place and she was about to be reunited with her love.
Her car took her to the Hotel Eden in the heart of the Old City of Rome and Mel smiled at her surroundings. Even in the dark, it was beautiful. She knew there as no way that all of the movie cast and crew were staying here and that he had to have picked this hotel out just for her.
Upon entering the classically lavish lobby with a claim to fame of marble floors and décor, she received the key to the penthouse suite. While at home it was true that she didn't require the utmost luxury and the best that money had to offer, it was a fairly known fact that she preferred to travel in style. Her logic was, if she was going to uproot herself from the comforts of home and travel as far as she was going to travel, she should at least make it count. The truth was, she didn't spend quite as lavishly as she could, with the exception of the Viper in Malibu and her penchant for high-quality designer clothing. Other than that, her money mostly just collected dust in the bank. When she traveled, she liked to splurge a little. There wasn't any shame in that, was there?
So she smiled on the way to her room as she followed the bell hop who hauled her luggage. Jason knew at least this much about her. The entire sentiment touched her. He was such a romantic sometimes.
As she made her way up to the penthouse, her mind ran wild and her fantasies got the best of her. By the time she got to the door, she had already decided that Jason would be there waiting to surprise her with a gorgeous smile and open arms and that she would be wrapped in them blissfully for the rest of the long night. Instead, the penthouse was dark and empty as the bellhop rushed around to turn on all the lights for her. Mel sighed and looked around in disappointment. The penthouse was beautiful but it did nothing for her mood. She'd called Jason and left a voicemail when she'd landed at the airport but hadn't heard anything since. The longing she felt for him, knowing he was in the same city as her in god knew where and that she couldn't get to him, was unbearable. When the bellhop had left, she popped a pill to help her sleep and she opened her suitcase to begin unpacking.
As she unpacked, she glanced up and spied a bouquet of wildflowers on the table by the window in the bedroom. At first glance, she thought it was merely hotel décor, but as she spied the card sticking out of the top, she stopped what she was doing and made her way to the table. Plucking the card out of the fragrant bouquet, she flipped it open and smiled. She'd forgotten how much she even missed his handwriting. "Filming ran behind. Looks like an all nighter. Hope you had a safe flight. See you first thing in the morning. Promise. All my love, J."
She sighed and closed the card back up. She didn't care if it was crazy or childish or a little dramatic or what. But she chose to go to bed with the card firmly secured in her hand.
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JASON
Jason couldn't get away from the set fast enough. He was exhausted and he had worked his ass off all night long to make sure the takes were just right. The faster they got it done, the faster he could get to Hotel Eden and, more importantly, to his wife. He thought about her all night. He couldn't help it. And when the missing her became painful and he thought he couldn't concentrate anymore, he pushed himself even harder. 'Just a few more hours,' he said to himself repeatedly. 'She's just across town, just a few more hours.'
The sun would rise in just over an hour by the time the car pulled up to the hotel. Trying not to make his desperation and excitement look obvious, he made his way up to the penthouse as calmly as possible. Only seeing each other for two days in over a month, especially after your wedding, was enough to make any man desperate and he was noticing that he was feeling less and less shame about it. He had to keep it together.
Quietly, he unlocked the door and let himself in. The suite was quiet. He glanced toward the bedroom and saw darkness. He smiled to himself. Mel was still sleeping. He was glad for that. No doubt her trip had exhausted her and he wanted her to get as much rest as possible. He hated to disturb her, but he just couldn't help himself.
Entering the bedroom, he clicked on the desk lamp and looked at her, curled up in the bed. She didn't even flinch as the low light filled the room. He walked over to the bed and shoved his hands in his pockets as he looked at her, her dark hair in a mess against the white pillow. She lay on her side, her knees curled up, her arm hugging the covers up to her chin. Her fist lay on the pillow next to her face and he narrowed his eyes at the corners of paper that protruded from it. Curiously, he gently pried the paper from her hand and flipped it open, his heart melting upon sight. She had slept with the note he included in her flowers. It was something a teenage girl might do with a gift given to her by her first love. He couldn't help but smile.
Laying the card on the end table next to her, he squatted down beside the bed, eye-level with her. He reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair from her face as he took a moment to listen to her even breathing. After all these years of loving her, he never thought he could feel it even more than he already had and did, but he swore he fell in love with her more and more every day and he had never loved her more than he did in this moment.
He sighed in disappointment as he watched her. Disappointed because he really needed to shower but what he wanted to do was crawl in bed with her right that second. Showering would only take minutes but he knew those minutes would feel like an eternity. No. He really needed to shower. He hoped not to wake her up in the meantime.
Minutes later, after rushing through the quickest shower of his life, he pulled on his underwear and crawled in the other side of the bed. Not wasting any time making his way to the middle, he wrapped an arm around her and curled himself up against her. A content sigh escaped his chest at the feeling of his body pressed against hers again.
To his surprise, she stirred and her hand listlessly ran over his arm. "Jason?" He heard her murmur incoherently.
He kissed the side of her head and pulled her tighter. "I'm here, gorgeous."
She turned over under his arm and faced him, her eyes smiling sleepily up at him. "Jason. I missed you so much."
He tucked an arm underneath her and wrapped both is arms around her, pulling her close to his chest. "I missed you, too," he whispered as he kissed her forehead. "Go to sleep."
She took in a breath and she sighed underneath him as her eyes closed again. Within minutes, Jason had fallen into a deep sleep as well.
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Jason had no idea how long he'd been asleep, he just knew that he was awakened by Mel as she kissed his lips. She placed soft, sweet pecks on his lips and he heard a gasp catch in her throat as he surprised her by returning the last one. He smiled in amusement before he opened his eyes, knowing he'd caught her. Sleepily, he opened them and found her smiling at him. He'd spent a month wishing he could wake up to his every single morning. "Hey, gorgeous," he murmured.
Her grin widened. "Hi. I love you."
"I love you, too," he said quietly. "What are you doing awake?"
"It's late. Or at least I think it is. And anyway I've been so excited to see you, I hate to sleep and miss you anymore. Did you--did you sleep well? Did I wake you up too soon?"
He smiled at her, adjusting his head on the pillow so he could see her better. "I slept great. Best sleep I've had in a month. I was more concerned about you."
"Trust me, I can sleep anywhere lately."
He narrowed his eyes in concern. "You okay?"
"I'm great. Never been better."
"Good. Good..."
There was a silence as they looked at each other. Finally she asked, "So when's your call time?"
He smiled again. "I don't have one today."
Mel's eyes lit up. "Really? Like, for real? How did that happen?"
"Marcus knew you were flying in. He made a scheduling adjustment, they're filming a couple scenes I'm not in today. I'm all yours, all day."
She giggled in delight. "He's a great guy, that Marcus."
"Yeah, he's something." He pulled her tighter against him. "Anything in particular you want to see today?"
She shook her head into the pillow. "Just you."
He smiled. "Okay. Well, is it okay if I show you something today?"
"Just don't ever leave my sight?"
"Like I said, I'm all yours."
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MEL
Mel bundled herself up in jeans, boots, and a thick coat. She had been spoiled by the warmer Hawaii and Malibu weather lately and it had been nearly a year since she had worn winter clothing quite this thick.
She wasn't kidding when she said she didn't want Jason to leave her sight. Maybe the gesture seemed a little silly and desperate. Maybe even a little immature and illogical. But she'd been starved of him for long enough. She'd only gotten to spend less than three days with him after they'd gotten married before he had to come all the way over here. It took her over a month to join him for the moving into their new Hawaii home, having her name changed and updating her passport, and then her sudden appendectomy. It was almost as if the universe was TRYING to separate them. So what if she couldn't pry herself away from him upon her first day in the country? Was wanting to spend quality time with her husband too much to ask?
As she buttoned and tied her coat around her waist, she glanced up and saw Jason gazing out the window. "Everything okay?"
"It's snowing," he said. Then he looked over his shoulder and smiled at her. "That means you're in for a treat. Rome is beautiful anyway. But Rome in the snow is something completely different."
Her heart sank, but she was overjoyed at the same time. She loved snow. "Will we be able to get around out there?"
"I'm not sure. Snow is apparently rare here, this is kind of strange."
"Then how do you know what Rome looks like in the snow?"
"Because it snowed here a couple of weeks ago. Freaked the entire city out. I'll make a couple of calls, see what I can find out."
"Will this hinder filming tomorrow?"
"I have no idea."
Mel didn't respond. She certainly didn't vocalize the fact that the idea of being snowed in the penthouse with him was wildly appealing. She chose to keep her thoughts to herself.
As Jason found himself on the phone, Mel found herself taking up the place Jason had been standing in, looking out the window. The snow wasn't too bad. Just barely falling. Maybe this was all there would be and it would stop. Looking beyond the snowflakes, she gazed out at the view beyond the hotel. She realized this was the first time she'd actually looked out the window since checking into the hotel and she reveled in the beauty of the city before her. The view was breathtaking.
Jason's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Well, the good news is, the car will take us anywhere we want to go as long as the snow doesn't get too bad. Bad news is, nobody can predict what the weather's going to do."
She turned around and looked at him. "So we'll just go for as long as we can go. Or we can stay here. I don't mind either way."
"I want to show you the city," he said. "I want to see your face, I don't want you to see it for the first time without me."
Mel couldn't help but smile. God, she loved this man.
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An hour later, Jason took Mel to an Italian bistro for lunch and she didn't realize how hungry she was until they actually sat down. When she had gotten her food, she couldn't resist snapping a picture of her plate and texting it to Zac Hanson. He'd be so jealous. When Jason asked her what she was doing and she told him, he merely shook his head. This then went into the story of hers and Zac's adventures with food and wine in Tuscany as Jason listened to her intently.
She realized that, as she talked, she didn't really have that many opportunities to tell Jason any stories like he told her. She didn't really have much to tell. Her life just hadn't been as adventurous as his. But she liked when he listened to her. She loved how
he laughed at her jokes and took in her words. She liked how he asked her questions, genuinely interested in what she was saying. She made a mental note to create more memories just so she could tell him about them.
After lunch, their car drove them through the city, the snow falling around them. As they rode, the flakes only got bigger and the ground was slowly turning white. Normally Mel loved the snow, but being stranded in a city she wasn't familiar with, who was also
unfamiliar with snow, made her slightly uneasy. She looked up at Jason and she scooted closer to him. He seemed to be completely comfortable. He smiled and slid his arm around her shoulder. "You okay?"
"You said they're not familiar with the snow here," she whispered.
"Well they're not completely foreign to it. But don't worry, it'll be fine. I won't let anything happen to us."
She bit her lip and smiled as she looked out the window. She always felt so safe with him. The feeling was odd, she was realizing, but in a good way. The feeling that she didn't necessarily wear the pants in the relationship anymore, that was. Not that she really had in the past, but she had more often than not. More and more it seemed like she was allowing Jason to take the reins and become the alpha, a notion that was almost foreign to her. She thought letting go of control would be more difficult than it had been but the truth was, trusting Jason was far too easy. Or maybe she just loved him that much.
As afternoon gave way to later afternoon, the overcast snow clouds darkened the atmosphere, making it look later outside than it actually would at that time on a normal day. As the car slowed in front of some ruins and parked on the curb, Jason got out and helped Mel out of the backseat behind him. The harsh cold hit their faces without mercy and Jason turned his coat collar up as he took Mel's hand and led her across the small street.
In front of them was a stone structure that appeared to be built into the side of a hill, with dungeon-like barred doors in each of the arched doorways. Leading her along the structure, they turned a corner and carefully climbed a set of stairs to get to the top. It took them longer than normal due to the snow forming and they were noticing that the space was emptying much faster than it was filling up. "There isn't a lot of tourism around here this time of year anyway. It's kind of nice to be able to walk around the city and virtually be left alone."
"Nobody recognizes you here?"
"Well, yeah, I get stopped now and then but it's nothing like back home. It's nice."
"I have a house in Tuscany, you know. A villa. An obscenely large one."
"Oh, so you didn't sell it?"
"I thought I told you that?"
"Must have slipped my mind."
"Well, no, I didn't sell it. We could live there."
Jason chuckled as they reached the top. "Nice try, gorgeous. I thought you loved Hawaii?"
"I do," she said as they reached the top. "But in Tuscany, we could hide away, just me and you. Alone. Together. Away from the world."
Jason stopped and turned around, looking down at her. Then, to her surprise, he leaned over and lifted her off the ground, kissing her deeply with passion. She wrapped her arms around his neck in a desperate attempt to be even closer to him as his tongue sensuously danced with hers. She was putty. Absolute putty in his arms, merciless against his soft lips and his hot mouth, heating up her body instantly against the chill in the air and the cold in the snow. Breaking their kiss, but still holding her in his arms, he said to her quietly, "It's always you and me. Alone. Together. It's all I ever wanted. No matter where we are or where we go, it's always just us. Got it?"
She smiled at him and nodded. "Got it."
"I love you so much. Do you have any idea how bad I've been wanting to kiss you like that?"
She looked at him skeptically. "Are you serious?"
"I kinda walked into that, didn't I?"
Mel giggled. "Am I not getting heavy?"
He furrowed his brow and smiled. "What? Fuck, no. I could carry you around this entire city."
"Let's not let our minds wander with ideas of grandeur," she teased.
"What, you don't think I could?"
"I don't think today's the day to test that theory."
"Yeah, I think you're right." Gently he put her back on her feet and took her by the hand. "Come on."
He led her across the walkway and up a small flight of stone steps. There, they stopped at the top of them and gazed at the structure in front of them. They were standing in the middle of ruins, obviously, with seemingly incomplete rows of columns on either side of the property, a space that wasn't terribly large to begin with. In front of them lie what was once a building of some kind, with a concave cathedral-type arch that looked as if it had been carved into the stone building that way. Judging by the way it looked, however, they were apparently only seeing half of what was supposed to be there. What they saw, though, was enough to make her gaze on in wonder. And the snow only made it that much more haunting and beautiful. "Where are we?"
"This is--was--still is, I guess--the Temple of Venus and Roma."
"Venus and Roma," Mel repeated to herself in a whisper.
"It was built in dedication to the goddesses. Venus was the goddess of love, beauty, sex, fertility, and prosperity. She encompassed enticement, seduction, and charm. She was the ultimate woman."
"She didn't exist," Mel said quietly.
He turned and looked down at her. "She's standing right beside me."
Mel looked up at him, his words shocking her for a moment. She would have been more touched had she not been stuck on the word 'fertility.' Then she looked back at the temple ruins. She was no Venus. She would never be.
"In the myth, she was born of sea foam," Jason continued. "Of the water." He raised an eyebrow at her. "Which you know me and water..."
Mel nodded.
He smiled. "So you see where I'm going with this."
She knew. But regretfully, he just didn't get it. Attempting to change the subject, she asked, "Who was Roma?"
"She represented Rome. The city." He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest as they gazed upon the temple ruins, the snow falling down around them. "Whenever I go to a new place, I like to research it. I like to know where I am. When I found this place, I was immediately drawn in. There's peace here. And comfort. On the rare occasion I had spare time, this is where I came. To think, to clear my head. It calmed me when missing you was at its worst. To me, this temple is you. And you are this temple. And when I came here, I could be with you. I mean, I know that sounds corny as shit, but--you're MY Venus. And my Roma. Goddess of city and seduction, all wrapped up in one."
Mel didn't take her eyes off the ruins as he spoke. She wanted to cry and she didn't know if it was the cold or what that was keeping the tears at bay but, whatever it was, it was working. She was moved by his words. Touched by them. But she couldn't help but feel so ashamed of herself. Venus represented fertility and that was something Mel didn't represent. She couldn't be his Venus. Had he already forgotten? "It's a lie," she whispered.
His voice was filled with surprise. "What?"
"You said Venus represented fertility. Except that--I don't. I'm not fertile. I'm not Venus."
"That's what you took from that?"
She looked up at him, helpless. "I'm sorry. I've failed you."
This time he turned his whole body toward her, alarm in his eyes. "Mel. I thought--I thought that was over? I thought it was done?"
She took a deep breath and straightened her spine. "I am. It is. I was just--stating the obvious. That's all."
"You're lying."
Damn him and his ability to see right through her. "I'm fine with it. Really."
"You're not. Mel, I don't want you to feel--"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"But you're obviously not fine with it. We need to talk--"
"Jason. Please. Please don't make me talk about it. Please. I just want to be here with you. I want to be happy. Okay?"
He looked down at her, his concerned green eyes staring back at hers. Finally, he nodded. "Okay. Whatever you want."
Momentarily relieved, but ashamed that she had likely ruined their afternoon, she slid her gloved hand into his and said, "Now tell me what else you know. I love when you tell me stories."
Hesitantly, he walked and talked with her. But the pain still tugged at her heartstrings.
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JASON
As Jason led Mel further onto the temple's property, his mind raced a mile a minute. He would be lying if he didn't say he was concerned for his wife. He was beginning to feel a little lost. He didn't know what to do. It was like she took one blow right after the other and it was getting to the point where he wasn't sure how to fix it anymore. A notion which was foreign to him, because he always found a way to fix it. However, he couldn't give her a new uterus which, at this point, would be about the only thing that could ever fix her problem. But he just didn't know what else to do besides be there for her and support her. The truth was, she was starting to scare him lately.
She was quiet as they walked and he didn't pressure her. Instead, he allowed her to look around and take the wonder of the landmark and its meaning in. Maybe he shouldn't have mentioned that Venus encompassed fertility. He was just quoting what he'd learned on the internet. He should have thought before he spoke.
Stepping underneath what was left of the room with the cathedral-style ceiling, there was a lone, dry slab of stone that had yet to be touched by the snow. Taking a seat, he led her to sit down beside him. She remained silent.
The thoughts ate at him. He couldn't just let this go. He couldn't just sit there and go on with the rest of the evening, or even the rest of their stay there, knowing what she was truly feeling inside and not doing anything about it. The last thing he ever wanted her to do was hurt.
So, as darkness fell early, and the snow fell heavier, and the street lamps around them began to light up, he took a deep breath and pierced the silence, sliding his arm around her shoulders and pulling her in tighter. "You know we have to talk about this."
She sighed and, even underneath her layers of clothing, he could still feel her body react to it underneath his arm. "I know," she muttered, defeated.
"Tell me what the doctor said. What he REALLY said."
She sighed and looked up at him, the pain in her eyes unbearable to him. Then she looked back down at the ground. "He referred me to a fertility specialist. So after I was healed enough from the surgery to go, I went right before I came to Rome. It's my uterus. They confirmed it. Too much scar tissue in the uterine cavity from both of the D&C's I had from the miscarriages last year. They think the second one is what did it, based on how developed the baby was when--you know. It's not a common diagnosis but, hey. Who would I be if the abnormal shit didn't happen to me, right?" Then she looked back up at him. "He
ruined me, Jason. How could one person just ruin my life in so many different ways in a span of so many years? Even when we're not together anymore?"
Jason swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat. He had never been one to cry, but he had never met anyone in his life who made his emotions jump straight onto his sleeves like she did. "He didn't ruin you, sweetheart."
"Yes, he did," she said, her voice growing in frustration. "I wanted to have a family with you, Jason." Her voice began to crack and keeping his own tears at bay was proving near impossible. "I mean, I don't know if you wanted that or not, but--when we were in Hawaii and I met baby Izzy, I just--I fell in love. And when I watched you hold her and she just took to you like she did--that could have been us. I wanted it to be us. And now? Well, now we'll never have that."
Jason took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He knew. He understood exactly what she was feeling in that moment because he had felt it, too. The first time he ever saw Mel holding his baby cousin, even before they were married, he felt it. He wanted it to be them, too. But he just couldn't say it at the time. "He didn't ruin you," he repeated to her. "So help me, you know I'm the first person who wishes they could say he did. But he didn't. Nobody could help what happened, Mel. There's nobody to blame for either time. Nobody saw any of it coming, it couldn't have been prevented. Your body just--it is what it is. And I love you. I love you inside and out, no matter what. No MATTER what. I even love your defunct uterus and all its scar tissue." She glanced up at him, her eyes widening for a moment. He smiled. "Too soon?"
A small smile started to form on her lips and she shook her head. He rubbed her shoulder to help keep her warm. "We could adopt," he offered. "I mean, we don't have to make any decisions like that right this second, but we do have options."
Her voice was nearly inaudible. "Do you--do you want children?"
"I want whatever you want."
"Seriously. Do you WANT a family?"
He looked into her eyes for a moment, unsure how to answer. Finally, he chose to be honest and he nodded. "I, uh, yeah, I always kinda wanted one. Yeah."
Mel looked down at the ground in shame. "I'm sorry."
He reached his gloved hand up and turned her face toward his. "But we don't necessarily have to have children to have a family. We have each other. You're my family and I'm yours. We take care of each other. And sometimes that's enough."
She looked into his eyes for a moment before she spoke. "It's been enough so far, right?"
He nodded. "Yeah."
"You're right," she finally agreed. "But you don't--I mean, does that make me any less of a woman? Do you think? I mean, it's like cutting off my balls."
"Fuck, no. Sometimes I think you're more woman than I can handle."
Finally she giggled and that caused him to smile. Any time he could make her laugh at all was a victory for him. Then he pulled her back toward him, his arm around her shoulder once more. "So, listen," he continued, his tone serious again. "Leona called me a few days ago. She and Kelani talked and...well, they want us to be Izzy's godparents."
Mel pulled away and looked up at him, her eyes wide. "What?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "Apparently the kid likes us. Who knew, right?"
Her jaw dropped. "Wow. Um, that's...that's...oh my god...did you--I mean, did you say yes?"
"Of course I said yes. I figured it would be a no-brainer. You love that baby. And, well--maybe I kinda do, too."
Before he could blink, Mel was beaming a smile so bright it nearly blinded him. Her smile was infectious. "They really want us to be her godparents?"
"Yep. And, see, by living in Hawaii, well, you can go and get your baby fix every now and then...we can be in her life, you know? Be around to watch her grow up. I mean, she won't be OUR kid, but--"
"But she's our family," she finished.
He grinned at her. "Exactly."
"You're an amazing man, Mr. Kamealoha. I am so thankful every day that you are my husband. I waited my entire life for you and I could never truly tell you just how much you mean to me."
"I love you, gorgeous. But my ass is literally freezing. There's one more thing I want you to see before we head back. The snow is getting brutal and you already can't see the road. I can't believe the car is still waiting for us."
Mel giggled and she was on her feet before he was. As they walked hand-in-hand back across the property, she said to him cheerfully, "So you know this makes you the godfather, right?"
He chuckled at her reference as she started chattering on, alternating subjects between Izzy and the snow and the temple. Jason didn't care. He was happy she was happy.
She stopped and bent over, his gaze fixated on the landmark in front of them, wondering how in the hell she had missed it all this time. Then he glanced at her and spied the snowball in her small, gloved hand. He smiled and shook his head. "What are you doing?"
She grinned. "This snow is awesome for sculpting."
"How 'bout we just let it be and not sculpt anything?"
"Why? Are you scared?"
"Trust me, I am NOT scared. I just don't think you wanna do what I think you're about to do."
"That sounds like a threat."
"It's more like a warning."
"So...what happens if this snowball leaves my hand?"
"You better hope it falls straight down."
"And if it doesn't?"
"You don't wanna know. Except that I know you and you're gonna do it anyway, aren't you?"
In seconds, the snowball broke open against his chin. He squeezed his eyes shut upon impact and opened them up to find her giggling at him. "If you had any idea what you've just done..."
"Try me," she taunted.
Bending over into the snow, Jason got busy. He was bigger than her and so the things that he did were bigger than her as well. As he got to work on his epic counter-projectile, Mel's voice grew impatient. "Well, come on, Hawaii! Waiting on you!"
"Shut up," he muttered. "Give me a second. I gotta make this count."
"Make it count? Jesus, Jason, I could have pummeled you with about ten by now. I win by default. You forfeit!"
"I don't forfeit shit," he grunted as he pushed the snow around on the ground. "Victory takes time. Strategy. Planning." Then he looked up at her and grinned. "Wanna help me? It's yours anyway."
Glancing at the size of the near boulder he had formed on the ground, she shut her mouth and her eyes widened as she shook her head. "No."
Jason laughed. "No? Such big talk from such a tiny warrior just a few minutes ago, led me to believe you could handle it. What happened? Scared?"
"I only got you with a tiny snowball. I hope you know that if you hurl that thing at me I'm gonna be cold and wet and miserable and we're at least two miles from the hotel--"
He cut her off when the tiny snowball he'd hidden made it across the way and shattered against her shoulder. She flinched and her eyes widened. "Jason! What the hell was that?"
Jason laughed hard, his voice carrying across the temple courtyard. "That was what was coming to you." Then he nodded at the snow boulder at his feet. "This thing's the base of a snowman." Then he grinned. "Got ya."
"You are so in for it," she warned.
"Good. Can't wait." Then his expression changed to one more serious. "Come here."
"No," she said, taking a step back.
He huffed and shook his head. "Dammit, just come here."
Night had completely fallen and the lights and street lamps around them illuminated the snow, their world glowing an orange-yellow. The snow crunched under Mel's feet as she walked toward him. He, then, turned her around and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Look."
He heard her breath catch in her throat and he realized that she was finally seeing it. "How did I not notice that?" She said in awe at the Colosseum, which stood across from the temple.
"It's a sight to see on a sunny day. But I saw it when it snowed here a few weeks ago and it was just beautiful. But snow here is so rare, I never thought I'd see it happen again. And then you came and then it snowed again--almost like it waited for you."
"Jason...it's just...let's go down and see it!"
Climbing down the snowy stairs to the street was a feat in its own. Upon stopping at their waiting car, Jason was informed that the driver needed to head home due to the weather. Not really interested in taking a two mile trek home in the snow on foot, he pleaded for just a couple more minutes. Obliging him reluctantly, the driver gave in and Jason and Mel were crunching through the snow to get closer to the Colosseum.
As the they approached it, the night sky as a backdrop as the snow fell around them and the inside lights illuminated the white blankets around them, Mel gazed up at the ancient structure in awe and Jason couldn't help but express the same sentiment. He never thought he'd get used to it. Side-glancing at her, he smiled to himself, witnessing the look on her face he was hoping to see when he brought her out here. Her face and her eyes were filled with child-like wonder. This was the face he always wanted to see on her. He wanted to introduce her to new things, he wanted to show her the world.
As they stared in silence for a moment at the half-erected structure, the upper level broken off to the left above them, Mel said, "Can you imagine what this thing looked like when it was complete? Could you imagine what it must have taken in times like that to build something like this?"
"You know what they did in there, right?"
She sighed as she took him by the hand. "I know."
"They killed animals and each other for entertainment--"
"I KNOW," she pressed. "But it's not the building's fault. Doesn't stop it from being any less impressive."
Jason nodded. "That's true."
They looked on in silence for a couple more minutes before she finally turned to him. "It's cold out here. Let's go back to the hotel."
At that, Jason, hand-in-hand with his wife, walked back to their car. "Thank you," Mel continued. "For bringing me here. This place is beautiful. All of it."
He smiled over at her. "My pleasure."
MEL
A week later, Mel had landed in Rome, Italy. She was excited. She'd never been to Rome before and she was dying to see the city. She'd heard it was beautiful at night. Especially at night.
But more than anything, she was so excited to see Jason that she could barely sit still, despite the jet lag she was already feeling after traveling for nearly twenty hours. Sleep on the plane wouldn't have happened had she not brought extra help for that but it still didn't mean that she slept comfortably. However, now she operated on pure adrenaline from the notion that she was in a gorgeous, new place and she was about to be reunited with her love.
Her car took her to the Hotel Eden in the heart of the Old City of Rome and Mel smiled at her surroundings. Even in the dark, it was beautiful. She knew there as no way that all of the movie cast and crew were staying here and that he had to have picked this hotel out just for her.
Upon entering the classically lavish lobby with a claim to fame of marble floors and décor, she received the key to the penthouse suite. While at home it was true that she didn't require the utmost luxury and the best that money had to offer, it was a fairly known fact that she preferred to travel in style. Her logic was, if she was going to uproot herself from the comforts of home and travel as far as she was going to travel, she should at least make it count. The truth was, she didn't spend quite as lavishly as she could, with the exception of the Viper in Malibu and her penchant for high-quality designer clothing. Other than that, her money mostly just collected dust in the bank. When she traveled, she liked to splurge a little. There wasn't any shame in that, was there?
So she smiled on the way to her room as she followed the bell hop who hauled her luggage. Jason knew at least this much about her. The entire sentiment touched her. He was such a romantic sometimes.
As she made her way up to the penthouse, her mind ran wild and her fantasies got the best of her. By the time she got to the door, she had already decided that Jason would be there waiting to surprise her with a gorgeous smile and open arms and that she would be wrapped in them blissfully for the rest of the long night. Instead, the penthouse was dark and empty as the bellhop rushed around to turn on all the lights for her. Mel sighed and looked around in disappointment. The penthouse was beautiful but it did nothing for her mood. She'd called Jason and left a voicemail when she'd landed at the airport but hadn't heard anything since. The longing she felt for him, knowing he was in the same city as her in god knew where and that she couldn't get to him, was unbearable. When the bellhop had left, she popped a pill to help her sleep and she opened her suitcase to begin unpacking.
As she unpacked, she glanced up and spied a bouquet of wildflowers on the table by the window in the bedroom. At first glance, she thought it was merely hotel décor, but as she spied the card sticking out of the top, she stopped what she was doing and made her way to the table. Plucking the card out of the fragrant bouquet, she flipped it open and smiled. She'd forgotten how much she even missed his handwriting. "Filming ran behind. Looks like an all nighter. Hope you had a safe flight. See you first thing in the morning. Promise. All my love, J."
She sighed and closed the card back up. She didn't care if it was crazy or childish or a little dramatic or what. But she chose to go to bed with the card firmly secured in her hand.
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JASON
Jason couldn't get away from the set fast enough. He was exhausted and he had worked his ass off all night long to make sure the takes were just right. The faster they got it done, the faster he could get to Hotel Eden and, more importantly, to his wife. He thought about her all night. He couldn't help it. And when the missing her became painful and he thought he couldn't concentrate anymore, he pushed himself even harder. 'Just a few more hours,' he said to himself repeatedly. 'She's just across town, just a few more hours.'
The sun would rise in just over an hour by the time the car pulled up to the hotel. Trying not to make his desperation and excitement look obvious, he made his way up to the penthouse as calmly as possible. Only seeing each other for two days in over a month, especially after your wedding, was enough to make any man desperate and he was noticing that he was feeling less and less shame about it. He had to keep it together.
Quietly, he unlocked the door and let himself in. The suite was quiet. He glanced toward the bedroom and saw darkness. He smiled to himself. Mel was still sleeping. He was glad for that. No doubt her trip had exhausted her and he wanted her to get as much rest as possible. He hated to disturb her, but he just couldn't help himself.
Entering the bedroom, he clicked on the desk lamp and looked at her, curled up in the bed. She didn't even flinch as the low light filled the room. He walked over to the bed and shoved his hands in his pockets as he looked at her, her dark hair in a mess against the white pillow. She lay on her side, her knees curled up, her arm hugging the covers up to her chin. Her fist lay on the pillow next to her face and he narrowed his eyes at the corners of paper that protruded from it. Curiously, he gently pried the paper from her hand and flipped it open, his heart melting upon sight. She had slept with the note he included in her flowers. It was something a teenage girl might do with a gift given to her by her first love. He couldn't help but smile.
Laying the card on the end table next to her, he squatted down beside the bed, eye-level with her. He reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair from her face as he took a moment to listen to her even breathing. After all these years of loving her, he never thought he could feel it even more than he already had and did, but he swore he fell in love with her more and more every day and he had never loved her more than he did in this moment.
He sighed in disappointment as he watched her. Disappointed because he really needed to shower but what he wanted to do was crawl in bed with her right that second. Showering would only take minutes but he knew those minutes would feel like an eternity. No. He really needed to shower. He hoped not to wake her up in the meantime.
Minutes later, after rushing through the quickest shower of his life, he pulled on his underwear and crawled in the other side of the bed. Not wasting any time making his way to the middle, he wrapped an arm around her and curled himself up against her. A content sigh escaped his chest at the feeling of his body pressed against hers again.
To his surprise, she stirred and her hand listlessly ran over his arm. "Jason?" He heard her murmur incoherently.
He kissed the side of her head and pulled her tighter. "I'm here, gorgeous."
She turned over under his arm and faced him, her eyes smiling sleepily up at him. "Jason. I missed you so much."
He tucked an arm underneath her and wrapped both is arms around her, pulling her close to his chest. "I missed you, too," he whispered as he kissed her forehead. "Go to sleep."
She took in a breath and she sighed underneath him as her eyes closed again. Within minutes, Jason had fallen into a deep sleep as well.
--------------------
Jason had no idea how long he'd been asleep, he just knew that he was awakened by Mel as she kissed his lips. She placed soft, sweet pecks on his lips and he heard a gasp catch in her throat as he surprised her by returning the last one. He smiled in amusement before he opened his eyes, knowing he'd caught her. Sleepily, he opened them and found her smiling at him. He'd spent a month wishing he could wake up to his every single morning. "Hey, gorgeous," he murmured.
Her grin widened. "Hi. I love you."
"I love you, too," he said quietly. "What are you doing awake?"
"It's late. Or at least I think it is. And anyway I've been so excited to see you, I hate to sleep and miss you anymore. Did you--did you sleep well? Did I wake you up too soon?"
He smiled at her, adjusting his head on the pillow so he could see her better. "I slept great. Best sleep I've had in a month. I was more concerned about you."
"Trust me, I can sleep anywhere lately."
He narrowed his eyes in concern. "You okay?"
"I'm great. Never been better."
"Good. Good..."
There was a silence as they looked at each other. Finally she asked, "So when's your call time?"
He smiled again. "I don't have one today."
Mel's eyes lit up. "Really? Like, for real? How did that happen?"
"Marcus knew you were flying in. He made a scheduling adjustment, they're filming a couple scenes I'm not in today. I'm all yours, all day."
She giggled in delight. "He's a great guy, that Marcus."
"Yeah, he's something." He pulled her tighter against him. "Anything in particular you want to see today?"
She shook her head into the pillow. "Just you."
He smiled. "Okay. Well, is it okay if I show you something today?"
"Just don't ever leave my sight?"
"Like I said, I'm all yours."
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MEL
Mel bundled herself up in jeans, boots, and a thick coat. She had been spoiled by the warmer Hawaii and Malibu weather lately and it had been nearly a year since she had worn winter clothing quite this thick.
She wasn't kidding when she said she didn't want Jason to leave her sight. Maybe the gesture seemed a little silly and desperate. Maybe even a little immature and illogical. But she'd been starved of him for long enough. She'd only gotten to spend less than three days with him after they'd gotten married before he had to come all the way over here. It took her over a month to join him for the moving into their new Hawaii home, having her name changed and updating her passport, and then her sudden appendectomy. It was almost as if the universe was TRYING to separate them. So what if she couldn't pry herself away from him upon her first day in the country? Was wanting to spend quality time with her husband too much to ask?
As she buttoned and tied her coat around her waist, she glanced up and saw Jason gazing out the window. "Everything okay?"
"It's snowing," he said. Then he looked over his shoulder and smiled at her. "That means you're in for a treat. Rome is beautiful anyway. But Rome in the snow is something completely different."
Her heart sank, but she was overjoyed at the same time. She loved snow. "Will we be able to get around out there?"
"I'm not sure. Snow is apparently rare here, this is kind of strange."
"Then how do you know what Rome looks like in the snow?"
"Because it snowed here a couple of weeks ago. Freaked the entire city out. I'll make a couple of calls, see what I can find out."
"Will this hinder filming tomorrow?"
"I have no idea."
Mel didn't respond. She certainly didn't vocalize the fact that the idea of being snowed in the penthouse with him was wildly appealing. She chose to keep her thoughts to herself.
As Jason found himself on the phone, Mel found herself taking up the place Jason had been standing in, looking out the window. The snow wasn't too bad. Just barely falling. Maybe this was all there would be and it would stop. Looking beyond the snowflakes, she gazed out at the view beyond the hotel. She realized this was the first time she'd actually looked out the window since checking into the hotel and she reveled in the beauty of the city before her. The view was breathtaking.
Jason's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Well, the good news is, the car will take us anywhere we want to go as long as the snow doesn't get too bad. Bad news is, nobody can predict what the weather's going to do."
She turned around and looked at him. "So we'll just go for as long as we can go. Or we can stay here. I don't mind either way."
"I want to show you the city," he said. "I want to see your face, I don't want you to see it for the first time without me."
Mel couldn't help but smile. God, she loved this man.
---------------------
An hour later, Jason took Mel to an Italian bistro for lunch and she didn't realize how hungry she was until they actually sat down. When she had gotten her food, she couldn't resist snapping a picture of her plate and texting it to Zac Hanson. He'd be so jealous. When Jason asked her what she was doing and she told him, he merely shook his head. This then went into the story of hers and Zac's adventures with food and wine in Tuscany as Jason listened to her intently.
She realized that, as she talked, she didn't really have that many opportunities to tell Jason any stories like he told her. She didn't really have much to tell. Her life just hadn't been as adventurous as his. But she liked when he listened to her. She loved how
he laughed at her jokes and took in her words. She liked how he asked her questions, genuinely interested in what she was saying. She made a mental note to create more memories just so she could tell him about them.
After lunch, their car drove them through the city, the snow falling around them. As they rode, the flakes only got bigger and the ground was slowly turning white. Normally Mel loved the snow, but being stranded in a city she wasn't familiar with, who was also
unfamiliar with snow, made her slightly uneasy. She looked up at Jason and she scooted closer to him. He seemed to be completely comfortable. He smiled and slid his arm around her shoulder. "You okay?"
"You said they're not familiar with the snow here," she whispered.
"Well they're not completely foreign to it. But don't worry, it'll be fine. I won't let anything happen to us."
She bit her lip and smiled as she looked out the window. She always felt so safe with him. The feeling was odd, she was realizing, but in a good way. The feeling that she didn't necessarily wear the pants in the relationship anymore, that was. Not that she really had in the past, but she had more often than not. More and more it seemed like she was allowing Jason to take the reins and become the alpha, a notion that was almost foreign to her. She thought letting go of control would be more difficult than it had been but the truth was, trusting Jason was far too easy. Or maybe she just loved him that much.
As afternoon gave way to later afternoon, the overcast snow clouds darkened the atmosphere, making it look later outside than it actually would at that time on a normal day. As the car slowed in front of some ruins and parked on the curb, Jason got out and helped Mel out of the backseat behind him. The harsh cold hit their faces without mercy and Jason turned his coat collar up as he took Mel's hand and led her across the small street.
In front of them was a stone structure that appeared to be built into the side of a hill, with dungeon-like barred doors in each of the arched doorways. Leading her along the structure, they turned a corner and carefully climbed a set of stairs to get to the top. It took them longer than normal due to the snow forming and they were noticing that the space was emptying much faster than it was filling up. "There isn't a lot of tourism around here this time of year anyway. It's kind of nice to be able to walk around the city and virtually be left alone."
"Nobody recognizes you here?"
"Well, yeah, I get stopped now and then but it's nothing like back home. It's nice."
"I have a house in Tuscany, you know. A villa. An obscenely large one."
"Oh, so you didn't sell it?"
"I thought I told you that?"
"Must have slipped my mind."
"Well, no, I didn't sell it. We could live there."
Jason chuckled as they reached the top. "Nice try, gorgeous. I thought you loved Hawaii?"
"I do," she said as they reached the top. "But in Tuscany, we could hide away, just me and you. Alone. Together. Away from the world."
Jason stopped and turned around, looking down at her. Then, to her surprise, he leaned over and lifted her off the ground, kissing her deeply with passion. She wrapped her arms around his neck in a desperate attempt to be even closer to him as his tongue sensuously danced with hers. She was putty. Absolute putty in his arms, merciless against his soft lips and his hot mouth, heating up her body instantly against the chill in the air and the cold in the snow. Breaking their kiss, but still holding her in his arms, he said to her quietly, "It's always you and me. Alone. Together. It's all I ever wanted. No matter where we are or where we go, it's always just us. Got it?"
She smiled at him and nodded. "Got it."
"I love you so much. Do you have any idea how bad I've been wanting to kiss you like that?"
She looked at him skeptically. "Are you serious?"
"I kinda walked into that, didn't I?"
Mel giggled. "Am I not getting heavy?"
He furrowed his brow and smiled. "What? Fuck, no. I could carry you around this entire city."
"Let's not let our minds wander with ideas of grandeur," she teased.
"What, you don't think I could?"
"I don't think today's the day to test that theory."
"Yeah, I think you're right." Gently he put her back on her feet and took her by the hand. "Come on."
He led her across the walkway and up a small flight of stone steps. There, they stopped at the top of them and gazed at the structure in front of them. They were standing in the middle of ruins, obviously, with seemingly incomplete rows of columns on either side of the property, a space that wasn't terribly large to begin with. In front of them lie what was once a building of some kind, with a concave cathedral-type arch that looked as if it had been carved into the stone building that way. Judging by the way it looked, however, they were apparently only seeing half of what was supposed to be there. What they saw, though, was enough to make her gaze on in wonder. And the snow only made it that much more haunting and beautiful. "Where are we?"
"This is--was--still is, I guess--the Temple of Venus and Roma."
"Venus and Roma," Mel repeated to herself in a whisper.
"It was built in dedication to the goddesses. Venus was the goddess of love, beauty, sex, fertility, and prosperity. She encompassed enticement, seduction, and charm. She was the ultimate woman."
"She didn't exist," Mel said quietly.
He turned and looked down at her. "She's standing right beside me."
Mel looked up at him, his words shocking her for a moment. She would have been more touched had she not been stuck on the word 'fertility.' Then she looked back at the temple ruins. She was no Venus. She would never be.
"In the myth, she was born of sea foam," Jason continued. "Of the water." He raised an eyebrow at her. "Which you know me and water..."
Mel nodded.
He smiled. "So you see where I'm going with this."
She knew. But regretfully, he just didn't get it. Attempting to change the subject, she asked, "Who was Roma?"
"She represented Rome. The city." He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest as they gazed upon the temple ruins, the snow falling down around them. "Whenever I go to a new place, I like to research it. I like to know where I am. When I found this place, I was immediately drawn in. There's peace here. And comfort. On the rare occasion I had spare time, this is where I came. To think, to clear my head. It calmed me when missing you was at its worst. To me, this temple is you. And you are this temple. And when I came here, I could be with you. I mean, I know that sounds corny as shit, but--you're MY Venus. And my Roma. Goddess of city and seduction, all wrapped up in one."
Mel didn't take her eyes off the ruins as he spoke. She wanted to cry and she didn't know if it was the cold or what that was keeping the tears at bay but, whatever it was, it was working. She was moved by his words. Touched by them. But she couldn't help but feel so ashamed of herself. Venus represented fertility and that was something Mel didn't represent. She couldn't be his Venus. Had he already forgotten? "It's a lie," she whispered.
His voice was filled with surprise. "What?"
"You said Venus represented fertility. Except that--I don't. I'm not fertile. I'm not Venus."
"That's what you took from that?"
She looked up at him, helpless. "I'm sorry. I've failed you."
This time he turned his whole body toward her, alarm in his eyes. "Mel. I thought--I thought that was over? I thought it was done?"
She took a deep breath and straightened her spine. "I am. It is. I was just--stating the obvious. That's all."
"You're lying."
Damn him and his ability to see right through her. "I'm fine with it. Really."
"You're not. Mel, I don't want you to feel--"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"But you're obviously not fine with it. We need to talk--"
"Jason. Please. Please don't make me talk about it. Please. I just want to be here with you. I want to be happy. Okay?"
He looked down at her, his concerned green eyes staring back at hers. Finally, he nodded. "Okay. Whatever you want."
Momentarily relieved, but ashamed that she had likely ruined their afternoon, she slid her gloved hand into his and said, "Now tell me what else you know. I love when you tell me stories."
Hesitantly, he walked and talked with her. But the pain still tugged at her heartstrings.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
JASON
As Jason led Mel further onto the temple's property, his mind raced a mile a minute. He would be lying if he didn't say he was concerned for his wife. He was beginning to feel a little lost. He didn't know what to do. It was like she took one blow right after the other and it was getting to the point where he wasn't sure how to fix it anymore. A notion which was foreign to him, because he always found a way to fix it. However, he couldn't give her a new uterus which, at this point, would be about the only thing that could ever fix her problem. But he just didn't know what else to do besides be there for her and support her. The truth was, she was starting to scare him lately.
She was quiet as they walked and he didn't pressure her. Instead, he allowed her to look around and take the wonder of the landmark and its meaning in. Maybe he shouldn't have mentioned that Venus encompassed fertility. He was just quoting what he'd learned on the internet. He should have thought before he spoke.
Stepping underneath what was left of the room with the cathedral-style ceiling, there was a lone, dry slab of stone that had yet to be touched by the snow. Taking a seat, he led her to sit down beside him. She remained silent.
The thoughts ate at him. He couldn't just let this go. He couldn't just sit there and go on with the rest of the evening, or even the rest of their stay there, knowing what she was truly feeling inside and not doing anything about it. The last thing he ever wanted her to do was hurt.
So, as darkness fell early, and the snow fell heavier, and the street lamps around them began to light up, he took a deep breath and pierced the silence, sliding his arm around her shoulders and pulling her in tighter. "You know we have to talk about this."
She sighed and, even underneath her layers of clothing, he could still feel her body react to it underneath his arm. "I know," she muttered, defeated.
"Tell me what the doctor said. What he REALLY said."
She sighed and looked up at him, the pain in her eyes unbearable to him. Then she looked back down at the ground. "He referred me to a fertility specialist. So after I was healed enough from the surgery to go, I went right before I came to Rome. It's my uterus. They confirmed it. Too much scar tissue in the uterine cavity from both of the D&C's I had from the miscarriages last year. They think the second one is what did it, based on how developed the baby was when--you know. It's not a common diagnosis but, hey. Who would I be if the abnormal shit didn't happen to me, right?" Then she looked back up at him. "He
ruined me, Jason. How could one person just ruin my life in so many different ways in a span of so many years? Even when we're not together anymore?"
Jason swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat. He had never been one to cry, but he had never met anyone in his life who made his emotions jump straight onto his sleeves like she did. "He didn't ruin you, sweetheart."
"Yes, he did," she said, her voice growing in frustration. "I wanted to have a family with you, Jason." Her voice began to crack and keeping his own tears at bay was proving near impossible. "I mean, I don't know if you wanted that or not, but--when we were in Hawaii and I met baby Izzy, I just--I fell in love. And when I watched you hold her and she just took to you like she did--that could have been us. I wanted it to be us. And now? Well, now we'll never have that."
Jason took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He knew. He understood exactly what she was feeling in that moment because he had felt it, too. The first time he ever saw Mel holding his baby cousin, even before they were married, he felt it. He wanted it to be them, too. But he just couldn't say it at the time. "He didn't ruin you," he repeated to her. "So help me, you know I'm the first person who wishes they could say he did. But he didn't. Nobody could help what happened, Mel. There's nobody to blame for either time. Nobody saw any of it coming, it couldn't have been prevented. Your body just--it is what it is. And I love you. I love you inside and out, no matter what. No MATTER what. I even love your defunct uterus and all its scar tissue." She glanced up at him, her eyes widening for a moment. He smiled. "Too soon?"
A small smile started to form on her lips and she shook her head. He rubbed her shoulder to help keep her warm. "We could adopt," he offered. "I mean, we don't have to make any decisions like that right this second, but we do have options."
Her voice was nearly inaudible. "Do you--do you want children?"
"I want whatever you want."
"Seriously. Do you WANT a family?"
He looked into her eyes for a moment, unsure how to answer. Finally, he chose to be honest and he nodded. "I, uh, yeah, I always kinda wanted one. Yeah."
Mel looked down at the ground in shame. "I'm sorry."
He reached his gloved hand up and turned her face toward his. "But we don't necessarily have to have children to have a family. We have each other. You're my family and I'm yours. We take care of each other. And sometimes that's enough."
She looked into his eyes for a moment before she spoke. "It's been enough so far, right?"
He nodded. "Yeah."
"You're right," she finally agreed. "But you don't--I mean, does that make me any less of a woman? Do you think? I mean, it's like cutting off my balls."
"Fuck, no. Sometimes I think you're more woman than I can handle."
Finally she giggled and that caused him to smile. Any time he could make her laugh at all was a victory for him. Then he pulled her back toward him, his arm around her shoulder once more. "So, listen," he continued, his tone serious again. "Leona called me a few days ago. She and Kelani talked and...well, they want us to be Izzy's godparents."
Mel pulled away and looked up at him, her eyes wide. "What?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "Apparently the kid likes us. Who knew, right?"
Her jaw dropped. "Wow. Um, that's...that's...oh my god...did you--I mean, did you say yes?"
"Of course I said yes. I figured it would be a no-brainer. You love that baby. And, well--maybe I kinda do, too."
Before he could blink, Mel was beaming a smile so bright it nearly blinded him. Her smile was infectious. "They really want us to be her godparents?"
"Yep. And, see, by living in Hawaii, well, you can go and get your baby fix every now and then...we can be in her life, you know? Be around to watch her grow up. I mean, she won't be OUR kid, but--"
"But she's our family," she finished.
He grinned at her. "Exactly."
"You're an amazing man, Mr. Kamealoha. I am so thankful every day that you are my husband. I waited my entire life for you and I could never truly tell you just how much you mean to me."
"I love you, gorgeous. But my ass is literally freezing. There's one more thing I want you to see before we head back. The snow is getting brutal and you already can't see the road. I can't believe the car is still waiting for us."
Mel giggled and she was on her feet before he was. As they walked hand-in-hand back across the property, she said to him cheerfully, "So you know this makes you the godfather, right?"
He chuckled at her reference as she started chattering on, alternating subjects between Izzy and the snow and the temple. Jason didn't care. He was happy she was happy.
She stopped and bent over, his gaze fixated on the landmark in front of them, wondering how in the hell she had missed it all this time. Then he glanced at her and spied the snowball in her small, gloved hand. He smiled and shook his head. "What are you doing?"
She grinned. "This snow is awesome for sculpting."
"How 'bout we just let it be and not sculpt anything?"
"Why? Are you scared?"
"Trust me, I am NOT scared. I just don't think you wanna do what I think you're about to do."
"That sounds like a threat."
"It's more like a warning."
"So...what happens if this snowball leaves my hand?"
"You better hope it falls straight down."
"And if it doesn't?"
"You don't wanna know. Except that I know you and you're gonna do it anyway, aren't you?"
In seconds, the snowball broke open against his chin. He squeezed his eyes shut upon impact and opened them up to find her giggling at him. "If you had any idea what you've just done..."
"Try me," she taunted.
Bending over into the snow, Jason got busy. He was bigger than her and so the things that he did were bigger than her as well. As he got to work on his epic counter-projectile, Mel's voice grew impatient. "Well, come on, Hawaii! Waiting on you!"
"Shut up," he muttered. "Give me a second. I gotta make this count."
"Make it count? Jesus, Jason, I could have pummeled you with about ten by now. I win by default. You forfeit!"
"I don't forfeit shit," he grunted as he pushed the snow around on the ground. "Victory takes time. Strategy. Planning." Then he looked up at her and grinned. "Wanna help me? It's yours anyway."
Glancing at the size of the near boulder he had formed on the ground, she shut her mouth and her eyes widened as she shook her head. "No."
Jason laughed. "No? Such big talk from such a tiny warrior just a few minutes ago, led me to believe you could handle it. What happened? Scared?"
"I only got you with a tiny snowball. I hope you know that if you hurl that thing at me I'm gonna be cold and wet and miserable and we're at least two miles from the hotel--"
He cut her off when the tiny snowball he'd hidden made it across the way and shattered against her shoulder. She flinched and her eyes widened. "Jason! What the hell was that?"
Jason laughed hard, his voice carrying across the temple courtyard. "That was what was coming to you." Then he nodded at the snow boulder at his feet. "This thing's the base of a snowman." Then he grinned. "Got ya."
"You are so in for it," she warned.
"Good. Can't wait." Then his expression changed to one more serious. "Come here."
"No," she said, taking a step back.
He huffed and shook his head. "Dammit, just come here."
Night had completely fallen and the lights and street lamps around them illuminated the snow, their world glowing an orange-yellow. The snow crunched under Mel's feet as she walked toward him. He, then, turned her around and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Look."
He heard her breath catch in her throat and he realized that she was finally seeing it. "How did I not notice that?" She said in awe at the Colosseum, which stood across from the temple.
"It's a sight to see on a sunny day. But I saw it when it snowed here a few weeks ago and it was just beautiful. But snow here is so rare, I never thought I'd see it happen again. And then you came and then it snowed again--almost like it waited for you."
"Jason...it's just...let's go down and see it!"
Climbing down the snowy stairs to the street was a feat in its own. Upon stopping at their waiting car, Jason was informed that the driver needed to head home due to the weather. Not really interested in taking a two mile trek home in the snow on foot, he pleaded for just a couple more minutes. Obliging him reluctantly, the driver gave in and Jason and Mel were crunching through the snow to get closer to the Colosseum.
As the they approached it, the night sky as a backdrop as the snow fell around them and the inside lights illuminated the white blankets around them, Mel gazed up at the ancient structure in awe and Jason couldn't help but express the same sentiment. He never thought he'd get used to it. Side-glancing at her, he smiled to himself, witnessing the look on her face he was hoping to see when he brought her out here. Her face and her eyes were filled with child-like wonder. This was the face he always wanted to see on her. He wanted to introduce her to new things, he wanted to show her the world.
As they stared in silence for a moment at the half-erected structure, the upper level broken off to the left above them, Mel said, "Can you imagine what this thing looked like when it was complete? Could you imagine what it must have taken in times like that to build something like this?"
"You know what they did in there, right?"
She sighed as she took him by the hand. "I know."
"They killed animals and each other for entertainment--"
"I KNOW," she pressed. "But it's not the building's fault. Doesn't stop it from being any less impressive."
Jason nodded. "That's true."
They looked on in silence for a couple more minutes before she finally turned to him. "It's cold out here. Let's go back to the hotel."
At that, Jason, hand-in-hand with his wife, walked back to their car. "Thank you," Mel continued. "For bringing me here. This place is beautiful. All of it."
He smiled over at her. "My pleasure."