“Bitch,” I cackle and wipe a tear at Stephanie. “Excuse me for being emotional on my wedding day. I’m the only one who seems to care since you left me. Where have you been, anyway?”
“Out, grabbing our gowns.” She tosses mine onto the bed.
I frown. “How? Didn’t Benny blow up the shop?”
She lifts a shoulder. “You know your husband is resourceful. I’m running late. Put the dress on and meet me outside.”
“Why?” I ask.
She bucks her eyes.
“Okay.” I’m off the bed to play dress-up. “You can still kiss my ass for that tone and for leaving me.”
“It’s fine.” I swat Stephanie’s hand out of my curls. They’re moisturized and don’t need her fingers fucking them up.
“This is a beautiful dress, girl.” Her eyes sweep my gown with a fresh lash install and double-winged eyeliner. Her hair is in a topknot with a few tendrils dusting the straps of her canary gown.
I fan my eyes. “Don’t make me cry. You said we’re going on the back porch.”
“A friend can’t be happy for her bestie?”
“Steph, you know this marriage is for my safety. We’re not…like that.”
“Who says it can’t be more?”
“Do you need to lie down? You’re acting funny.” I check her forehead.
“Come on.”
Her hand wraps around mine to pull me out of the room. Our heels echo in the glow of tea lights lining the hall.
“What is this?” I ask.
“Hush.”
Rose petals litter the living room between a row of candles and the back door.
Tears tangle my words. “Steph. All of this wasn’t necessary to eat dinner in our formalwear.”
Her voice chokes. “I didn’t do this. Your husband did.”
“What?”
Our fingers intertwine on our slow approach to the back door. Outside, Alfred strums a guitar in a tux as Nonna sings a song in Sicilian. Her soft yellow gown slides over the ground and herrich mahogany skin. Loose pin curls, which she clearly hid from me along with her ability to speak English, ripple in the fading colors of the sunset.
“Hey, cousin,” Andrea says in a black tux.
My jaw drops and rolls. “No tracksuit?” I tease through tears.
“The occasion called for this.” He grins, offering me his arm. “May I?”
Nonna holds Alfred’s bicep to follow us. She winks at me as he sings and plays, never missing the chance to glance her way.
Oh, she has more secrets.
Tea lights flicker in bags bordering a rose petal path through the citrus grove. Straight out of a fairytale.
“You did all of this today?” I ask between trees wrapped in white lights.
