Entrées follow soon after, with most guests taking a seat and indulging. It’s all quite civil, polite, and organised, until the third course. The band playsVolareby the Gipsy Kings and the main meal transforms the reception completely—some guests abandon their assigned seats, plates pass from hand to hand, laughter builds. And I breathe deep.
Chaos is my vibe.
Bronson calls down the bridal table towards Xander and Max, between mouthfuls of osso buco—his second helping. “Fifty bucks Dad requests Frank Sinatra before the cake arrives.”
“It’s on the set list,” I confirm, proudly.
“Fifty bucks he doesn’t wait,” Xander counters, grabbing the last piece of sourdough and buttering it.
“Fifty bucks it’sMy Way,” Clay adds, setting his knife and fork together on his empty plate. A kiss hits my cheek. My husband stands, downs his whiskey, and straightens his jacket. “Excuse me, little deer. I have to speak to a man about a city.”
I peer up at him. “My Don is busy.” I’m not sad about it—I’m impressed by him. The most powerful man in this room of over four hundred guests, including hundreds of the most influential men and women in the world.
Leaning down, he grips my jaw. “Little deer.” He kisses me hard, consuming me entirely, leaving no room for questions or hesitation or will he miss me as the band coversUnforgettableby Nat King Cole.
We break our kiss, panting, smiling—obscenely happy.
Suddenly, Alceu’s wife appears, snatching Clay’s chair. She waves my husband away, scolding him in Sicilian, forcing his lips to twitch with a small grin.
“Seems my sweet girl has a line of wives requesting the recipe for the biscotti on the dessert table.”
I blush. “I’m popular.”
Clay stops to speak into Bronson’s ear, who is still eating, then strides onto the main floor.
The woman now sitting beside me is younger than Alceu, but still gracefully aged, leaning close as I scribble the instructions and ingredients down on a napkin.
The meal part of the evening goes by so fast; it isn’t at all as I imagined. I thought that the Family was all trained smiles, smooth dispositions, and rippling, intimidating energy.
Orderly.
Formal.
Snobby.
I cringe, because I couldn’t have been more wrong. I mean, sure, they are powerful, not to be fucked with, rulers of an empire I merely skirt around, but—they are full of laughter, authentic, and warm. The men from Sicily eat and chuckle from their bellies, while their wives gossip and drink, and when the band tries their hand atCon Te Partiròby Andrea Bocelli, hundreds of thick-accented voices belt out the chorus.
Dirty plates are cleared.
Wine glasses are filled.
Soon, Cassidy is squatting at my side. “There is something I really want to tell you. Do you remember the first time you came to my house? A little over a year ago?”
I twist in my seat. It’s impossible to forget that day—I found out I was pregnant and Clay discovered the horrible truth about what happened to his brothers. “Hard to forget that particular day.”
“Well, you looked at a picture on my wall of Clay and Aurora’s wedding, and it made you sad, seeing his smile.” She edges towards me, her hazel eyes sparkling.
Not sad…
Jealous.
“You know,” she goes on, “a lot of people look at the bride when she walks down the aisle, but I like to look at the groom. To see his face. I remember Clay’s face when he saw Aurora at the other end of the aisle. His face lit-up. So bright. Now that I know him, I realise how unnatural that expression is for him, like he was wearing a disguise. Today, when he saw you, his face didn’t light-up. It flattened as if someone had punched him.” She elbows me gently, lowering her voice as if it’s the biggest secret. “His eyes even welled up. And in that moment, he was completely raw, showing everything. I know that feeling. It feels like bare bones and a swollen heart. I thought you might like to know.”
“Bare bones and a swollen heart?”
“Yeah. Those Butcher Boys unravel you, ya know? Well”—she glances at Max, who has his gaze fixed on her—“we unravel them too.”
I release a small chuckle. “Thank you. And thank you for being a part of my wedding, and for coming cake tasting and for the Spotify list.”
