“Beat you to it,” Vittorio said. “He’s on board. He just wanted me to clear it with you before he made any commitments.” Vittorio chuckled. “Smart boy.”
Arie didn’t know what to say to that. Vittorio had gone ahead and had discussions behind her back. She should be peeved about that. She should definitely be annoyed. Somehow, though, all she felt like doing was exactly what Vittorio had suggested. Right then, what she wanted to do was focus on her baby and let somebody else worry about pulling the wedding together. Like Rome told her once, it was so much easier if, on the appointed day, you just showed up.
It was so tempting to take him up on his offer. Maybe she was just tired. She sighed. “All right, Vittorio. It sounds like it could work. Can we talk about this tomorrow?” She was dying to catch a few winks before Maya woke up for her feeding.
But, like she’d sent her a message by telepathy, the baby woke long before feeding time, letting out a wail so loud it had Arie cringing.
“Is that the bambina?” Vittorio asked, his tone indulgent. “What is the matter with her?”
Arie sighed. “I think she’s teething. I’ve tried everything but nothing works. She’s so cranky. Can you hold on a second?”
She ran and got the baby and tried desperately to hush and soothe her as she again reached for the phone. Maya only wailed louder. “I don’t know what to do,” Arie cried, almost going crazy with frustration. “I tried everything.”
Then she heard Vittorio call out, “Lily, time to come work your magic on your grandbaby.”
And that was how Arie finally got some sleep that night. Lily had the perfect answer for teething, an old Italian remedy – a bit of lemon skin to rub on the gums. She tried it immediately and it worked like a charm.
And then Lily said the one thing that gave Arie a level of comfort that made her sleep soundly that night. “If you have any questions about the baby never hesitate to call me,” the older woman said. “Remember, I’m your mother now.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
"My daughter, I have never seen you more beautiful." Vittorio smiled down at Arie as she slipped her hand into the crook of his arm.
"Thank you, Vittorio." She would probably never call him Dad but that was okay. They'd reached a point where they had a certain level of respect for each other and that was the most important thing, wasn't it?
"Shall we go?" he asked, with a gallant bow.
She smiled, her heart full of happiness. "We shall." And, to the sound of the organ playing 'Here comes the bride', Arie took her first steps down the aisle, leaning on the arm of her giveaway father. Slowly and carefully she walked the length of the chapel, her eyes fixed on the man who had stolen her heart and returned it to her, filled to overflowing with love. As she drew closer and closer, her eyes never leaving his deep, dark ones, his mouth curved in a smile and his eyes shone with emotion, leaving her in no doubt that he was as touched by the moment as she was.
When they got to the front of the church Vittorio turned her to face him and lifted the veil, revealing her to the view of friends and family, then he turned her toward her husband-to-be. As the well-wishers looked on he took her hand and laid it, palm down, on top of his son's outstretched one. "She's all yours," he whispered, smiling as he delivered Arie into Rome's hands.
As soon as his father stepped away and headed back down the aisle Rome enclosed her hand in his and drew her close, his eyes glowing as he gazed down at her.
And then the ceremony began. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here together to celebrate the love of Rome Milano and Aristotle Angelis." As she'd expected, Arie's given name brought a couple of titters from their audience but she was too lost in love to care. "Into this holy estate, these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace. "
"Mama!" Maya's yell was followed by a chortle that made the whole congregation break into laughter.
Arie turned to see her daughter bouncing up and down on Lily's lap, waving her chubby arms like she wanted to be picked up. And Lily, her soon-to-be grandmother, was beaming so proudly that anyone would have thought this was her first grandchild. Arie blew Maya a kiss then turned back to the matter at hand, the business of tying the knot with the man standing by her side.
And in the deep, mellow voice she had grown to love he began his vows to her. "Io, Rome Milano, prendo te, Aristotle Angelis, come mia sposa e prometto di esserti fedele sempre," he said for the benefit of the non-English speakers and then he followed in English, "I, Rome Milano, take you, Aristotle Angelis, as my wife and promise to be faithful to you always."
They were the sweetest words she'd ever heard. Following his example, she said her vows in the Italian she'd practised and then in her native English. And then the minister said the long anticipated words, "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride."
To Arie's surprise, her brand new husband let out an audible sigh like he'd been holding his breath all that time. And then his face relaxed into a smile that was tinged with relief and he pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly, right there in front of family, friends and the smiling minister.
And then they were walking down the aisle together, hand in hand, and then out the open door where they were pelted with rice and flowers, the primary perpetrators of whom were Lena, Marilyn, Sophia and Lucia. "I'll get you," Arie called out as she ran down the steps of the little church but she was laughing as she went, glad that she had the support of her good friends and her two newly acquired sisters. She and Rome piled into the Bugatti Veyron convertible and then they were off, through the streets of Rome, her veil floating on the breeze. They would be meeting everyone at the banquet hall in an hour and this time Arie would not be the one doing the catering.
Rome leaned over and kissed his wife full on the mouth. "Now you're all mine, Mrs. Milano," he said, smiling, "for now and for always."
And the way he said it made a lump rise in her throat. Overcome with emotion, all she could do was tilt her face up and kiss him back. If there was a heaven on earth, this was it. She had her Maya and now she had her Rome...for always.