Chapter 185: Weight of Symbolism
- DEX -
The weight of the ring in my pocket is heavy while we sit in the outdoor dining area waiting for food. I’m still waiting for the right time to give it to Raya, and who knows when that’s going to be now? Clearly not tonight.
But carrying it around with me has become a habit. I’m almost afraid that if I leave it somewhere, I’ll lose it at this point. Its weight has become a sense of security: the guarantee that Raya is going to have it on her finger very soon. That she is going to be my wife.
The ring is a promise I’m keeping with me—a promise to her and to myself. And it feels like within that small piece of jewelry, I have the love of my parents with me as well. It’s a lot of symbolism for metal and diamonds to carry, and I’m so grateful that Raya is the one who will be receiving it. It’s not the largest ring in the world, and I know that doesn’t matter to her. She will know what lies within it—something far greater in meaning than any size of a stone could convey.
I know the right time to give the ring to Raya will present itself. I’m not worried. We have five days until the ceremony on Saturday when Gemma, Saul, and Vanessa will arrive. And I’m hoping Will and Patty will be here, too.
But right now Rory is clearly upset, and that’s what’s most important. It actually makes me more confident that this was the right thing... bringing her here with us. Even with Luciano. Because while Rory is upset, it seems like it’s in a good way. She looks more alive than she has in weeks since she has been staying with us. Her face is flushed and her eyes are glistening with previously shed tears. Whatever she and Raya talked about in the short time Luci and I went to get the bags must have been important.
It’s beautiful here and peaceful, so the atmosphere eases the awkwardness at our table. There is an angry-looking green iguana observing us from the ledge of a low stucco wall nearby, and it reminds me a bit of Luciano. The similarity in their expressions has me fighting what would be an ill-timed chuckle.
Luciano hasn’t said much since we took our seats in the outdoor dining area. He keeps looking over at Rory like he’s trying to gauge her emotions—trying to get a sense of her thoughts without explicitly asking.
It’s so strange seeing my cousin this way. He’s always been a family person. That’s just who he is. That’s who the Riccas are. But women are different for him. If the women are not family, then they’re simply for fun. They’re for play.
In the past, I know Luciano has considered time with women as a way to relax, because they don’t come with the same gravity of responsibility that every other aspect of his life does. But obviously that has changed, because the way he is acting toward Rory is entirely with a sense of concern and responsibility. He’s acting like she’s family—like she’s someone he has to protect and care for. He’s not even flirting with her, which is in itself an enormous change.
I’m proud of him. I don’t know what this means for him and Rory. I don’t know if she will return the feelings that he has obviously developed, but he’s respecting her humanity in a way that I never would have expected from him.
Is it possible that the unthinkable evil shit my brother did could have created something positive?
Raya is fidgeting with her drink, turning the glass around on the table. I sigh and lean back, draping my arm over the back of her chair so I can caress her shoulder. She is tense and worried, and I won’t be able to spend the night making her forget about whatever is on her mind. It’s going to be very hard sleeping alone.
"So..." Rory starts, and everyone’s attention at the table snaps her way.
I can’t help but notice that Luciano appears relieved to just have a reason to look at her. When Rory looks back at him, there’s a weight to it—a meaning that goes unspoken—and I shift forward in my chair with the instinctive understanding that something important is going to be discussed, and I can’t imagine what that might be.
Does Rory want to talk about Lawson? Does she want to talk about what happened on the day of the funeral? We haven’t all been together for that opportunity, and I didn’t really expect that to happen here, but maybe it’s a good idea. If that’s what she needs...
"I had a dream on the plane," she says, heading in a completely different direction than I anticipated.
Her gaze remains on Luciano for a few more moments like she’s waiting for... approval? Or for him to understand where she’s going with this? What the hell is going on?
"And Luciano had the same dream," she says, her eyes flitting our way. "In fact, he was in the dream. We shared it."
My mouth drops open. Okay, that is definitely not anything I was expecting.
"What?" Raya gasps softly, beating me to it. "What... what kind of dream?"
Rory chuckles and covers her eyes with a hand, shielding herself from a brief moment of embarrassment. "Not that kind."
"You two had the same dream?" I ask slowly, gesturing between them just to make sure I’m understanding correctly. "Are you sure?"
"Very sure," Rory nods, fidgeting with her drink just as Raya was. Then she glances at Luciano again, and a muscle tics in his jaw.
"Yeah," is all he says.
At that moment, the food arrives, and as beautiful as it is, I have zero interest in it at this point. But we are all forced to put the conversation on pause while plates are set in front of us.
How the hell are shared dreams happening to Luciano and Rory as well? And why? This can’t be that common of a phenomenon. So what does it mean that all four of us would have it happen?
