“Why not do Vegas?”
Rolling my eyes, I cuddle up to him. “We are not getting married in Vegas. It doesn’t have to be a big wedding, that’s not the point. We could find a house and get married there. I want to make sure Bethany isn’t under stress while she’s there. If we wait until school’s out it will be easier for her.”
He sighs. “Whatever you want, however you want. As long as my ring is on your finger I don’t care. When will be working on our first baby girl?”
“Hmm...I don’t want to be showing on our wedding day, so is March okay?”
“I can’t wait.”
“Me either. I love you, Cesare Sabatini. I made up my mind. I don’t regret taking that money. I would do the same thing a thousand times again.”
“I love you, Alicia Jeffries. As I told you long ago, I’m grateful you took the money. That you were patient enough to give me another chance, to give us another chance. I don’t even want to think of my life without you. You’re mine forever, my love.”
“Thank fucking god. Now show me.”
Epilogue
Six Months Later
"This place is insane. It's an honest to god mansion. Holy freaking crap."
I look up from the text I just received from Dante. "Where did you go? I came out of the bathroom, and you were gone."
Bethany holds up a bag of white cheddar popcorn, bought specifically for her since she's addicted to it. I hope Claudine never leaves us. Since we moved into our home three months ago, Claudine hired a cleaning service to handle the deep cleaning in our home and Dante's but has continued making our lives easier by splitting her week between the two homes. For now, the condo is empty. Cesare has no plans to sell it. He is considering gifting it to Bethany when she graduates next year. "I used the elevator. I didn't take the stairs. An elevator, your home has an elevator." She shakes her head as she walks over to the French doors that open to a balcony. "Seven bedrooms with a bathroom attached to every one of them, and three more half baths in the house. Then a guest house with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. You guys have a private beach, an indoor pool and an outdoor pool and a freaking elevator. It's gorgeous. I can't believe it was built in 1912. Man, they built things to last back then. I thought you were exaggerating this place. If anything, you undersold it."
"I told you. The first few places I tried to look at, Cesare thought I was joking. Anything below ten thousand square feet and less than an acre of land wasn't even up for consideration. The three other homes we looked at were all this huge. It’s nuts. What do we need with a ten-car garage? Decorating this place for Christmas was a pain in the ass, but I had fun decorating three trees. Dante loved it. And I will admit I love having the indoor pool." I shrug. "This isn't a place I thought we could make a home, but it's been easier than I thought. I'm also warming up to the idea of having four kids instead of three. Cesare is so persuasive."
There is no warning before Bethany pats my stomach. "A baby, I can't wait." Then I'm enveloped in a hug. "I'm so happy for you. I'm also so happy I get to hold her and play with her then I can hand her right back to you guys when she needs her diaper changed."
"Spoken like an aunt. Dante said pretty much the same thing. But he, like Cesare, are sure it's a boy."
"Boys." Bethany rolls her eyes as she goes back to her popcorn. "You're four months along. I'm shocked Cesare hasn't already found out the sex. It also totally sucks Dante can't be here for the wedding tomorrow. The girlfriend's dad dying is awful for her to go through but him being there for her is important. He is getting serious about this chick, huh?"
"Oh, he's tried. I wanted to wait and be surprised but the more we talk about the nursery and everything I changed my mind. Don't tell him, I want to surprise him. After we come back from the honeymoon, an appointment for an ultrasound is scheduled.
“Yeah, Dante might marry this woman which terrifies us all. I'm bummed he won't be here, I mean the whole point of not doing the Vegas wedding Cesare wanted was for our family to share this with us. You're right. Even if we don't like her, Dante cares about her and he needs to be there with her."
"You guys don't like her? Why?"
"Because she doesn't love him, she loves his money. If Nina ever once looked at Dante with love, I'd welcome her in a heartbeat. I hate the way she constantly complains about him to us when he's right there. It’s like she's trying to shame him. He didn't buy her the SUV Mercedes she wanted. He bought her the sedan. Dante only gave her one credit card when her best friend's boyfriend gave her two, never mind that there's no limit on the card and she goes through money like its water. Cesare found out she charged almost a million dollars in a single month. I swear, he bit his tongue so badly it bled not to tell Dante that she's just a money hungry bitch and to drop her. Enzo did, and they got into a huge fight. It was weeks before Dante talked to him again. Ever since we've all been careful not to say a peep against her. But, fuck, it is not easy."
"That sucks. I'm also bummed I haven't even met Dante yet. It's weird to talk about him and feel like I know him, but after more than a year of hearing about him, I still don't. So who all is coming tomorrow?"
Huh, that is kind of weird. "I didn't even realize that. Then again with you not being able to come back to Chicago much, it makes sense. It will be Lydia and her guy Decker Holt, Enzo, Cesare's uncle and his cousin, Gertrude, and her wife, she's that awesome woman I told you about. I got that lingerie I sent you from her. Claudine and her husband, Hannah, Ruthie and her man Stephen and the baby.”
“Ooh, the mob uncle and cousin are coming? Do I have to kiss a ring or something?”
Rolling my eyes, I shake my head. “Don’t even go there. Please be cool and not an idiot. It took me going to visit his uncle to get him to come. Cesare asked me if it was okay and I said yes. His uncle was worried about Cesare’s reputation and declined, at first. However, enough is enough. After more than twenty years of keeping their distance I think it’s long past time. Family is important if they don’t want to come to Sunday dinner that’s fine but they should be here t
omorrow. Besides, it’s not like this is some society affair. Cesare will put a picture in the paper after but no one except the people invited know it’s happening and we asked them not to anyone.
“It was supposed to be low-key which you would never know if you looked at what Cesare is spending. I don't need an arch filled with four hundred blush roses and three hundred white peonies. We don't need centerpieces and vases filled with over a hundred of both peonies and roses filling the house. And oh my god don't get me started on the food. There is no way it's going to all get eaten. Claudine already called around to see where we can send the leftovers. I kept telling him it's not about having a big, fancy wedding it's about doing it with family and friends. I'm not sure if he's deliberately obtuse or what."
"He didn't have to spend over thirty thousand on a couture Monique Lhuillier wedding dress that's made for a freaking princess either. He's doing it because he knows it will mean more in the future. Sure, you won't look back with regrets if you had just a bouquet of roses and an off the rack dress but to look back and see how beautiful the day was. Those pictures he's spending a fortune on will be something you show your kids with pride. Don't be a brat. Just say thank you."
The more I consider what she's saying, the more I get she's right. Crap. I have some apologizing to do. "Fine, you're right. While we're being honest, I'm going to tell you: I can't wait until you are done with school. You never get to come to Chicago. Are you going to be able to visit us at Christmas? The baby will be here by then. Our due date is for the fifteenth of December. Don't you want to meet your niece?" Her eyes dim as they slide away from mine. My stomach sinks, I'm a horrible sister for making her feel guilty. "I'm sorry. If you can come that's awesome. Ignore me."
She blinks fast. "No, you're right. I'm sorry too. It's just so embarrassing. I study for hours; my notes are insane. I'm constantly quizzing myself and studying with others in the program, and I'm barely treading water. Sometimes I wonder if this is all worth it. I'm exhausted all the damn time. Maybe I'm not good enough."