“Chesca, wake up.”
The nighttime wedding faded before my eyes as I blinked.
Bright sunshine hit me, and I shut my eyes again.When I opened them back up, I saw Stefan's door was open.A small brick building stood there.“Is this your apartment?”I asked and poked my head around him.That was when I saw a glass window with the block letters, “FARMACIA” on it.
“No,” Stefan answered with a laugh.“It's a pharmacy.I have to pick up a couple of things.Come in and meet the owners.”He undid my seat belt and slipped out.Then, he reached out his hand to me and helped me out.
The small pharmacy was attached to a long row of similar buildings.People moved from one shop to the next, talking and laughing as they went.Stefan pulled me toward the door.A bell jingled as we entered.
Stefan was right.It definitely was a small pharmacy.Two walls on either side were filled with various products on bookshelf-type cabinets.Down at the end of the narrow store was a small counter with a register.A gray-haired woman looked up from what she was reading.“Ah, Stefan!Ciao!”she said in an excited tone.She hurried around the counter and came directly to him.Stefan didn't let go of my hand but still embraced the woman with his other arm.
He said something in Italian to her that I didn't understand.Obviously.
The woman stepped away and smiled at me.She grasped my left hand, her eyes widened.More Italian words and then a loud, “Elio!”And more fast-spoken words I didn't understand.
An older man—who I assumed to be Elio—emerged from the back and spotted us.“Stefan!”he said even louder than the woman had.And then he, too, hustled around the counter and made his way to Stefan.He hugged him and patted his back.Stefan said a few words to him, and then the woman held up my hand.
The man stopped dead.
And stared.
An enormous smile covered his face as he let go of Stefan.Both of his hands shot up as he let out an enthusiastic yell and moved over to me.Elio wrapped his arms around me and hugged the heck right out of me.For real.I could barely breathe while a flurry of Italian words flew out of his mouth and the old woman's, too.
When he finally let go of me, she hugged me too.
Stefan laughed.“Grazie,” he said and then added, “Francesca, this is Olga and her husband Elio.Olga and Elio,” he slid his arm around me and said, “this is my wife, Francesca.”
I gazed up at him in shock.It was one thing to call me “wife” in private.But it was a whole other thing to introduce me as his wife in public.Especially to people it seemed that he liked.And who obviously adored him.
Olga said, “Congratulations, Francesca.You've found yourself a good man.”Her accent was strong, but I understood her without any problem at all.
“Sì, Francesca.My wife and I are overjoyed.Congratulations,” Elio said.
“We've been waiting many, many years for this man to finally settle down.”
Oh, boy.Did these people have this all wrong, or what?I couldn't exactly blame them.Stefan had started it.And these nice people only knew what they'd been told.
“Thank you,” I said in a soft voice.“Your store looks lovely.How long have you been here?”
Olga and Elio looked at each other briefly.“We got the store from my father.And he got it from his.So—” Elio started counting on his fingers, “A really long time.”
We all laughed.Elio was so animated when he spoke, it made me feel right at home.
“Anyway, what can I get for you two?”Elio clapped his hands together.And stepped back.
Stefan said something in Italian, and Olga nodded.She turned and headed back to the counter.
Elio led us to what looked like the pain reliever section.Stefan and Elio talked for a few seconds before Elio nodded and left us alone.Stefan picked up one box.And then he grabbed a different one.And then another one.
“What are those for?”I whispered quietly.
Stefan gazed down at me.“Pain relievers,” he said and then reached for one more box.
“Do you have a headache?Or an aneurysm?”I frowned at all the medications in his hands.
Olga laughed—right in my ear.I jumped.I hadn't heard her walk up behind us.“She is perfect.Is she not?”
Olga looked at her husband, who was also laughing as he nodded.“Perfetto!”
