Page 69

EPILOGUE: EUPHORIA

VANESSA

A year later, in June

“It doesn’t fit right,” Vanessa said, staring at herself in the full-length mirror.

Twisting from side to side, she plucked at the lacy bodice of the sleeveless floor-length satin gown.

It was gorgeous but white as a lie, considering she was far, far, far from a virgin.

So far, in fact, the proof was popping out right in front.

Her boobs were bigger. Her butt was a bubble.

Her husband loved all of it, couldn’t keep his hands off any part of her.

But it suddenly didn’t look so cute in a dress she’d first slipped on six months ago when there was no special guest star riding along.

They’d actually already had the legal marriage done within a week of reuniting in Montreal last year. Both families were overjoyed at the news, although highly annoyed that once again they’d missed the big day.

“The second time,” Gina had exclaimed with outrage when they’d called and spilled the secret. “I can’t believe you did this to me for the second time!”

She’d grumbled for weeks but finally got over it.

Once they were safely wed, an unbreakable unit, they decided home base would be Italy for the foreseeable future.

Dom had said there’d been issues with whoever the Spallini’s were connected to.

He’d let them know when the coast was completely clear, but in the meantime, it sounded like he was having some fun with his little war.

Until they could return, Santino was helping manage the vineyard when Nico was in New York, volunteering for the local fire department and working on new material for a graphic novel.

No more Joey Badass though. She knew he still saw fantastical things in his dreams, but they were good dreams. He almost always woke up and greeted her with a smile.

Vanessa spent her time talking literature with Nonno, learning Nonni’s secrets in the kitchen and doing a lot of meditating and yoga.

She spoke to Charmaine Drayton-Chang by video chat once a week.

While she hadn’t been disbarred outright, she hadn’t appeared for a disciplinary hearing, so the law license was still up in the air.

The inner critic that attempted to call her lazy for not “being productive” had slowly grown silent.

It was good to simply be , at least for the time being.

Then there’d been months of sex, sex, sex in their cozy cottage on the estate and suddenly, one day, she was late.

Santino had been really good about bathroom privacy, but this time he’d insisted on being let in for the stick test. When the two pink lines had appeared, nice and thick and unmistakable, he’d whooped like it was a nightclub in Naples.

He’d thrown open the bathroom window, stuck his head outside and shouted, “My baby’s havin’ a baby! Bambino, bambino! ” They’d heard him from the big house and the celebrations commenced immediately.

Never mind any priestly side-eye at her expanding waistline. Today was the fulfillment of the promise to both families, and to each other, that they would have the big wedding. Notre-Dame Basilica was waiting for them, if she could manage to stop crying as she stared at herself in this dress.

A wedding at the basilica typically came with rules, which fortunately were able to be bent a bit to accommodate the request of a certain local hotelier who had friends in high places.

Said hotel manager was somewhere down the hall of the hotel with her groom and the other groomsmen while she was being fussed over by her bridesmaids.

Her maid of honor pulled Vanessa’s hands away from her hair which had been styled into an updo with tendrils framing her face.

“Stop messing with it. It looks perfect as it is. And so does your dress. Aw.” Dani patted Vanessa’s bump and crooned to it, “Hello in there, Little T. Your mommy looks so cute.”

“I’m not supposed to look cute,” Vanessa mumbled tearfully. “I’m supposed to be sexy and alluring and…mysterious.”

Dani looked over at Gina, who looked back at her with her mouth dropping before they both burst into laughter.

“Sister, there’s no mystery how that happened.

You’ve married my brother like ten times already,” Gina exclaimed.

Then she bumped Vanessa out of the way with her round hip and took her turn staring at the mirror.

“If anyone is mysterious, it’s me. As in, it’s a mystery you thought I’d look good dressed like a purple sausage. ”

Lina, who was in the corner gossiping with her apparent new best friend Nadine, looked up at that remark while Tori and Merelys surrounded Gina to pet and soothe her.

“Honey, you look gorgeous. It’s about time somebody got you into something decent to show off that rockin’ bod,” Lina remarked.

Her oldest granddaughter Isa rolled her eyes at that completely uncool slang.

“And Vanessa, you look beautiful, and very mysterious. Stop stressing, it’s bad for my granddaughter.

Our granddaughter.” She made that amendment for Nadine’s sake, who’d given her side eye.

Sighing, Vanessa turned back to her sister-in-law. “This is a one-time deal, Gina. If I can make it through this ceremony looking like a parachute, you can do a purple sausage.”

Vanessa looked over sharply when Jade laughed in the corner, who’d been watching everyone with a grin.

“Hey, no complaints from me,” Jade said wryly, holding up her palms. “I’m adding this to my growing collection of bridesmaids’ gowns.”

By force of habit, Vanessa’s gaze darted to Nadine, who shifted and placed her hands primly on her lap at Jade’s comment. She had that expression on her face as though she was ready to pull out that, “always a bridesmaid, never a bride” chestnut followed by some advice on how to “catch a good man.”

Then Nadine said, “You’re going to make a beautiful bride when it’s your turn, Jade. Whoever that man is, he’s going to be very lucky.”

Whew! Vanessa’s shoulders relaxed, fingers uncurled. Nadine had never given her a grand apology like Santino’s mom, but she was consciously trying to be better about the things she said. That’s all Vanessa could ask for.

“Alright, alright,” Dani said, clapping her hands. “Jade, Tori, Merry, Sandy, the junior bridesmaids. Nonni and the flower baby. Everybody, let’s get this show on the road. We’ve got twenty minutes to get this sexy, extremely mysterious mama to the church. Wait. She’s been changed, right?”

Dani pointed at Everly, who was playing in the designated “kid’s corner” of the suite under Nonni’s watch. She was dressed in her finest and cutest white gown. Vanessa’s heart swelled looking at her.

Zoe had come out of the facility a few months ago and was living with an aunt in Newburgh.

She was doing better, but Bobby still had primary custody of their little girl.

He and Zoe were divorcing. It was a mutual decision, and they had a lot to work out.

Even though Vanessa had forgiven Zoe for what had happened, forgiveness worked a lot better from a distance.

“She’s ready,” Nadine said after doing a quick diaper check. She adjusted the crown of purple daisies in Everly’s curls and picked her up to depart.

Then they were in the limo and off to the basilica. It was Jazz Fest again, and the streets were filled with people and music.

“ Ay , this looks so fun. Tommy has to bring me here,” Merelys remarked, peering through the window.

When they arrived at the church, they were met by Ling, who had helped coordinate the event on the Montreal side. She waved them in with a big smile.

“The groom and the groomsmen are here. We’re going in through this entrance,” she said.

Even though Vanessa had been wondering if it would be awkward for Ling to be there with both Virgil and Bobby in attendance —hell, if Virgil and Bobby would feel awkward around each other —everybody had so far been cool at the rehearsal dinner and on their sight-seeing excursions.

It seemed they’d all accepted they were better off as friends.

She traveled a lot for work, Virgil was busy with the hotel, and Bobby was in full-on working single dad mode. No one had time for drama.

Inside the massive church, Patrick was waiting for Vanessa at the doorway to the nave. He held out his arm with a courtly bow.

“You look beautiful. Ready, sweetheart?” he asked with a smile.

He’d been so happy to have her back in the family, he was first in line to ask if he could walk her down the aisle.

She’d never let him know that she was still sad her own dad couldn’t be there for this moment, fulfilling this role.

Another twinge of sadness touched her, thinking about Belle missing this, too.

But that morning, Bobby had surprised her with a simple silver heart-shaped locket with Belle’s photo in it.

It now nestled at the hollow of her throat.

Taking Patrick’s arm, she smiled and said, “I’m not ready for this crowd, but I’m goin’ in anyway.”

“That’s the spirit. Give ‘em hell,” he murmured with a devilish grin.

All the guests were assembled inside. They stood in the pews and turned to look at her. That was the part she’d been nervous about the most, being under scrutiny from so many eyes, but when Patrick put his hand over hers, she relaxed a bit.

Then, all at once, it was time to walk down the aisle.

She’d been there a few times in preparation but walking there now underneath the beautiful blue dome, smelling the lit incense, feeling the cool air on the bare skin of her back where the gown dipped low, brought on an intense need to cry that she struggled to hold back.

That feeling only deepened when her gaze fell on Santino.