"I’m marrying her in two days."
"No, you're not." Nonna firms her lips. "I allowed Michael to get away with his quick wedding; this time we do it my way."
"And that is?"
"You'll marry her a month from now. That gives us just enough time to plan the wedding." She smiles, anticipating victory.
"A month?" Both Aurora and I burst out at the same time.
"Is that a problem?" She glances between us.
"N ... no," Aurora stutters.
"Yes, it is." I fold my arms across my chest. "I’m not waiting a month to marry her."
"If I say you will, then you will." Nonna turns to me. "Besides, a woman only has one big wedding in her lifetime. It needs to be properly planned so it's an event to remember."
"But Michael got away with a wedding which was organized in less than three days."
"No wonder his bride stabbed him on his wedding day." Nonna sniffs.
She's referring to how Karma was so pissed off with Michael for kidnapping her then forcing her to marry him that she used Michael's knife on him. It resulted in a flesh wound, and Michael wasn't hurt by it, but it did make for a few rocky weeks early in their wedding.
"They are very happy now," I point out.
"On the other hand, I think you make a valid point, Nonna." Aurora keeps her head bowed as if deferring to Nonna's seniority. Ha! The woman doesn't have a docile bone in her body.
"See?" Nonna nods in her direction. "Your fiancée-to-be agrees."
"Wife-to-be," I correct her, "and that doesn't mean I need to."
“I don’t see a ring on her finger.”
“Nevertheless, we are getting married in two days.”
"Oh, no, Christian." Nonna glares at me. "You are getting married in a month and—"
"In one week," I say through gritted teeth. "For you, and only you, Nonna, I'll agree to extend my timeline. We'll get married in a week's time."
"Two weeks, and not a day sooner." Nonna's eyes gleam.
What the hell? Did the old woman just play me?
"Meanwhile," I widen my stance, "there’s no way am I staying away from her for that duration."
"It’s tradition," Nonna says firmly. "You don’t sleep with the bride before the wedding. In fact, you don’t stay under the same roof as her... Which is why Aurora is moving in with me."
"Che cazzo!"I snap. "That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Why would my fiancée—" I raise a hand. "Yes, I plan to rectify the ring situation shortly, but why the hell would I be away from her—" I point a finger at Nonna, effectively shutting off her tirade. "No, I’m not going to sleep with her, but why should we spend the time apart?"
"To remove the both of you from the path of temptation." Nonna folds her hands in her lap. "I was young not too long ago too, you know. I know how it can be with raging hormones. It makes sense that the two of you stay apart."
"Fuck that," I widen my stance. "No one tells me what to do."
"I am your nonna." She scowls. "You won’t go against my request."
I dig my fingers into my hair and pull. Jesù Cristo, the old woman is pulling out all the stops here.
"Didn’t see you come up with the conditions when Michael kidnapped Karma and kept her under his roof before he married her."