Chapter 267: Against Tradition
- RORY -
Despite Raya’s teasing, I don’t want to end up having to change into the second dress. I just bought that one in case of an emergency. I’ve already told Luciano that once I’m dressed, he’s not allowed to see me until I’m walking down that aisle.
There’s an Italian tradition, I’m told, where the bride arrives at the big, beautifully ornate church in an antique convertible. Typically, the bride—me—would only be riding with her father. Instead, I insisted that Raya come, too.
I don’t want to be alone in the car with Dad. I don’t want Patricia to try pushing her way in. I need a calm before the storm, and Raya is that calm. She always has been.
"You look so breathtaking, Rory." My beautiful sister is sitting next to me and Dad is up front with the driver. Raya squeezes my hand and smiles.
"So do you, Raya. More beautiful than any of the other bridesmaids. You’re glowing today."
Her eyes flare and flick toward the back of Dad’s head before returning to me in warning. She’s so funny. Our Dad is totally clueless, I don’t know what she’s worried for.
"Both of my daughters look beautiful." Dad winks over his shoulder. "They take after their mother."
I can’t help but roll my eyes at that, but I wait until he turns back around to do it.
"Thank you, Dad," Raya says sweetly.
Once we pull up to the church, Dad opens the door for us. Without an enormous dress, it’s not the cliche of a bride struggling to get out of the back seat because of layers and layers of tulle. But the intricate lace hugging my thighs does make it a little difficult to walk freely, so I accept Dad’s hand to help me out.
Nerves, people exquisitely dressed, the scent of pews and bibles and tradition. These are the little details that rush by while I’m consumed with only one thing: surviving the next few hours. I can do this.
"Luciano wants to see you," Gemma says, entering the small room where the bridesmaids and I are gathered.
I don’t have to look at Raya to know how she reacts to this information. Of course, I’m not surprised. Even though I told Luci he can’t see me, he’s still going to push to get his way.
"Mamma, tell him no," Vanessa groans. "It’s against tradition."
"But you know Luci," Gemma says with one of the expressive hand gestures I’ve started to learn like a language since being around this family.
Even though Luciano is asking for something I specifically told him I was not going to allow, it makes me smile. How can I be annoyed?
"Please ask him to wait, Gemma. You can tell him I’m fine. I’ll see him in a few minutes. How many minutes?" I turn to Raya, my schedule keeper, ring keeper, sanity keeper for the day.
"Twenty."
"I’ll see him in twenty minutes," I tell her, as if she didn’t hear herself. There’s something about narrating everything that makes me less anxious.
"You look beautiful, Lorelei." Gemma embraces me and kisses the air next to both my cheeks. "I’m honored to have you for a daughter."
"Thank you, Gemma." The smile I give her is a polite, protected one. It’s in place to hold back any tears that might try breaking free.
I’m not going to turn into an ugly, sobbing mess today. Any other day, fine. But not when so many people are going to be witnessing this event. I’ll cry later when I’m remembering all of these beautiful moments.
A loud series of knocks on the door interrupt my thoughts. "Rory?"
"It’s Luci," Gemma groans. "Luci, be patient!" She calls. "Twenty more minutes!"
Just hearing that man’s voice makes my spikes of anxiety smooth into an easy rolling landscape. It reminds me of the greenest grass I’ve ever seen—emerald rolling hills flecked with sun breaking through bright cyan clouds. The dreamy colors passed by our windows on a roadtrip once, belonging to no one place in my mind except a vague transition between destinations. It seemed like the transition, the journey, had the best view. I suppose that’s kind of like life... at least life now.
"I want to see my bride, Mamma," Luci calls back, and at this point all of us in the room are either giggling or groaning at how stubborn he is.
Gemma waits to see what my decision is, so I nod with a soft laugh. "All right."
"Okay, girls. Everyone out." Gemma corrals them to the opposite door with her arms.
Before leaving, Raya leans close to whisper: "The second dress is in the closet." I chuckle and playfully push her to leave.
Once they’re gone, I take a deep breath and open the door. Luciano is just as I remember from the dream. He’s so handsome in the tux, all these little butterflies awaken in my chest, fluttering in appreciation. Luciano, my life partner, is staring at me with so much unrestrained love, I could burst into an entire cloud of butterflies.
"Tesoro," he whispers and then breaks into a huge smile. "You found the dress."
"I was going to surprise you, but you just couldn’t wait."
"You’re right. I couldn’t wait," he says, beaming. "You look beautiful."
I step back, making room to look myself over and for him to come in. "Thank you."
When Luci moves into the room and shuts the door, my stomach dips. We’re not outside overlooking the woods with the smell of salt on the air, so this is not exactly like the dream. But his tux is the same, and my dress is the same. And he’s looking at me the same way.
"How are you holding up?" He takes my hand in quite the gentlemanly way, kissing my knuckles while holding my gaze.
"I’m ready to do this." It’s said in a breathy voice that adds to the potential double meaning I don’t catch until Luci’s lips twitch with amusement. "I mean I’m ready to marry you, Luci."
"I know what you mean, dolcezza." He smiles and draws me into his arms where we start swaying. "Don’t worry, my love. I just wanted to see you." He kisses my forehead and continues this calming, peaceful dance while our hearts and breaths fall into sync.
"This is it," he murmurs next to my ear. "It’s our day."
"Finally."
He laughs softly, readjusting his hold and drawing back enough to look into my eyes. "Thank you for agreeing to be my wife, Lorelei Gray."
"Thank you for existing, Luciano Ricca."
That statement draws his smile back into a small, thoughtful one. "I have something for you. I wanted to give it to you before the ceremony."
There’s definitely a double entendre I could point out, but the sincerity of his words that lack any comedy keep me from it. He lets go of me and pulls a box from his pocket.
What object could possibly matter at this moment? All I need is him. Nothing else. But Luci offers me the gift, and I take it, letting it sit in my palm.
There’s a pause before opening gifts that has always piqued my curiosity. Only children tear right into them. When we get older, gratitude comes in and fills the spaces—hopefully letting our experiences breathe and permeate and reach a deeper meaning before our greedy eyes can behold the physical thing that awaits. Right now, I’m just touched by the gesture.
"You’ve given me so much already, Luci," I say softly, allowing this unopened box to remain purely symbolic for a moment longer.
"And I’ll give you so much more," he smiles. "Just open it. You’ll understand."
When I finally lift the lid, it’s with a soft gasp. Inside is the rare color-changing stone that was in the ring we dreamt about.
"You said no one could make it in time."
"I wanted to get the real thing instead of a simulated one, and Alexandrites are hard to find. The stone was in a private collection."
He slides off the diamond engagement ring he originally gave me and replaces it with this one that resembles our rare cactus flower.
"Do you like it?" He asks, fidgeting with it on my finger. We both watch the colors flicker between deep purples and cherry reds.
"I love it. It looks exactly the same."
"Of course it does. Reality is kind of a dream right now, isn’t it?" He smiles and kisses me, and he is absolutely right—except this is better than a dream.
"I am going to let you stay in your dress, though," he says, smiling against my lips.
"Wow, really?" I giggle.
"Yes. The next time I make love to you, you’re going to be my wife, Lorelei. And then every single time after that for the rest of our days. Every part of me belongs to you."
"And every part of me to you," I whisper, slipping into a soft, peaceful space with these truths that surpass time.
He kisses me again, wrapping me in his arms, and everything inside starts melting into something warm and perfect. "Go," I whisper, pulling away. "Before I rip my own dress off."
Luci laughs, the sound and smile that accompanies it dispelling any remaining nerves. It’s just Luciano and I. That’s what today is about. That’s all that matters.
"I’ll meet you at the end of the aisle, tesoro. And then it’s happily ever after."
"Ah, you’re wrong about that," I grin, fixing his jacket. "It’s always been happily ever after with you. This is just another beautiful memory along the way."
~ Finito ~
