Chapter 4

written by: cranesinthesky

"Earth to Rick!" Shane waved his hand in front of Rick's face, amused at the faraway look on his friend's face. "Still daydreaming about Venice?"

Rick quickly snapped out of it and chuckled as he shook his head, trying to bring himself back into reality. "I've been back for weeks but it still feels like I was just there yesterday."

"The city of love will do that to you."

"That's Paris, Shane," Rick corrected him, throwing away his tub of fries in a nearby trash can. "But yeah, that's what love will do to you."

They were sitting on a bench in Central Park, reaping the benefits of what they were sure would be one of the last days of warm weather for the year. Fall had officially started a few days ago, but the weather had not budged, giving the people some time to enjoy the sun and short sleeve shirts.

Rick reached for his camera, pulling it up to his face to see if there was anything worth capturing. With the beautiful, luscious, green trees that surrounded them and the skyscrapers that rose high into the sky, New York had nothing on Venice. He missed the colorful buildings and striking blue water, but most of all he missed Michonne.

He missed her smile. He missed her laughter. He missed her curiosity. But most of all, he missed her presence. Waking up next to an empty spot in bed each morning for the last five weeks had been excruciating. There were nights where he tossed and turned, the sounds of the city replacing her soft breathing and a pillow replacing her warm body. Every day he would check his phone to see if there any missed messages or calls from her, praying and hoping that she was ready. But so far, nothing.

He had patience, but each passing day without hearing her voice became harder and harder.

Frustrated, Rick's arms dropped and he placed his camera back in his bag. There was nothing worth capturing here.

"Why don't you just call her, man?" Shane asked, eyeing him closely. When Rick had returned to New York, Shane had sensed a change in his friend from a mile away. He seemed lighter, free, with a touch of sadness to him and Shane immediately knew what it was before Rick could even tell him- he had fallen in love.

Rick let out a heavy sigh and leaned forward so that his elbows were resting on his knees. "I don't have her number. Besides, I don't want to stray her into something that she might not even want to have anymore."

"I doubt that's it, brother," Shane assured him. He leaned forward and copied Rick's stance. "You never know unless you try. Doesn't she go to a law school out there? Send her an email through her university. Look her up on facebook. Long lost relatives have been found on social media."

He could see the doubt set in Rick's jaw and he patted him on the back. "Or give it some time. She'll come around soon enough. She's just… figuring stuff out. It ain't easy dealing with overbearing parents. Trust me, I know."

Rick nodded, swallowing his fears away. "You're right, you're right." He would have to wait just a little bit longer. Honestly, he would deal with the pain and wait however long he could for Michonne, as long as it meant that he would see her eventually.

"Per quanto tempo ci vuole," he thought as he reached for his camera, ready to distract his mind for the rest of the day.

-l-l-l-l-

Michonne took a deep breath as her thumb hovered over Rick's number. Her heart thumped loud and hard in her chest, so hard she feel it in her ears. She closed her eyes and opened them again, her lips quivering as she felt an onset of tears starting.

This had happened every day for the past five weeks.

She had tried to make that call, to write that letter, to book that plane ticket. But every time she got the nerve, she pulled away. Doubt and fear would pool inside of her, overtaking her thoughts and senses. If she did it, she would go against her parents' wishes. She would be throwing away all of their hopes and dreams for her.

But what about her hopes and dreams?

She had spent each night dreaming about Rick, of their time in Venice together. It had felt like a short trip but they made enough memories to last a lifetime. She cherished each moment she had spent with him, each touch and kiss that they had shared. She only wished that she could still have that now.

"Michonne?" Her mother frowned slightly as she tried to get her daughter's attention. "Honey, are you okay?"

Michonne jumped, glancing around as if she had forgotten where she was. She was standing in the kitchen with her mother, prepping for dinner. They were expecting guests that night, two longtime friends of her parents who also happened to be partners at one of the most established law firms in Sacramento.

She already knew what her parents were trying to do and she dreaded it.

"I'm fine, mom," she assured her mother. She set her cell phone down on the counter and resumed cutting the tomatoes for the caprese salad. The dish made Michonne smile; it had been one of Rick's favorite meals to devour in Venice.

"You've been distracted the last few weeks," her mother said, glancing at her as she covered the bowl of unmade yeast rolls with a dish towel so that they could rise. "It seems like something is on your mind."

"I'm fine," Michonne repeated, refusing to look into her mother's eyes. One look and her mother would know. Mother's intuition and all of that. "Just.. school has me stressed out."

"Well, thankfully this is your last year," her mother said proudly. Michonne could hear the smile in her voice. "And if you make a good impression with Mr. Blake and Ms. Harrison tonight, you might just have a job waiting for you after you pass the bar."

Michonne held back an exhale. "Mom, what if I don't want to take that job?"

Her mother did not look at her as she walked over to the oven to check on the chicken in the oven. "Don't be silly. This is the perfect opportunity for you to take. You have been working on this for years."

"But I don't want this!" The words fell from Michonne's lips before she could stop them.

Her mother turned in surprise, her eyebrows raised. She stared at her for a few minutes before abandoning the chicken and walking over to her daughter. She placed a hand over hers, though it wasn't done in a comforting motion.

"Michonne," she started, her voice low and firm. "Your head has not been in the right place since you have gotten back from Venice. Actually, before you even left. You broke up with Mike. You have been daydreaming every chance you get. It's not like you." She reached out to tuck a stray loc behind her ear. "I don't know what happened over there or who you met, but I suggest you get back to reality before you let all of these great opportunities pass you by. If you do, you're going to regret it."

She gave her a kiss on the cheek before going back to the oven.

Michonne felt an ache in her chest, her mother's words ringing in her ears. She was right. She could not let the great opportunities pass her by; she would regret it later in life and she could not let that happen. She shouldn't have let her family hold her back the first time.

She knew what she had to do.

-l-l-l-l-

Rick sighed as he walked through the busy streets of Queens. It was midday and people were rushing to the destinations in that quick paced fashion that he had known for so long. He had spent many years here in the city, but that was one thing he had never picked up on; he would rather walk idly and take everything in, his eye often capturing something new worth remembering.

His camera in hand, he was on the way home from the studio. There was an art show where his work would be showcased within the next week and he needed one more photograph to complete his portfolio. Something candid, something clear. His photographs from his trip to Venice- and of Michonne- were a sure thing, but he needed just this one last picture.

He raised his camera many times but could not seem to get the perfect shot. He walked a few blocks more, until he circled back around to his apartment in the old brownstone at the corner. He raised his camera again, lingering around the people that were gathered on the steps of the brownstones that surrounded his, laughing and talking with that deep Queens accent. He was just about to capture that shot when a movement near his brownstone caught his attention.

He could only see her back but she stuck out instantly amongst the locals. Her skin was a dark, lovely brown, practically shining underneath the bright sun. Her locs were tossed over one shoulder. She clutched her suitcase in one hand and her cell in the other. Her head was turned sideways as she read the number on the front of his building.

She was there. She had found what she wanted.

Michonne sensed his eyes on her and she immediately turned around. She gave a wide smile, one that reached her eyes and maybe even the tips of her toes. He wasn't sure how much time had passed as they stared at each other, each still in disbelief that she was actually there, just feet away from him.

He finally walked up to her and pulled her into his arms, burying his face into her shoulder. He took in the smell of her, his senses dancing happily as it brought him back to their days and nights in Venice. He began to think he was dreaming but when she began to shower the side of his face with kisses from her soft, full lips, he knew that this had to be real.

"You came," he said, staring down at her with love in his eyes. He touched her shoulder and then her cheek and then her lips.

"I did," she relished in his touch, closing her eyes. God, she missed this. She missed him. "I'm sorry it took me so long, but I just-"

He silenced her by putting a finger to her lips. "Don't apologize," he told her. A smile lifted the corners of his mouth. "You're here now. That's all that matters."

Michonne nodded. She would tell him the story later. Of how she took her mother's advice and took this opportunity before it could pass her by and booked a red eye for that night. How she packed her bags and left before Mr. Blake and Ms. Harrison even stepped foot into the house. How she turned off her phone before anyone could contact her and try to persuade her to come back.

She had figured it out. She knew what she wanted and what she wanted was Rick. Every day for the rest of her life.

"I'll finish school in California first," she told him, her fingers running through the curls at the nape of his neck. He needed a haircut, but she actually preferred his hair like this. "But I plan to move out here the day after graduation. Find a part time job and study for the bar exam."

"And your parents?"

She shrugged, unconcerned. "They'll be upset but I'm a grown woman. I need to do what's best for me."

He smiled and pulled her face to his. He kissed her deeply, making up for all of the time that they were apart. "I'm so glad you're here."

She rested her forehead against his. "You led me here, to this point," she said, tears welling in her eyes. "Grazie. Thank you," she added the english translation, hoping he hadn't forgotten their Italian lessons while she was away.

"I haven't forgotten," he said, as if he could hear her thoughts. He ran a hand up and down her back, the smile permanently etched on his face. "Ti amo tanto," he whispered in her ear.

"Ti amo anch'io," she said before placing her lips on his. "Forever."