CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
FOREVER AND EVER
"I still can't believe they offered you three million dollars," Lilly whispered as her new wife slid into bed beside her. With their joyous wedding finally behind them, they were finally able to relax and enjoy their wedding night together. Ironically, they were spending the night in the very same hotel where they had first made love.
"Me either," Miley said softly. "I keep waitin' for them to say they made a mistake." Lilly reached out and gently stroked Miley's cheek.
"Sweetheart, you are worth every penny they're offering you, and don't let anyone tell you different," she said carefully. She smiled. "Besides, now you'll be able to afford to support me in the style I'm going to become accustomed to!" Miley laughed and pulled Lilly's hand to her lips for a warm kiss.
"If it means I can take care of you and our family, that's enough for me," she whispered. Lilly grinned.
"You know the only thing we'll ever need is you," she said warmly. "And I'm speaking for our future children too!" she quickly added. Miley smiled as well.
"You know, you're the sweetest wife in the world," she said tenderly. "And you know what else?" She slid closer to Lilly, and slowly draped one of her legs over her new wife.
"Um… w-what?" Lilly squeaked, flushing with a sudden warmth as her skin tingled pleasantly.
"There's nothing under these sheets but me…" Miley replied in a low, tempting voice. Her fingers danced over the waistband of Lilly's lace panties beneath the sheets, at the same time Lilly felt Miley slide against her thigh. Lilly groaned softly and closed her eyes.
"I've always wondered what my wedding night would be like," Miley continued in a sultry voice. "And now that I'm lying next to you, I can't wait to make love to my wonderful wife…" She teased Lilly with small, delicate kisses down the side of her neck.
"Miley, please…" Lilly gasped.
"What?" Miley asked innocently. "What do you want, Lilly?"
"You," Lilly breathed. "Love me, Miley…"
"I do love you, Lilly," Miley whispered to her, "and I always will…" Then her fingers slid lower and her lips found Lilly's, and all other thoughts fled as Miley slowly, passionately made love to the other half of her soul…
Much later, Lilly lay asleep in Miley's arms, finally worn out after making love with her new wife over and over again. Miley, however, was still awake, if just barely. Holding Lilly close, Miley gazed into her peaceful sleeping face and felt her heart swell with love and adoration for her beautiful bride. She was as happy as she could ever remember being, and she knew without a doubt that she was exactly where she was meant to be.
"You were right, momma," she whispered softly. Reaching out, she gently began stroking Lilly's long blonde hair, and the words of a song she remembered hearing a long time ago – that seemed to echo exactly what she was feeling – spilled softly from her lips…
…In my eyes
I see no one else but you
There's no other love
Like our love
And yes
Oh yes, I always want you near me
I've waited for you for so long…
"I love you, too…" Lilly whispered sleepily. She slowly opened her eyes and met Miley's, a tender smile on her face. Miley grinned at her best friend.
"Sing to me some more…?" Lilly asked her softly. Miley nodded.
"Close your eyes…" she said gently, and Lilly did so. Then she closed her own eyes, rested her cheek against the warm skin of Lilly's forehead, and began to sing again…
…your love's
The only love I need
And beside me
Is where
I want you to be
'Cause my love,
There's somethin'
I want you to know
You're the love of my life
You're my lady…"
"Always and forever, Miles," Lilly whispered, smiling even though her eyes were still closed. She tightened her grip around Miley's waist. "Always and forever…"
"And whatever's beyond forever, too," Miley said softly. Smiling, she leaned down and gently kissed Lilly on the lips, then snuggled against her again. The peaceful embrace of sleep soon claimed her, and for the first time in a long time, Miley Ray Stewart slept with a smile on her face.
Two days later, the two newlyweds found themselves at Leonardo da Vinci International Airport in Rome, Italy, ready to begin their honeymoon together. The long flight there had not been entirely pleasant though.
"Remind me again why I just sat on a plane for fifteen hours?" Lilly muttered as they walked out of the terminal together. It was already night in Rome, which only made her feel even more exhausted.
"Because you wanted to spend a romantic honeymoon in Rome with your loving wife?" Miley replied innocently. Lilly wanted to roll her eyes; she was far too tired to be as cheerful as her wife, but there was no way she could fight the adorable smile on Miley's face. In the end, she couldn't help smiling back.
"All right, you got me there," Lilly replied softly, smiling as she did so.
"Think about it Lils, this is gonna be one heck of a honeymoon!" Miley continued. She crept closer, wrapping an arm around Lilly's waist.
"Besides, you know we're gonna have a good time," she whispered. "Just us, together… alone." She punctuated the last word by gently sliding her up Lilly's side. The blonde had to fight not to shiver.
"Save it for the hotel room, naughty girl," she whispered with a grin. Miley chuckled.
"You sure you can wait that long?" she asked teasingly, in a deep and throaty voice. Lilly swallowed.
"Sure I can!" she insisted, her voice not sounding nearly as strong as she would have liked. "Especially since I need food first… I'm starving!" Her stomach signaled its agreement by growling loudly.
"All right, all right," Miley laughed. "We'll check in at the hotel and then we can find a nice place to eat, okay?" Lilly grinned and nodded happily. The two newlyweds then signaled one of the dozens of taxi cabs waiting outside the airport and climbed inside.
"Hotel Santa Maria, please," Miley told the driver as she slid in beside Lilly.
"Certainly, signorina," the driver replied. The drive to the hotel, in a historic neighborhood known as Trastevere, lasted about fifteen minutes. For the first time ever, Miley & Lilly found themselves face-to-face with a huge, sprawling city. Even their brief visit to Los Angeles hadn't quite prepared them for everything they were seeing.
"Wow, Miles…" Lilly breathed. "This place is huge…!" A few moments later, they passed by the ruins of the ancient Colosseum, and Lilly gasped.
"Miley, look! The Colosseum!" she shouted excitedly. "It's incredible!"
"There's sure nothin' like that at home," Miley whispered.
"Not even close," Lilly agreed. "It's gonna take a little getting used to…" She turned to look at Miley and smiled radiantly. "But I can't wait to explore everything, with you."
"Me too, Lils," Miley whispered back. They arrived at their hotel a few minutes later and checked in.
"Is there anything else I can do for you?" the desk clerk asked politely.
"Can you recommend a nice place for dinner?" Miley replied sweetly. The older man behind the desk smiled.
"Signorina, Trastevere is famous for its fine restaurants," he replied warmly. "However, if I may be so bold, we serve a very pleasant dinner here in our garden."
"That sounds wonderful," Lilly said softly. She looked up at Miley, who smiled back at her.
"You may head out to the garden whenever you're ready," the desk clerk replied. Miley and Lilly thanked him, and after dropping their luggage in their room, they headed out to the garden, hand in hand.
The garden was in an ample courtyard just behind the hotel, which all of the rooms opened out onto. Orange trees, flowers and other Mediterranean plants surrounded a half dozen or so small tastefully decorated tables and chairs. Small flickering candles lit each table, and most of the garden itself. A young woman escorted Miley & Lilly to one of the tables, and then took their orders.
"It's so beautiful here, Lils!" Miley breathed. Lilly nodded slowly.
"It sure is," she agreed. "Almost as beautiful as the breathtaking brunette sitting across from me, who I'm lucky enough to call my best friend and my wife…" She smiled as she said the last part, and Miley blushed politely.
"If anyone's lucky, it's me," she said softly. "I don't know what I'd have done if you hadn't come into my life Lilly… and I'll never be able to thank God enough for bringing us together." Lilly blinked back tears, and she reached for Miley's hand across the table. Miley gratefully took it.
"I swear, I'm gonna spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you," she whispered.
"Is that a promise?" Miley asked with a watery smile of her own. Lilly nodded slowly as she gently slid her foot against Miley's calf under the table.
"Just wait until I have you all to myself tonight," she added with a wink. Miley swallowed.
"Where's that food?" she asked abruptly. Lilly laughed.
"Now you sound like me," she said teasingly. The food arrived a few minutes later, and the two young women settled down to enjoy their dinner together. The first course was a simple salad, which Lilly quickly finished. Miley laughed as she watched Lilly looking around hungrily, wondering where the rest of the food was, while trying to look unconcerned.
"You can have some of mine if you want," Miley offered with a grin.
"That's okay, I'm waiting for the good stuff," Lilly replied with a wink. Fortunately, the main course arrived soon after, and Lilly was soon raving about her spaghetti alla carbonara, while Miley dined on some chicken & mushroom ravioli in a simple pesto sauce.
"I think I could get used to the food here," Lilly quipped.
"I'd ask if I could try a bite of yours, but I'd probably lose a finger," Miley said playfully. Lilly looked at her over her plate of food.
"You're probably right," she said after a moment, and quickly returned to her dinner. Miley laughed out loud.
"I'm kidding," Lilly said with a grin. "Of course you can have some if you want, Miles. Anything and everything I have is yours, you know that." Miley blushed.
"I love you too," she said softly, smiling radiantly. She reached over the table and found the fingers of Lilly's free hand and entwined them with her own. Lilly smiled at her, and they sat there holding hands while they ate.
"If dinner is this good, I think I'm afraid to ask about dessert," Miley said as she took another bite of her own dinner. Lilly looked at her, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
"Don't tease me," she said with a wink. The dessert, it turned out, was even better than their dinner. The waitress called it crostata di ricotta, and it turned out to be a rich lemon-flavored Italian cheesecake. Lilly carefully took the first bite. Her eyes fluttered closed.
"Oh, wow…" she breathed. "Miles, you gotta try this!" She sliced off a small piece with her fork and carefully offered it to Miley. Slowly, carefully, Miley leaned forward and closed her eyes as she took the bite of cake into her mouth. The expression on her face shifted from one of uncertainty to one of pure ecstasy, and she moaned softly in delight. Lilly suddenly felt her mouth go dry.
"Didn't I tell you?" she managed. Miley opened her eyes.
"What do I have to do to get some more of that?" she asked playfully. Lilly grinned.
"Oh, I'm sure I can find a way for you to earn some more…" she said suggestively.
"Yeah?" Miley replied, her voice husky. She picked up her own fork and took a small piece of the cheesecake, but instead of eating it herself, she slowly fed it to Lilly.
"How was that?" Miley asked sweetly.
"I'd call that one hell of a start," Lilly said appreciatively. "Keep it up, and you just might get lucky tonight…" Miley grinned and squeezed the hand she was still holding.
"I already did," she said softly. "When I met you."
After their romantic dinner, and a quiet night spent in each other's arms – most of which had little to do with sleeping - Miley and Lilly set out to explore Rome together. They wandered the streets near their hotel first, taking in the sights and sounds of a big city very different from their small hometown.
"I still can't get over how big this place is!" Lilly gasped.
"Not to mention all the people," Miley agreed, watching with wide eyes as crowds of people bustled by. Just ahead, they could see a small open-air market place selling all kinds of Italian fruits and vegetables. They saw what looked like tomatoes, artichokes, peppers, grapes, lemons, oranges and much more piled high in cardboard boxes and wooden crates.
"Would you like to try something?" the lady running the market called out in a friendly, heavily accented voice as they approached. "You'll find everything is fine and fresh!"
"What are these?" Lilly asked carefully, pointing to a small cardboard box containing what looked like little oranges.
"Those are clementines," the lady replied with a smile. "Very sweet and juicy."
"How much?" Miley asked politely.
"One American dollar each," the lady responded, smiling widely.
"What the heck," Miley said softly. She reached into her purse, pulled out the money and handed it to the lady. In return, she used what looked like paper towels to pull two clementines out of their box and handed them to Miley and Lilly.
"They peel very easily," the lady explained. The girls quickly peeled the fruits they had bought and were soon enjoying them under the warm Italian sun.
"These are great, Miles!" Lilly exclaimed. Miley grinned.
"That lady was pretty nice too," she replied. "Maybe the big city's not so bad after all…"
"So far, anyway," Lilly quipped.
"Hey, a nice lady fed you," Miley retorted playfully. "What more do you want?"
"Maybe we can do some serious sight-seeing now?" Lilly suggested with a smile.
"What do you have in mind?" Miley asked her with a grin. They talked about going to see the Colosseum, and the famous Spanish Steps, but Lilly had something else in mind. She suggested they visit the Vatican Museums, home to hundreds of classical sculptures, paintings, and other priceless works of art collected by the Roman Catholic Church over the centuries.
"That sounds kinda nice," Miley agreed. "I didn't know you liked art that much, though."
"Sure, why not?" Lilly replied. "Besides, there's also supposed to be free admission today!" Miley laughed out loud.
"Don't ever change Lils," she managed through her laughter.
"Why would I wanna do that?" Lilly quipped. "Sorry sweetheart, you're stuck with me just the way I am!"
"Good," Miley said warmly, and she gently kissed Lilly on the cheek. "Now let's go, before everyone else in Rome beats us there!"
As Miley had suspected, she and Lilly were far from the only people wanting to take advantage of the free admission to the Vatican Museums – something that took place the last Sunday of each month – and they had to wait in line for nearly an hour before they finally made their way inside. They were soon grouped together with other tourists, and led on a guided tour of the museums by a friendly, informative young man named Luigi. A tall, thin young man with shaggy light brown hair, he seemed to have an honest passion for his chosen profession, and he enthusiastically described each of the priceless works of art in the museum as they walked past them.
"Is it just me, or does he remind you of your brother too?" Lilly whispered to Miley as they slowly made their way to another gallery of paintings and sculptures.
"Love of my life say what?" Miley exclaimed. Lilly giggled.
"Come on, look at him Miles," she pressed. "They practically share the same hair stylist… and you hear the way he talks about all these paintings and statues, all excited and stuff? It's the same way Jackson talks about food!" Miley clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.
"Thanks Lils," she managed. "Now I'll never be able to look at tour guide without thinking about Jackson on one of his 'who needs showers' days!" Lilly grinned and kissed Miley gently on her shoulder, laughing silently as she did so.
As they passed through a particularly large gallery with a high, vaulted ceiling, Miley suddenly found herself drawn to a small painting hanging all by itself in one corner, illuminated by a single pale light. Ignoring their guide for a moment, Miley walked towards the painting, until she could see what was pictured on the aging canvas. It appeared to a picture of a young woman with long blonde hair, wearing a pale red dress and what appeared to be some kind of golden crown. Her hands were folded gently in her lap, and she was smiling sadly. It was the young woman's face that really got Miley's attention though. Her eyes went wide.
"Lilly!" she whispered urgently to her wife.
"What?" Lilly replied, her attention focused on the gallery's huge domed ceiling. Miley tugged impatiently on the sleeve of Lilly's blouse.
"T-that painting!" Miley gasped, pointing at it. "Lilly, the woman in that painting looks exactly like you!"
Oh come on, Miles," Lilly retorted. "Don't be silly. There's no way that painting can…" She stopped abruptly, her eyes suddenly drawn to the painting as well… and just how much the woman in the painting did, in fact, look like her.
"Whoa…" she whispered.
"You could be twins!" Miley exclaimed.
"But… but that's impossible…" Lilly managed. She swallowed. "Isn't it?"
"Let's find out," Miley said softly. She turned and waved her hand to get the attention of their tour guide.
"Excuse me?" she called out. Smiling, Luigi walked over to where they were standing.
"What can I do for you?" he asked politely.
"I was wondering if you could tell us about this painting," Miley replied, gesturing at the work in question. Luigi looked up at the painting and smiled.
"You have a very good eye, signorina," he replied. "That is the Duchess Lilliana Dandolo, daughter of the great Doge Enrico Dandolo, of the Republic of Venice. It is said this portrait of her was painted on the eve of her wedding, at the beginning of the Fourth Crusade." Miley and Lilly shared a stunned expression with each other.
"Why does she look… sad?" Lilly asked carefully.
"Well, there is a legend signorina," Luigi said. "No one knows if the story is true, and most people do not believe it, but it has been passed down through the years by those who do."
"What happened to her?" Miley asked softly. Luigi looked at Miley and Lilly for a moment, as if studying them, and then he smiled again.
"Very well, I will tell you the story," he said warmly. He turned to look up at the painting again.
"It is said the Duchess was in love with her best friend… who also happened to one of her ladies-in-waiting," Luigi continued in a hushed voice. "As such things were not considered socially acceptable back then, they were forced to keep their relationship a secret, but supposedly her father and most of the city's ruling council were aware of it, although they preferred to ignore it."
"She was in love… with her best friend?" Lilly repeated slowly, turning to look at Miley. Luigi nodded.
"So it is said," he replied gently. "The two of them were together for some time, and they were very much in love… until their home became embroiled in the Fourth Crusade." Luigi looked over at Miley and Lilly again.
"Her father, the Doge, agreed to have Venice provide the ships and sailors the crusaders needed to carry them across the sea, to wage their Holy War," he explained. "Unfortunately, when they arrived in Venice, the crusaders did not have the money to repay what they owed the city; and the city itself had gone so deeply in debt to build their ships and train their sailors that they faced financial ruin! In the end, the Doge and the crusaders made a deal."
"Why do I get the feeling it wasn't a good deal?" Lilly asked quietly, her eyes once again on the painting.
"It was, in fact, a very good deal, for the Republic of Venice," Luigi replied. "The young Duchess, however, was forced to make a terrible choice. The crusaders agreed to sack the ancient city of Zara for the people of Venice, and bring back its spoils… but only if the Duchess would marry the son of their leader."
"She didn't do it, did she?" Miley asked, her eyes wide. Luigi nodded slowly.
"I'm afraid she had to," he said softly. "If she refused, Venice would fall, and thousands would suffer. "Though it tore her heart in two, she had to give up her one true love to save her home."
"That… that's awful…" Lilly whispered, her throat tight.
"Well, it only a legend signorina," Luigi said warmly. "And in the end, the Duchess was a hero to her people."
"Lilly, are you all right?" Miley asked her wife, concern evident in her voice. Lilly shook her head violently. It took everything she had to fight the urge to cry.
"I want to go back to our hotel, Miley," she managed. "I don't want to be here anymore!"
"I – I'm sorry if the story upset you, signorina…" Luigi tried to apologize.
"It's all right Luigi, you didn't do anything wrong," Miley cut him off. "I think we need to go though. Thank you for everything!" She turned back to Lilly, who threw her arms around Miley, burying her face in her wife's shoulder. Miley wasted no time in guiding Lilly outside, and they soon found an empty bench to sit down on.
"Please Lilly, tell me what's wrong," Miley pleaded with her.
"It's s-stupid…" Lilly whispered, her face still buried in Miley's shoulder.
"No it's not," Miley said soothingly. "Not if it's got you this upset."
"It's just… that woman had to give up everything she loved," Lilly managed. "I can't imagine what that must have felt like, or how she even got through it! God Miley, I couldn't live without you!"
"Lilly, sweetheart…" Miley carefully slid a finger underneath Lilly's chin and gently lifted her wife's face towards her own. Lilly's eyes were red and swollen from her crying, and her cheeks were still soaked with her tears. Miley smiled lovingly and wiped away Lilly's tears, then she captured the blonde tomboy's lips in a gentle kiss.
"I feel the same way about you," Miley whispered. "I need you too, more than you know, and I'm always gonna be right here beside you…"
"You know you can't promise that," Lilly whispered again. "W-what if… one day…" She couldn't bring herself to finish the awful thought, and once again tears filled her eyes. Miley thought for a long time about how she could answer, how she could ease Lilly's fears; in the end, she decided to be honest.
"Eventually, it's everyone's time," she said gently. "But even if one of us had to go before the other, we wouldn't really be apart." Lilly blinked.
"What do you mean?" she asked quietly.
"We're a part of each other, Lils." Miley explained. "For the rest of this life and whatever's beyond that… just like we promised, remember?" Lilly smiled through her tears.
"I still miss my mom, but I know she'll always be with me," Miley said softly. "It's the same way with you and I, Lilly… when you love someone, really love them, they never really leave you." She smiled warmly.
"We'll always be together," she whispered. Without warning, Lilly suddenly pulled Miley to her and kissed her passionately, tears streaming down her cheeks. For long moments no words were spoken. Finally, almost reluctantly, they parted.
"I love you," Lilly said softly, "and I'm sorry…"
"I love you too," Miley said warmly. "But what are you sorry for? You didn't do anything wrong, Lils…"
"I probably made a fool of myself in front of that nice tour guide," Lilly muttered.
"So what?" Miley said lightly. "I'm sure he's seen women crying before, honey."
"Over a painting?" Lilly asked sarcastically. Miley grinned.
"Okay, so he probably thinks you're a whacko," she said mischievously. It was all she could do not to laugh at the shocked expression on her wife's face. Lilly gave her a playful shove.
"Oh, you!" she exclaimed. "I swear, if I didn't love you so darned much…!"
"I'm pretty good in bed, too," Miley said with a wink. Lilly blushed.
"Miley!" she gasped. Miley laughed.
"Relax, Lils… I'm only teasing," she said with a grin. "I got you to smile again, didn't I?" Lilly just smiled and shook her head.
"You always make me smile," she said softly. Still grinning, Miley gently kissed Lilly again. Lilly's own grin grew, and she leaned forward until the tip of her nose was touching Miley's.
"And you know what would really make me smile right now?" she asked sweetly.
"If I know you, it probably has to do with food," Miley said playfully.
"Not just any food," Lilly replied. "Gelato."
"Gel-what?" Miley repeated, arching a puzzled eyebrow.
"Gelato," Lilly said with a grin. "Italian ice cream. It's supposed to be really good… and I think I saw a gelato cart on our way here!" Miley laughed.
"You would," she teased. "All right, let's go see if Italian ice cream is as good a comfort food as the good ol' American kind!"
As it turned out, gelato was even better than regular ice cream. At least, Miley and Lilly certainly thought so. While Lilly appreciatively devoured a delicious chocolate and orange flavor, Miley decided to try a slightly more unusual kind of gelato, a kind of vanilla with a sauce of sour cherries swirled through it.
"You're such a girl," Lilly teased her as they walked back to their hotel, eating their gelato together. Miley looked sideways at her over her gelato.
"You're just jealous I got the better flavor," she said playfully.
"Yeah, right," Lilly snorted. "There's nothin' better than chocolate, and you know it missy!"
"Is that right?" Miley quipped. She leaned in close and whispered in Lilly's ear. "I can think of something you like even more…"
"Miley!" Lilly managed, her cheeks instantly turning red. Miley grinned.
"Don't try to deny it now," she said teasingly.
"My mother didn't raise any foolish children," Lilly said lightly. "That doesn't mean I wanna talk about my love life in public…!" Miley stuck her tongue out.
"Fine, I guess I'll just have to torture you with thoughts of what we can't do…" Miley whispered. Lilly looked over at her new wife.
"You wouldn't dare…" she stammered. Miley just winked and leaned over to whisper something else in Lilly's ear. Lilly's eyes went wide.
"There'd be nothing but candlelight… and I could wear that sexy lingerie you like…" Miley finished with a grin. Lilly swallowed.
"How far away is our hotel again?" she asked quickly. Miley laughed out loud.
Soft, dusky rays of sunshine slipped into Miley & Lilly's hotel room the following morning, casting a pale glow on the two young women as they slept peacefully in each other's arms. As they lay together, Miley's hand slid gently down over her wife's bare thigh, and Lilly sighed contentedly.
"Lilly likey…" she murmured. Miley's lips twisted upward in a grin, though her eyes remained closed.
"Yeah?" she replied, with a hint of amusement in her voice.
"Can we just stay like this forever?" Lilly asked her wife sleepily. Still smiling, Miley gently kissed her on her forehead.
"Sounds good to me," she whispered happily. She stared lovingly at her wife, and reached out to gently run her fingers through Lilly's long blonde hair. Then, slowly and softly, she began to sing.
"When I said I do, I meant that I will… 'til the end of all time…" Miley said gently.
"…be faithful and true, devoted to you…" Lilly sang along with her. Miley smirked.
"You are so not asleep," she teased her wife.
"Less talking, more singing," Lilly replied, her eyes still closed, and Miley laughed.
"Someone's spoiled already," she quipped. "But all right, since you asked so nicely…" Grinning, Miley snuggled against her wife and started to sing again.
"...forever you and I will be the ones, who found out what forever means," Miley sang softly.
"When I said I do… I meant that I will…" Lilly joined in. Miley smiled, and soon the two newlyweds were singing sweetly together.
"…til the end of all time, be faithful and true, devoted to you… that's what I had in mind, when I said I do…" Miley and Lilly smiled at each other as the song ended, and their lips met in a warm and passionate kiss. They parted only when breathing became necessary.
"So, where to today, beautiful wife of mine?" Lilly asked her cheerfully.
"I was thinking we could go see the Trevi Fountain," Miley answered.
"What's that?" Lilly asked, scrunching up her nose slightly. Miley couldn't help smiling at how adorable her wife looked.
"You know, the one we learned about in world history class," Miley said. "They say if you throw a coin in the fountain, you're guaranteed to return to Rome."
"Oh yeah, I remember Miss McCabe talking about that now," Lilly replied thoughtfully. "I can think of something I'd like to do first, though…" Miley arched an eyebrow.
"What's that?" she asked softly. Lilly leaned forward until her nose was nearly touching Miley's, and she grinned.
"Breakfast, what else?" she quipped. Miley laughed out loud.
"Gee, what was I thinkin'? We gotta feed the beast first!" she said teasingly. The girls got up, showered and got dressed, and enjoyed a nice breakfast together in the garden. Then they took a tram to the historic Trevi district. The sight of the magnificent fountain itself was enough to make them both gasp out loud the moment they saw it.
"Sweet niblets…!" Miley whispered.
"Miley, it's beautiful!" Lilly exclaimed joyfully.
"You can say that again…" Miley managed. Incredible sculptures showed Oceanus, ancient god of all water, flanked by mythical creatures of the sea. Crystal clear waters flowed over the rocky outcroppings surrounding the statues and splashed down into the large, gleaming pool that filled most of the small square where the fountain sat. Lilly turned to look at Miley, a smile on her face.
"Come on," she said happily. "Let's see if we can get closer!" Hand in hand, she and Miley carefully made their way through the throngs of tourists and other visitors until they were standing by the edge of the fountain itself. Grinning, Lilly slipped her hand into the cold water and playfully flicked some of it in Miley's face.
"Hey!" Miley sputtered. "I'm gonna get you for that, silly!" She tried to get to the water as well, but Lilly playfully blocked her path and kept her away from the fountain.
"Not gonna happen, smiley," she said mock-threateningly.
"Oh yeah?" Miley challenged her. Without warning, she leaned forward and captured Lilly's lips in a warm kiss. Stunned by the sudden – and very public – display of affection, it took the blonde tomboy a moment to respond. When she closed her eyes and leaned forward to deepen the kiss, Miley snuck her hands behind Lilly and carefully dipped them into the fountain. Then, while Lilly was still engrossed in their kiss, Miley slid her very cold, very wet hands up the back of Lilly's shirt. Lilly jerked back with a shout.
"Miley!" she laughed out loud. "You play dirty, little girl!"
"Gotcha," Miley said with a wink. Lilly had to laugh.
"You're such a brat," she said teasingly.
"You know you love me anyway," Miley said playfully. Lilly grinned.
"Uh huh," she whispered. "Now, before you decide to put those ice cubes you call hands on me again, how about we throw a coin into this bad boy?"
"Does that mean you want to come back here someday?" Miley asked her with a smile. Lilly nodded.
"As long as it's with you," she answered honestly. "I gotta say, I like it here… but I like it back home even better."
"Why's that?" Miley asked her carefully.
"Because that's our home," Lilly said simply. She grinned. "And that's where we're gonna grow old together, and raise our family together…"
"Knowin' you, you've already got our children's names picked out and everything," Miley said teasingly.
"I do not," Lilly insisted. "Well, not all of them…" Miley laughed.
"I'm excited to start our future together too, Lilly," she said with a warm smile.
"And you know what else I wish?" Lilly asked her excitedly.
"What?" Miley asked curiously. Lilly's smile grew. She slid her arms around Miley and looked deep into the eyes of the young woman she couldn't live without.
"A long and happy life with my best friend, who I love with all my heart."
"Right back atcha, girlfriend," Miley whispered happily. Their lips met in a brief, loving kiss. Then Miley reached into her purse and pulled out two coins, and handed one of them to Lilly. Joining their free hands, the two best friends turned towards the fountain and joyfully tossed their coins into the water.
"Make a wish, Miles," Lilly whispered. Miley smiled, a radiant smile that seemed to illuminate her entire being, and she gently squeezed Lilly's hand.
"It already came true…"
