Quick note: this is the final chapter of Dearly Beloved, however there will be an epilogue. I hope you enjoy!
As she lounged on her balcony's white Adirondack chair in the cool Key West morning air, Mindy felt a twinge of regret for not spending more time in that space during their stay. The view wasn't anything spectacular – it would have to be one breathtaking view to impress a city girl – but the simple backdrop of the rising sun gently licking the trees and surrounding white fences with its light was such a calming contrast from the usual distracting flash and buzz of home. The pool was pristine, the adorable garden was in full bloom, and the city just beyond the fence was docile, for the moment. She found it so much easier to think here.
Ever since Danny informed her that his brother would be visiting, she felt an inexplicable ball of anxiety form in the pit of her stomach. It seemed to overshadow the general flurry of excitement she felt whenever she learned that Richie would be in town; she had, after all, grown fond of the younger Castellano and the cheery, calming affect he had on Danny. Witnessing the unadulterated adoration they had for each other was always such a welcomed reminder of her relationship with her own brother. Any moment that the two Castellanos shared was a pleasure to observe up close, but this opportunity came with a lingering hesitation that she couldn't quite control, but also couldn't ignore.
Mindy heard the sliding glass door squeak open behind her. She turned around immediately to find a grinning, gently disheveled Danny closing the door easily. He leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss at her temple, emitting the faintest scent of peppermint toothpaste, then crossed in front of her to take a seat in the matching chair beside her.
"You know, I almost forgot there was a balcony," Danny said as he looked out at the pool.
"Yeah, I was just wishing I had spent more time out here. It makes me feel so outdoorsy."
"Min, you're on a covered balcony in a cozy chair, a mere foot away from all the amenities and air conditioning you'll ever need. How is this outdoorsy?" he challenged.
"Hey," Mindy pointed assertively, "I got bit on the foot by a mosquito and I think I may be a tad dehydrated. That's outdoorsy enough, especially having been wonderfully cooped up in this room for over 24 hours, got it?"
Danny chuckled, then leaned to the side and grabbed her hand, swinging their conjoined pinkies in the space between their chairs like a pendulum. "Alright, fine. You're a regular Jane Goodall. How's that?"
Mindy leaned her head back and simply smiled at him. His messy hair, relaxed eyes, and easy grin created such an uncharacteristically laid back image. "God, Danny, I could really get used to the vacation version of you. You're just so relaxed and compliant and super approachable."
"Hey, I'm approachable back home, too," Danny replied defensively. "I just don't like being approached with stupidity. Besides, I've always being really receptive to you coming to me about anything, haven't I?"
"Yeah, you have," Mindy conceded softly. Her eyes fell to their swinging hands and a soft smile played on her lips. "And you better be extra accessible to me when we get back home now, okay?"
Danny lifted their hands by his pinky and kissed the finger of hers nearest to his lips. "Deal."
He allowed their hands to return to the space between their chairs and looked back out onto the pool. "Richie and Ramon should get here around four. It'll be so great to actually hang with him like this. We haven't been on vacation together since we were kids. I really can't wait."
Mindy's eyes darted downward at the mention of Richie. The excitement in Danny's voice flooded her with guilt over her temporary inability to match his enthusiasm. Before she had a moment to fix her expression, she heard Danny ask tentatively, "Hey, what's wrong?"
She looked up and quickly plastered a bright smile on her face. "Nothing!"
"Don't lie to me."
Ugh. Best friends. Right, Mindy thought in defeat.
Mindy took a breath and tried to organize her worries, hoping to be able to talk through them comprehensively. "I love your brother, you know that."
"But?" Danny lifted his eyebrows cautiously while he patiently waited for her to elaborate.
Mindy adjusted the hand currently in Danny's possession so that she could thread her fingers through his more securely. "Danny, the past two days have been incredible. I mean, this whole trip has been incredible, but this bubble we've created for ourselves since Thursday – since forever, probably – has been something so amazing and…and I'm not ready to leave it yet."
"Who says that we have to?" Danny's forehead was creased and his eyebrows were furrowed.
She began to adjust uncomfortably in her seat. "It's just that everything has happened so quickly. I'm fine with it, but I'm just so worried about someone coming in and…I don't know…talking sense into you, I guess? I'm nervous about anyone outside of us pointing out just how crazy all of this is and I'm even more nervous that you'll see it, too, and start to pull away. And I know how much you value your brother's opinion, which, by the way, I love about you guys. I'm just worried that he'll convince you that this," she said as she squeezed his hands for emphasis, "is a bad idea. I love Richie and I'm ultimately excited to see him. I'd just like to have you to myself for a little while longer before reality messes everything up."
Danny sat still, looking at her with concerned eyes. Realizing that she had finished, he took a look at there hands and shifted upward so that he could face more of his body towards her. "Mindy…you know I seriously love you, right?"
Mindy's eyes widened and she could feel her heartbeat suddenly racing, almost clamoring to beat out of her chest. "Uh, okay, do you mean like the way you always say you love me or, like, in love with me, for realzies?"
Danny blew out a quick laugh. "The second one, the 'for realzies' one."
Stunned and mouth agape, Mindy struggled to find enough words to formulate a response. "But…wait, I mean…Danny…God, you don't even look the least bit shocked by it!"
"That's because I'm not," Danny explained with a shrug while maintaining an unruffled expression.
"How are you not freaking out right now?!" Mindy cried shrilly, flailing her free hand.
"Okay, your yelling is kind of starting to freaking me out right now, Mindy, not how I feel," Danny countered a little louder.
Mindy closed her eyes and worked to calm herself down. "I'm sorry, it's just…Danny, this is a really big deal, a huge leap from where we were just days ago –"
"Not to me."
The simplicity in his statement stilled Mindy's breath almost as much at the revelation itself. She waited quietly for Danny to explain.
"If you really look at our friendship…I've always wanted to be there for you, always wanted to be the one that makes you smile. I've always credited you for making me a more thoughtful, appreciative person. You've made me so happy just by being my friend. I think I've always been in love with you to some degree. I'm just glad that I can finally allow myself to just feel it fully and express it, you know?"
True to her nature, Mindy immediately felt swept away with emotion, tearing up almost against her own will. Danny leaned forward and wiped them away with the pad of his thumb once they started to descend down the crest of her cheek. "I'm not telling you all this in order to hear it back, I promise. I'm just saying that it would take a hell of a lot to shake me of my feelings towards you. My brother, nor anybody else, would be able to say anything that would convince me to feel differently. And Richie adores you, you know that. Why would you think he'd be against it?"
She really had no way of answering that question without voicing her own litany of insecurities. Instead, she just shrugged, feeling much better Richie's visit. "I'm just being weird."
Danny smirked. "So, nothing out of the ordinary, then?"
"Oh, ha ha ha. 'Mindy's crazy.' Very original, Danny." Mindy wiped away the residual tears and smiled affectionately. "I'm sorry. I'm really excited to see Richie. Seriously."
Danny smiled wide and leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on her warm lips. "Hey, how about we have breakfast on the balcony? You know, spend some time out here like you wanted to?"
Just then Mindy felt the annoying pinch of another mosquito on her forearm and smacked it ferociously. Groaning, she replied, "No, screw that. I'm over the outdoors, let's get back to civilization." She stood up, still holding Danny's hand, and led him back inside.
"Of course," Danny mumbled with a smug grin.
Richie and Ramon arrived late in the afternoon, just as Danny had predicted. The brothers engaged in their usual greeting ritual of hugging and profuse expression of love, leaving Mindy to meet Ramon for the first time. Ramon was about the same height as Danny with olive skin and dark, thick wavy hair with a thin fleck of gray just at his temple. His mint green V-neck shirt was just tight enough for Mindy to be able to make out his impeccable, muscular physique. A polite smile revealed almost glowingly white teeth. Mindy detected a very faint, but present, Cuban accent when he introduced himself. All of these components worked together to create one of the most handsome men Mindy had ever seen in the flesh.
"Wow, you're, like, superhumanly handsome," Mindy observed in awe. "You could be one of those shirtless Abercrombie models."
"Thank you, I appreciate that, actually," Ramon replied sincerely.
Richie stepped forward with outstretched arms and the telltale Castellano crooked smile. "Mindy, it's so good to see you."
Mindy accepted the hug, instantly feeling silly for her anxiety earlier in the day. "It's good to see you, too, Richie! And thank you so much for recommending Fat Tuesdays! Did Danny tell you that I made history there?"
Richie turned to Danny and rose his eyebrows in interest. Danny laughed and stepped next to Mindy. He placed a hand on her lower back. "Yeah, that's part of the story I meant to tell you, Rich. Wait 'til you see it. She called herself a trailblazer the entire way back to the inn."
Mindy looked up Danny and playfully glared at him for his teasing. She missed Richie's knowing glance towards their stance entirely.
"I was a trailblazer, mister," Mindy responded insistently, though unable to completely filter out her affection.
"Oh!" Ramon piped up. "Are you two together? Richie never told me that!"
"Yeah, baby," Richie answered confidently, which surprised Mindy greatly, considering that her and Danny never officially defined the relationship. "It's new."
Mindy looked up at Danny expectantly, but was taken aback by the sight of him already looking at her with a warm, appreciative gaze. "I don't know, Rich," he replied, sounding like he was somewhere far away. "It's not that new."
After an early dinner, Danny made a reference to Richie's suggestion that they should visit Fat Tuesday's at least twice. Once they admitted to only experiencing the bar once, Richie and Ramon insisted that they all return to the establishment. Twenty minutes later, the quartet found themselves parked at different areas of the counter, sucking margaritas through hard plastic straw. Mindy and Ramon were talking animatedly at the end of the bar while Richie and Danny were stationed directly in the middle, engaged in a conversation made easier with the assistance of copious amounts of alcohol.
"So, a part of me can't help but want to know every detail of how you and Mindy finally got together," Richie admitted loudly over the loud buzz of the Saturday night crowd. "But I know you would never tell me, so just tell me this: are you happy? Finally?"
Danny kept his eyes forward while he replayed the events of Thursday night, as well as the entirety of his Mindy's day spent in their room the day prior. He smiled reflectively. "Yeah, I'm finally happy. Really happy. Deliriously happy, Rich."
Richie blew out a combination of a breath and a chuckle. "Wow, okay, so it's safe to say things are going well?"
Danny nodded, then looked at Richie with cautious eyes. "Do you think I'm crazy, that we're crazy? You know, considering everything that's gone on?"
Richie took a long sip of his drink. "Of course, you both are crazy. Anybody in love is crazy."
Danny furrowed his eyebrows at Richie's answer. "What do you mean? Aren't you in love with Ramon?" Danny took a moment to look down the bar at Ramon and Mindy. Mindy seemed to be illustrating her historic moment at the bar with her hands, clearly pantomiming drinking from a funnel. Ramon looked enthralled by the reenactment.
Laughing, Richie replied, "Of course, I'm in love with Ramon. I'm just as crazy as you."
Danny was about to accuse Richie of being too intoxicated when he continued. "Falling in love is the craziest thing that we can do as humans with half an ounce of common sense. I mean, I don't know a single person who hasn't experienced heartbreak at some point in their lives. You would think that knowing that that kind of pain exists would keep us from doing it ever again, kind of like burning our hands on a hot stove, you know? But somehow we allow ourselves to fall anyways, knowing that the other person could obliterate our heart, knowing that we could totally fuck things up ourselves…we invest so much without the guarantee that this is the right path, based simply on our faith in that other person and a belief that everything will fall in place the way we feel it's supposed to. It's insane. It's absolutely beautiful, but it's pretty insane."
Staring at his younger brother, Danny marveled at the depth of his insight. "I can't tell if you're really wise or just really tipsy."
"Probably a little of both."
The men laughed as Danny set his drink down, crossing his arms and leaning on the bar's surface. "So, you don't think I'm going about this the wrong way? I know it seems pretty sudden for Mindy to get involved again so quickly-"
"Danny, I thought you were crazier for allowing things to get as far with that guy as they did," Richie interjected. "I couldn't believe that you let her even make it to the church, let alone walk down the aisle. I've seen you ready to storm the Yankees headquarters when there were rumors of possibly trading CC Sebathia, and you barely like that guy. You two always belonged together; Ma and I had plenty of conversations about it."
"You and Ma talked about it?!"
"Extensively," Richie replied plainly. "And you have no idea what it took for me to keep her from interfering, because she was more than ready."
A sudden deep yelp came from Mindy and Ramon's place at the end of the bar, causing Danny and Richie to snap their attention towards the source. It looked as if Ramon was reacting unfavorably to the familiar-looking rainbow colored shot. Mindy thumped his back while exclaiming, "I tried to tell you it was awful!"
Richie returned his attention to Danny, smiling and newly amused. "You'll never be bored. She'll be really good for you, Danny. I'm happy for you guys."
After processing his brother's approval, Danny clapped him on the back graciously. "Thanks, man." Ready to divest himself of the spotlight, Danny asked, "So you and Ramon are okay now?"
Richie nodded solemnly. "I think us breaking up and taking that time apart helped us a lot. We actually, like, communicate now. We understand where the other one's coming from a little better…most of the time."
Danny nodded, turning his cup absent-mindedly while Richie continued.
"It's kind of a struggle to not let all of those old insecurities creep back in, but we're getting stronger, smarter, more patient…it's working now. We're not perfect, but we love each other so deeply. The work seems a lot less like work, if that makes sense."
To Danny, hearing Richie actually talk of his own felt monumental. Despite being younger, he was always the self-assured one out of the two of them. It was something that Danny found enviable, when he wasn't awestruck by it. Best of all, hearing his brother talk of his and his partner's ability to power through their adversity made him feel hopeful about his and Mindy's chances.
"Nah, it makes sense. A lot of sense, actually."
Hideaway had to be one of the coolest, most unorthodox concepts for a night club that Mindy had ever experienced. A stark contrast from the typical host of strobe lighting and steel beams she had familiarized herself with in the city, stepping into Hideaway made her feel as if she were in the woodsy outdoors deep in a secluded, forgotten section of the forest. The floors were made of distressed wood, silken shrubbery lined the walls, and the bars and DJ booth looked like they were built for a rickety shack, adorned with crudely made signs listing the drink specials and the guest DJ of the night. The piece de résistance, however, were the two massive, daringly realistic replicas of oak trees, literally rooted into the ground through the wooden flooring and reaching the tall ceiling. Every detail was exact, even down to the pine-scented atmosphere. The trees, as well as the bar and DJ booth, were lined with simple strings of white lights. House music thumped confidently throughout the establishment and influenced the movement of the dense crowd, every inch of space occupied by dancing bodies, as opposed to a centralized dance floor. The noise was joyous, everything glowed, and Mindy was certain that this place was magical.
The men didn't express any major astonishment outside of the obligatory "wow" and "that's pretty neat," but were swept into the festive ambiance as quickly as Mindy was, Ramon heading straight to the bar while Richie and Danny gravitated towards the dancing.
Danny tugged on Mindy's hand. "Are you gonna dance with me or do I have to beg?" he shouted over the noise. "I will if I have to, but…"
Mindy rolled her eyes in jest. "Have some dignity, man! And yes, I'm definitely grinding on you tonight, but I'm going to get some water first. Ramon and I will find you guys."
Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Danny leaned forward and kissed Mindy chastely before following his brother into the fray. Mindy quickly found Ramon and carefully wedged herself between him and a woman who appeared to be hitting on him mercilessly.
"Not gonna happen, babe, save yourself the trouble," Mindy warned her firmly. The woman huffed and moved on swiftly with her drink.
"Thank you, Mindy," Ramon sighed, which tapered into a chuckle. "The women here are really aggressive. Have you noticed?"
"They're also really wasted," Mindy added. "But you should be used to this attention, right? I mean, look at you."
Ramon readily accepted the compliment, almost as easily as anyone would accept a well-known fact, and replied. "It happens, but I know how to deal with it back home. New atmosphere, different type of attention…it catches me off-guard at times."
Just then the bartender acknowledged them and took their drink orders. He handed Mindy a bottle of water from below the bar and immediately went to work on Ramon's specified cocktails.
"So, does it ever cause trouble with Richie?" Mindy asked curiously. "Does he ever get super jealous? I think I would."
Ramon looked thoughtfully forward. "Not so much anymore. He used to. We both did, actually. C'mon, look at him. He's adorable."
Mindy giggled and nodded. "It definitely runs in the family."
"Well, you have no reason to ever get jealous." Two dark cocktails were placed in front of Ramon, who handed the bartender a crisp bill. "Danny loves you. He can't hide it at all."
Beaming, Mindy was lead by Ramon to the heavily occupied corner of the club, where Richie was accosted by an energetic young woman. Richie responded spiritedly, dancing with her easily. The girl's friend followed suit and approached Danny, dancing sultrily towards him with coy eyes and a sneaky smile. Mindy thought she could hear the part of her buried deep within, screaming at her to stomp over there and push the brazen girl into the nearest shrub.
Suddenly, she pictured Danny's face when he told her that he loved her, how open and sincere it had been. The sureness in his timbre echoed in her ears, far louder than the music or the clunky heels of the woman vying for his attention. She could feel the dormant jealousy within her slowly suffocate, even though she was still curious to see how Danny would react.
Mindy didn't have to wait long. The girl attempted to wrap her arms around his shoulders, but was stopped when he , looking very uneasy, lightly grabbed her wrists with his thumb and forefinger and took a step back. He mouthed something unreadable from Mindy's distance, but it was enough to make the girl turn on her heels and scan the crowd for different prey. Danny visibly exhaled and made to turn around until he spotted Mindy observing him. She didn't bother to try to look casual and pretend as if she hadn't seen him, choosing instead to hold his gaze with satisfied smile.
It appeared he was oblivious, only noticing that she was looking and entirely missing the fact that she was pleased. He pushed his way through the crowd and reached her in a panic.
"Min, sweetie, I promise I didn't ask for that girl to be all over me-"
"Danny, it's-
" –she just kind of came out of –"
"No, Danny, Danny, it's fine –"
"One minute me and Rich are doing this dance we made up when we were in Staten, then the next minute –"
Mindy dropped her water bottle and launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing his lips soundly. He immediately enveloped her with his arms tight around her waist, and she could feel his sigh of relief resonate throughout her body. Nipping at his bottom lip, she placed kisses at the corners of his mouth and on his chin before pulling back. Looking into his eyes, which were now heavily lidded and lit with surrounding tiny white lights, she realized that her ability to remain calm came from the luxury of knowing where Danny stood in his feelings for her. Remembering that she had never officially bestowed upon him the same courtesy, she spoke.
"I seriously love you," she said, careful that her eye contact was direct and purposeful. "You know that, right?"
Danny slowly gave her a smile that was almost child-like. Though he maintained the look of someone hearing a piece of wonderful news for the very first time, he still replied, "Yeah. Yeah, I knew that."
"Good," Mindy brightened. "And now, I feel like dragging my unnaturally gorgeous boyfriend," she paused for a moment, allowing them both to absorb the reality of their newly minted relationship, "onto the dance floor, making out with him furiously, and dancing with him to the point of public indecency. Seriously, we might get thrown out."
Still smiling, Danny gave her quick, but wet kiss on her lips. "Lead the way."
While they were never ejected from club, it was clear to all who were there that Daniel Castellano was a happily taken man.
They spent their final day wandering the city, visiting their favorite place and more affectionate than they had ever been, as if it were their last day on Earth rather than Key West. The moments without Danny touching her hips or Mindy kissing his earlobe were few and far between. They made their way back to Bettino's, where Danny successfully replaced the bottles of wine they had consumed. Mindy shopped with abandon while Danny looked on fondly, occasionally reminding her that they needed to be able to fit their luggage on the plane. They ended their day at Mallory Square for the Sunset Celebration, at the suggestion of a shop owner. Over an hour was spent watching the different street acts, including fire jugglers and a giant mechanical man on stilts. Just before the sun began to descend, Danny marveled at how differently this sunset felt, compared to the last one they'd shared. Gone was the looming uncertainty; now they were simply left with contentment as they look out to the horizon, Danny pressed against Mindy's back with his arms wrapped securely around her waist. He kissed her cheek softly. Mindy hummed at the contact.
"I hate to sound presumptuous," Danny said in a low voice close to her ear, "but we should make plans to come back next year…maybe even the year after that…"
Rendered breathless by the sentiment, Mindy craned her neck so that she could see his face. At the sight of his lopsided grin and daring gaze, she puckered her lips and waited for him to lean down and oblige. Their lips met for a simple, lingering kiss. When they parted, Mindy gave a curt nod.
"Let's make some plans."
Danny returned the nod with one of his own. "Alright, then."
"…Alright, then."
What the pair hadn't taken into account was how much plans can change. When Danny's family planned a family reunion in Hawaii a year later, he insisted that Mindy accompany him there rather than head back to Florida. After swimming with dolphins, many moonlight dances, and a day locked in their hotel room, they vowed that this would be the place they would return – their "new spot."
Another year passed and they found themselves in Jamaica after a very influential spread in Elle magazine. Despite Danny's dramatic (and somewhat painful) introduction to jerk chicken, they ended the trip with a list of new, very important promises, one of which was to return to this new haven as much as they could, hand in hand.
Two years later, Danny and Mindy stopped planning romantic excursions and began investing in family trips. Though Danny argued that a trip to Disney Land would do little to impress a toddler, they jetted to the opposite coast after Mindy insisted that Nia's eyes lit up at the mention of Mickey Mouse. The Lahiri-Castellanos shared a magical trip, but after endless kisses, hugs, cuddles and memories, they learned to stop making fruitless plans and simply allow love and life to guide them to their next adventure.
A/N: Thank you all SO SO MUCH for being so vocal about your support of this story! I cannot tell you how much it means to me to have you all reach out they way that you have. It gives me great joy, seriously.
Hideaway is actually inspired by a club in Jacksonville, FL called The Pearl. I only ever got to experience it once before they closed their doors in 2012, but it was an amazing place and I wanted to pay homage to it.
The Chris Messina reference (if you can spot it) is a result of sleep deprivation. Whatever, I'm proud of it. :-)
Please leave a review, if you'd like (I hope you'd like!) because I always love hearing from you.
I hope you all enjoyed this final chapter. More importantly, I hope you all like the Epilogue that will follow. :-D
Love you all and Hollaatchyagirl,
Phunky