SERAFINA
“You don’t have to be scared, sweetheart,” Mom said quietly so Sofia wouldn’t hear her. My little sister was busy tugging at the pins keeping her hair in place on top of her head, grimacing.
“I’m not,” I said quickly, which was a lie. It wasn’t that I was overly scared of sleeping with Danilo, but I was nervous and worried about embarrassing myself. I didn’t like to be bad at things, and I would be bad given I had no experience.
She gave me a knowing look. “It’s okay to be nervous. But he’s a decent man. Dante always talks in glowing terms about Danilo.” Mom tried to sound casual but failed miserably. She stroked my hair like she used to do when I was little.
We both knew that there was a difference between being a decent man and a loyal soldier to the Outfit. Uncle Dante was probably basing his judgment of Danilo on the latter. Not that it mattered. Danilo had always been a gentleman, and he would be my husband in a few hours. It was my duty to submit to him, and I would do it.
My hairdresser took Mom’s place and began pinning up my blond hair, arranging pearls and strings of white gold in it. Mom noticed Sofia fighting with her hairdo and quickly moved over to her. “Stop it, Sofia. You’ve already untangled a few strands.”
Sofia dropped her hands with a resigned look. Then her blue eyes found mine. I smiled at her. Avoiding Mom’s tugging hands, she came to my side and peered up at me. “I can’t wait to be a bride.”
“First, you will finish school,” I teased her. She was only eleven and hadn’t been promised to anyone yet. For her weddings were about looking pretty and the chivalrous knight she would marry. I envied her the ignorance.
“Done,” the hairdresser announced and stepped back.
“Thank you,” I said. She nodded and quickly slipped out, giving us a moment.
The dress was absolutely stunning. I couldn’t stop admiring myself in the mirror, turning left and right. The pearls and silver embroidered threadwork caught the light beautifully, and the skirt was a dream consisting of several layers of the finest tulle. Mom shook her head, tears blurring her eyes.
“Don’t cry, Mom,” I warned her. “You’ll ruin your makeup. And if you start crying, I will cry too and then my makeup will be ruined as well.”
Mom nodded, blinking. “You are right, Fina.” She dabbed her eyes with the corner of a tissue. Mom wasn’t the emotional type. She was like her brother, my Uncle Dante. Sofia beamed up at me.
A knock sounded and Dad poked in his head. He froze and slowly stepped inside. He took me in without saying a word. I could see the emotion swimming in his eyes, but he would never show it openly. He came toward me and touched two fingers to my cheeks. “Dove, you’re the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen.”
Mom raised her eyebrows in mock shock. Dad laughed and took her hand, kissing her knuckles. “You were, of course, a breathtaking bride, Ines.”
“What about me?” Sofia asked. “Maybe I will be even more beautiful?”
Dad lifted a finger. “I will keep you as my little daughter forever. No marriage for you.”
Sofia pouted and Dad shook his head. “We need to go to church now.” He kissed my cheek then took Sofia’s hand. The three of them walked out. Mom turned once more and gave me a proud smile.
Samuel appeared in the doorway, dressed in a black suit and blue tie. “You look dapper,” I told him and felt a wave of wistfulness. He would be hundreds of miles from me once I moved into Danilo’s villa in Indianapolis.
“And you look beautiful,” he said quietly, his eyes taking me in head to toe.
He pushed off the doorframe and moved toward me, his hands in his pockets. “It’ll be strange without you.”
“I’ll tell Sofia she needs to keep you on your toes.”
“It won’t be the same.”
“You will marry in a few years. And soon you’ll be even busier with mob business. You won’t even notice I’m gone.”
Samuel sighed then glanced down at his Rolex that Dad had given him for his initiation five years ago. “We need to go too. The ceremony is supposed to start in forty-five minutes. It’ll take at least thirty minutes to reach the church.”
The church was outside city limits. I wanted the celebration to take place in a renovated barn in the countryside, surrounded by forest, not in the city.
I nodded then checked my reflection once more before I took his outstretched hand. With linked arms we walked out of the suite and down into the hotel lobby. People kept glancing my way, and I had to admit I enjoyed their attention. The dress had cost a small fortune. It was only fair, since as many people as possible would see me in it. This wedding was the biggest social event in the Outfit in years.