“You know,” she said after the kiss, “I always did love this song.”
“Really?”
“Yes.” She giggled. “Just didn’t want you to know. It was more fun sparring with you, letting you think I didn’t care for Dino, when in fact I did. Isn’t that silly?”
“Yes, you funny girl.” He kissed the tip of Rosa’s nose. “But don’t worry about it! I have a feeling there are going to be plenty of sparring days ahead.”
“Probably.” She paused, then began to sing at the top of her lungs. “When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie …”
Laz joined in with a warbling voice. “That’s amore!”
Before long, everyone in the room was gathered in a circle once again, all of us singing at the top of our lungs. I felt the sting of tears in my eyes, realizing just how far we’d all come over the past several months. Laz and Rosa had mended fences, Sal was walking the straight and narrow, and Guido … well, our ornery little parrot would’ve loved this version of the song.
When the music ended, Sal took a glass and shattered it into pieces on the floor. Each piece represented one happy year of marriage. From the mess on my floor, it looked like Rosa and Laz had about a hundred years to go.
Finally the moment came to wave good-bye to the newlyweds. D.J. and I managed to get their attention long enough to tell them about Brock’s gift—the helicopter ride to the airport tomorrow morning. I could see the disbelief in Laz’s eyes.
“Really? A helicopter?”
When I nodded, Rosa reached to give me a hug. “Oh, Bella! That’s the icing on the cake! What a wonderful gift.”
“I’ll tell Brock you said so. Now you two go on and—”
Hmm. I didn’t really want to finish that sentence, did I? After a moment’s thought, I said, “Have a great honeymoon. Oh, and don’t forget to call when you get to the airport tomorrow. We want to know you made it safely.”
“And call the minute you get to Napoli,” my mama said. She pressed her older sister into a tight hug, tears now streaming. “Oh, I’m so jealous that you get to go home, Rosa, but I’m so thrilled for you too. Visit all of our old places, promise?”
“I promise.” Rosa nodded, tears now brimming. She turned back to me, a smile on her face as she leaned in to whisper, “Bianca and Bertina bought me the prettiest white negligee, Bella.” Her eyebrows elevated mischievously. “Can’t wait to show it off.”
I smiled and gave her a thumbs-up, then turned to my aunts, who were nudging each other. Off in the distance, Twila, Jolene, and Bonnie Sue grinned ear to ear. I had it on good authority—Mama—that the playful trio had put a couple of sexy nightgowns in Rosa’s suitcase as well. Looked like everyone had a hand in making this honeymoon special.
Not that Rosa and Laz needed any help. No, as I watched them slip into the limo and pondered the lingering kiss my uncle placed on my aunt’s lips before they drove away, it was abundantly clear to me. They were going to do just fine— with or without the rest of us. Talk about a bittersweet revelation.
19
In the Mood
As soon as Rosa and Laz left for the Tremont, Mama and Pop pulled me to the side. I could tell they had something serious on their minds because of the look of concern in my mother’s eyes.
“Bella, we have something to talk to you about.” She took my hand and gave it a squeeze. Never a good sign. My mind reeled as I tried to guess what she might say. They’d sold the wedding facility? They thought I was a failure as a wedding planner? They’d decided to pass the business off to Nick and Marcella instead?
“What’s up?” My pulse quickened.
“Oh, it’s nothing bad.” My mother dismissed that idea with a wave of her hand. She paused, then looked at Pop. “We, um … well, your father and I just had a really wonderful idea, but we’re not sure you’re going to think it’s so wonderful.”
“You’re finally going on that European vacation? Had enough with all of these weddings?”
She laughed. “Well, maybe someday soon. But that’s not what we’re talking about. We’ve been thinking about this construction that’s about to take place over at the house.”
At once my anxiety lifted. This had nothing to do with the wedding facility. Thank goodness! “What about it?” I asked.
“Well, you know your room butts up against Rosa’s. And you know how small her space is.”
“Yeah.” I felt the blood drain from my face. “Don’t tell me you’re thinking of—”
“Well, it was just an idea, of course. Nothing set in stone. But her existing room is so small, and so is Laz’s. Even combining the two, we’re really not talking a huge room, especially if the new bathroom eats up so much of the space.”
“Uh-huh.” I nodded, praying she wouldn’t say what I knew she was going to say.
“So, Pop and I got to thinking …”
“Actually, this was your mother’s idea,” my father said, “but I think it’s a good one.”
“We were thinking that you won’t need your room anymore in another couple of months. You’ll be married, after all.”
“Well, yes, but—”
“And wouldn’t it be such a lovely surprise to create a full suite for Rosa and Laz? Sort of their own apartment?” Mama lit into a lengthy description of her plans to add the square footage of my room to their original plan, creating a special place just for them. I applauded my mother’s efforts to give the newlyweds something special, but she was leaving one important thing out of the equation. Where would I stay once the construction began? Was I really being booted out of my own space?
“Mama.” I paused to stare at her, convinced she wasn’t thinking clearly. “I don’t get married until February. February. It’s just now Christmas. I thought you were wanting to start the construction on the house while Rosa and Laz were on their honeymoon.”
“Right.” She nodded. “The construction begins on Monday. That’s why we’re talking to you now.”
I felt a wave of nausea pass over me. How in the world could I plan my own wedding if I didn’t even have a bed to sleep in at night? I voiced the question to Pop, who had a ready answer.
“We thought about giving you Armando’s room,” he said. “It made sense.”
“But we need that space for the workers to create a little office,” Mama explained. “It’s perfect for them because it’s just across the hall from where they’ll be working.”
“So we decided you should bunk with Sophia for the next couple of months, until your wedding.” Pop crossed his arms at his chest, looking mighty proud of himself at that suggestion. “What do you think?”
“What do I think?” My mind reeled. “What do I think? I’m already going to be trying to balance my workload against the construction. When am I going to have time to focus on my own wedding?”
Mama dismissed that fear with a wave of her hand. “Bella, we’re just asking you to move across the hall for a few weeks. What difference does it matter where you sleep? You don’t plan weddings in your bedroom, anyway.”
How could I explain this in a way that made sense to her? I’d slept in the same room for most of my life. And now my life was changing—drastically. I wanted to spend my last couple months at home with things just as they’d always been. Nothing more and nothing less. Surely they could see that. Right? And besides, I did plan weddings in my bedroom. Some of my best ideas came when I rested my head against the pillow at night.
Still, as I looked into my mother’s hopeful eyes, I knew she would win this battle. Knew it was the best thing—for everyone. I released a slow breath, mentally counting to ten.
What would it hurt, really, to sleep in Sophia’s room over the next few weeks? I tried to envision what that would be like. She was my baby sister, and we’d certainly spent more than a few nights bunking together over the years when the situation called for it. Maybe it would even be fun.
“I …” Hmm. “I guess it would be okay. But what are we going to do with my thing
s?”
“There’s plenty of room to store your furniture in the garage,” Pop said. “I’ll take care of that myself.” He reached to give me a hug. “That’s my good girl. I knew you would play along. You’ve got such a generous heart, Bella. Always have.”
“Th-thanks.”
Forcing back the sigh that threatened to erupt, I plastered on a smile. Not a very convincing one, I felt sure, but a smile nonetheless.
“We can talk more about all of this later,” Mama said, joining in the embrace. “Oh, it’s going to be so wonderful. Can you even imagine?” She released her hold on me and began to share all of her decorating ideas.
“One thing at a time, Imelda,” Pop said, taking her by the arm. “First we have to get this place cleaned up. Then we can talk about decorating the new space.”
They walked away together, arm in arm. I sighed, doing my best to think about something else. Looking around the messy room, I realized there was plenty to keep me occupied. I headed over to the storage closet to fetch some boxes for the centerpieces.
As I made my way into the hallway, D.J. approached, wrapping me in his arms. “Hey, you.”
“Hey.”
“My parents are leaving soon and wanted to say good night. Mama has something to ask you.”
“Okay.”
He gave me an inquisitive look. “You okay? You look kind of depressed.”
“Yeah.” I sighed.
He gave me one of those “I don’t believe you” looks. “Yeah, you’re okay?” he asked. “Or, yeah, you’re depressed?”
“Yeah.” Another sigh escaped, this one a bit louder than the first.
“Is it that letdown thing?” D.J. gave me a pensive look.
“Letdown thing?”
“You know—after-wedding blues. You always seem to get them after a wedding is over.”
“Do I?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Maybe it’s partly that,” I said. “I always crater when these big events are behind me. But there’s something else too. Did you hear what my parents are going to do?”
“Oh, that thing about stealing your bedroom to make more space for Rosa and Laz? Converting it into an apartment with a beautiful Mediterranean theme and expensive decor?”
I groaned. “You knew?”
“Well, only since this morning. I didn’t want to bother you with the news on a day like today. You had enough on your mind without thinking about that.” He paused and pulled me close. “So, what’s the verdict?”
“I’m moving in with Sophia.”
He grinned. “That’ll be fun.”
“Maybe.” I shrugged and forced a smile. “I’ll be fine. Really. And I promise, I won’t let anything get in the way of our big day, D.J. From this moment on, every thought will be about our wedding.”
“Every thought?” He gestured to the messy reception hall.
“Hmm. Starting tomorrow,” I said. Drawing in a deep breath, I looked at my sweet fiancé. “I’d better say good night to your parents. Where are they again?”
“Putting Mama’s keyboard in the truck. They’ve got an early day tomorrow, so they’re leaving soon.”
“Okay.” We walked outside, joining Earline and Dwayne Sr. for a few minutes.
“I’m sorry to leave so early, Bella,” Earline said. “Twila, Bonnie Sue, and Jolene are going to stay and help, but I have to be at church by 8:30 tomorrow morning for choir practice, and I’m exhausted.” At the word exhausted, I stifled a yawn, and Earline smiled.
“Sorry,” I said with a shrug. “Guess I’m tired too.”
“Well, if anyone deserves some rest, you do.” She took my hand in hers and gazed into my eyes. “Listen to me, Bella. You’re a wonderful girl. So giving. But you’ve got to take care of yourself. These next few weeks are going to be very hectic. Promise me you’ll get the sleep you need and eat right?”
I nodded and then hugged her. “Thank you so much for loving me.”
“Oh, honey. How could I do anything but?”
“D.J. said you wanted to talk to me about something,” I said. “Was it about that?”
“No.” She shook her head. “Dwayne and I wanted to talk to you about Christmas plans. We’re having a group of people over on Christmas Day, and we were hoping your family could join us. I’ve already talked to your parents, and they love the idea, especially with Rosa and Laz gone.”
“No doubt.” I laughed. Mama hadn’t cooked a Christmas dinner in sixteen years. “And with the construction going on, the house will be a mess. Sounds ideal to eat elsewhere.”
D.J. slipped his arm around my waist, and I nestled against him, more exhausted than ever.
“Yes, I heard all about the construction,” Earline said. “And with all your family has been through lately, I just thought it was fitting that I host Christmas this year. I’ll be thrilled to have you. And of course Twila, Bonnie Sue, and Jolene will be there, along with a handful of others from our church. Hope that’s okay.”
“Okay? I can’t think of a better way to spend Christmas.”
“Wonderful. We’re going to have the best time ever! And some amazing food to boot.”
We spent a couple more minutes wrapping up the conversation and saying our good-byes. Their truck pulled away, and D.J. turned to face me. “I want to ditto what Mom said. You need to take care of yourself.”
“I will.” Another yawn escaped. “But first we have to whip this building into shape.”
He kissed the tip of my nose and whispered some of the sweetest words of encouragement I’d ever heard. Then, with his hand in mine, we made our way back inside to face the chaos of the reception hall.
One thing I love about the Rossi family—we all know what it means to pitch in. Over the next few minutes we worked in tandem, hauling dirty dishes to the kitchen and pulling tablecloths from the tables. I knew everyone was exhausted, especially Bubba and Jenna, but they worked like champs in spite of it. Twila offered the services of the Splendora trio but insisted they couldn’t work in their fancy dresses. The three ladies headed off to the restroom to change into their regular clothes.
I took note of the band. I’d paid them in advance, and they hadn’t asked for any overtime, even though the evening ran late. Looked like they were staying of their own accord. But who could blame them? They’d obviously fallen in love with the Rossi family, and vice versa. And I knew that Gordy and Sal had a lot to talk about.
Hmm. Thinking of Sal reminded me that he would be leaving soon, and knowing that broke my heart. I had a feeling it was breaking Bonnie Sue’s heart too. Despite the admonitions of the other ladies, she had already given at least a small piece of her heart to Sal. I’d been watching her for much of the night, and her feelings for him were undeniable.
Oh well. No time to worry about that right now, not with so much work to be done.
I pulled out the trash cans and started tossing things. Mama took the wedding cake—what was left of it, anyway—into the kitchen and returned to deal with the near-empty punch bowl and utensils. Bianca and Bertina offered to help. Sal, looking a little weary, settled into a chair at one of the tables and began to box up the salt and pepper shakers.
As he reached for the broom, Pop took to grumbling, his usual post-wedding activity. Armando slipped out the back door, insisting he had other plans. Sure you do. Sure you do. Joey and Norah hung around, as always. Thankfully, Nick and Marcella were here too, working harder than the rest of us put together. What troupers!
Then I realized someone was missing. Two someones, actually. Sophia and Tony. Come to think of it, I hadn’t seen them since Rosa and Laz pulled away in the limousine. Sneaky, for the two of them to disappear with so much work to be done! On the other hand, with Sophia gone, I didn’t have the everpresent reminder that we were now roommates.
I caught a glimpse of Nick and Marcella approaching Gordy and the band. They spoke quietly together, and then my brother took the microphone. I looked his way, intrigued.
“Could we have everyone’s attention?” Nick called out to anyone who would listen. “Mama. Pop. Everyone. We’d like to have you come back in the room for a minute, if you would.”
“What is it, Nicholas?” Mama asked, the worry lines becoming evident.
“We’ve asked Gordy and the band to play a song,” he said. “Just thought it might be something nice to listen to while everyone works, that’s all.”
The band began to play, and everyone got back to work. For a moment. A few measures into the song, I realized what I was hearing. “My Girl.”
I turned to Marcella with a grin, realizing what they were up to. The music continued, and a couple of people in the room began to sing the words as they worked. When we got to the words, “I guess you’ll say, what can make me feel this way,” everyone in the place sang the words, “My girl!” in rousing chorus.
It took a minute, but Mama finally snapped to attention. She turned to Nick and Marcella, who worked alongside the rest of us, faces completely straight. “Wait a minute,” Mama said, her eyes narrowing into slits. “Is there some reason you asked the band to play this particular song?”
Marcella shrugged, and a hint of a smile graced her lips. “Maybe.”
Nick didn’t look up; he just kept working.
“Are you trying to tell us—” Mama’s hand flew to her mouth. “Are we … I mean, are we having a baby girl?”
When Marcella nodded, the whole place came alive with joyous shouts. I thought my mother was going to faint, but she managed to hold it together. Pop raced to Nick’s side, wrapping him in a tight embrace. Joey and Norah drew near, as did the Italian aunties. I saw Deanna and Rocco smiling off in the distance. I felt sure the trio of Splendora sisters would be along shortly, once they heard all of the shouts and well wishes.
A few minutes into our celebration, Gordy took the microphone. “Um, ladies and gentlemen, I guess this would be as good a time as any to do this, since we’re all celebrating anyway.”
Several of us paused from our chatter to look his way.