Chapter Thirty-Six

Nora

Riding in cars with Ferraros should be its own sitcom.

Ro checks her lashes and lipstick in a handheld mirror beside me as Benji takes a turn too fast.

"Easy, you've got precious cargo back here!" Mamma V gripes from the second row.

"When you say this place is fancy, how fancy are we talking?" Ro yells, as if there is a canyon her voice must traverse between the third row and driver's seat. "I'm not sure I did enough with what little warning I had that we were going out to lunch."

Her glossy hair, curled to perfection, spills down her shoulders in mockery of the claim that she could ever be anything other than stunning.

I untwist her dress strap. "You look like a goddess, as usual. This outfit is perfect. Elite. Fetch, if you will."

This gets a smile out of her. "I couldn't decide if the vertical color block thing was cute on this dress or if I look like a black-and-white cookie."

"You are the cutest cookie in the bunch," Mamma V pipes in. She then turns full sniper as she aims toward the front seat. "I told you to wear a sport coat, Giuseppe. You're underdressed. Even Benjamino dressed up."

"Everyone looks fine," Benji grumbles, laying a heavy foot on the brake.

Now, amid their back-and-forth harassment and laughter, feels like as good a time as any to take care of a pressing item on my to-do list.

I unzip the plain duffel bag at my feet and pull out a bouquet of red roses—the same ones I've been sending Mamma V for months.

One last apology. This time, in person.

"I don't know when else I'll have a chance to give you these today." My smile is sheepish as I lift the flowers over the seat. "But these are for you."

Her dark-eyed gaze darts to mine. "It was you sending the roses? All this time? I thought Benjamino was playing coy."

"I told you directly, emphatically, and multiple times it wasn't me," Benji replies.

I clear my throat. "I wanted to make sure you knew how sorry I was." I look around the car. "Benji and I never meant to hurt anyone."

Mamma V lifts the blooms to her nose. "They're lovely. I hope you can understand why I reacted the way I did. I'm a mother. I will always hurt for my children. I will always overreact for my children. I only ever want to protect them with all that I am, and I was worried for my son. I also hope someday you can forgive me for the things I said."

"I already do," I say in a rush. "I would've felt the same way."

"And so we put it to rest." She winks and adjusts to face forward, treating me to an eyeful of her black bob.

Benji's dark eyes search the rearview mirror. I shoot him a smile, just in case he can see me all the way back here.

Ro slides her mirror back in her clutch. "Yippee! We can let that brunch from hell go once and for all. Now, where are we eating?"

"I could eat an ox," Giuseppe groans.

Benji flicks on his blinker and pulls into the tiny parking lot of a brick building with dormer windows on its sloped, shingled roof. A white sign centered above the door features bold blue typeface.

Deli.

To the left of the entrance, Vinny Mazzelli, in a suit, leans on the side of a black Tesla with his arms crossed and a bored look on his face.

"Even Vinny dressed up— Wait ." Mamma V sits up straighter. "What's he doing here?"

"And why are we at a deli?" Giuseppe gripes. "I thought this meal was formal. I wore my fancy shoes."

The doors of a Honda CRV I don't recognize open on the other side of the Tesla, and Enzo, Alessia, Sebastian, and Eloise pour out.

Ro freezes with round, unblinking eyes. She is a marionette without strings.

Benji's voice from a few days ago fills my head.

I can't believe what I just agreed to, but I'm going to need your help. Enzo has a plan, and he needs me and my family's help—which includes you.

Benji throws the SUV in park and looks over his shoulder, a rare smile transforming his face. "Recognize this spot, Ro? I've been told it's an important deli."

Ro casts a longing look out the window. "This is where Enzo and I met. He took me back here on our first date."

Mamma V's open-mouthed grimace looks like a smile gone wrong. "He brought you to a deli for your first date?"

"Best deli in the city," Ro murmurs, a faraway sheen in her eyes. "Serendipi-deli, we call it."

"Here's what's going to happen," Benji says with more resolve than I've ever heard in his voice. "We're going to get out of this car, and no one is going to say a snide word. You will listen to what Enzo has to say, and if you don't, I will never answer my phone to you again."

" Benjamino! " Mamma V cries. "Non ti azzardare ."

"I do dare, Mother. Because your daughter deserves to be happy, and I don't want to see her unhappy any longer. Do you?"

Silence follows this declaration.

A long-suffering sigh wafts out of the front seat. "He's right, Veronica."

Mamma V recoils at her husband's words. "He is?"

Giuseppe lays a hand on the door handle. "Correct. If Vinny can stand here and listen to whatever is about to happen after everything we've been through, so can we. It's time."

Ro starts to climb over the middle seats. "Let me out of this car before I explode."

We evacuate the car like we're on a time crunch.

Eloise and Alessia stand against the side of the car next to Vinny, chatting under their breath. Sebastian stands a few feet away, like he's letting them have their space.

He catches my eye.

Electricity zips down my spine as I force my gaze to the ground.

At the wedding, at poker, in the bowling alley—no matter what crowd we found ourselves in, I looked at him and found my safe place to land.

But now, I have no idea where we stand.

We desperately need to talk, but that will have to wait. And the part of me that is terrified he's changed his mind about me in the wake of our breakup is A-OK waiting a little bit longer to confess how I feel.

How much I miss him and want to try distance, because he's worth it.

Worth everything.

Enzo stands a few feet away from the gathered group with a bouquet of cream-colored dahlias, hydrangeas, and roses. He's dressed like his own version of a black-and-white cookie, a crisp white button up and black slacks. I'd think he and Ro planned to match if this whole thing wasn't a surprise for Ro. They are truly fated mates.

Benji pats me on the head. "Let's go stand by the car."

I swat his hand. "When will you learn I am not a dog?"

"You have the spirit of a puppy."

"You have the spirit of a bearded dragon."

"Thank you. That means a lot to me." He all but shoves me toward Sebastian.

I leave a foot of space between us.

He breaks the silence first. "Hi."

My body responds as if it's been a hundred years since I've heard his voice, yearning for more. I'm standing just close enough to smell his cologne, which is pure torture. "Hi."

"Are—"

"How—"

We both shut our mouths in tandem.

"We'll talk later?" he asks, his expression inscrutable.

I can only nod.

Mamma V and Giuseppe link arms as they approach Vinny.

Giuseppe turns his nose up, but his tone is neutral enough. "Nice car, Mazzelli."

Vinny waves a hand. "Thanks. It's my spare."

Giuseppe's eye twitches. "Great."

"Banger of a start," Alessia mutters.

Ro's heels click on the concrete as she slowly approaches Enzo. She takes the flowers from his hand. "What is this?"

"This"—Enzo gestures at the group of us as he drops down on one knee—"is me trying. I'm not going to sugarcoat it: this has been the worst few weeks of my life. I was stubborn at times, but so were you. And we were both irrational."

"Banger of a continuation," Alessia mutters even more quietly.

Enzo hears and shoots her a silencing look. " But every struggle makes us stronger. And I've never been surer of my love for you than when faced with a life without you." He peers down the line, his gaze settling on the three parents. "We can do this the easy way. The way you're used to. You can hate me, object to our union, and raise hell."

He pauses.

"Or," he continues, reaching in his pocket. "We could do it the hard way."

Ro's hand trembles as she lifts it. "I already have my ring."

"I know. And it looks good on you." He pulls out his phone. "Here's the other option. The lot of you accept this invitation for a standing monthly dinner at Santino's place. We work through the fight, the hate, and frustration. We become a proper family, even when it's hard. Vinny, you accept my wife as your daughter, and Veronica and Giuseppe, you accept me as your son. Any kids we are lucky enough to have will regard the feud as nothing more than family lore. Either way, I will spend every single day of my life loving this woman with all that I am. The question is, will you be a part of it or not?"

I shift to look at the families to gauge their reactions, but I catch Sebastian's eyes on me.

It is unwavering. He makes no attempt to hide it. I tumble headfirst into his gaze, forgetting briefly where I am, what we're doing here, and even my own name.

Several phones beep at once, even mine and Sebastian's. I startle out of the moment, my heart racing at a dangerous clip.

Enzo actually had a calendar invite ready to deploy.

"What do you think?" Ro asks, a different font of Enzo's hope written on her face as she looks to her parents. "Can we do this?"

All eyes turn to the parents.

Mamma V wipes beneath her eye. "We can. And we will."

Giuseppe nods once. "It's done."

Vinny lifts the phone close to his face to read. "How negotiable is the Santino's place part of this?"

"Dad, please," Alessia groans.

"I'm kidding!" Vinny lifts his arms. "Rosalina, I'm sorry for not making you feel welcome. I'm not always good at…words, really. In surgery, emotions are a liability. But I hope you know I'm more than happy to welcome another daughter. That will bring my total to three." His gaze turns hopeful as he turns to Alessia and Eloise. "I'm a very lucky father, and I know I don't say it enough. But it's never too late to start. Eloise, I hope you feel welcome in this family, too."

Alessia beams as she takes Eloise's hand. "Thanks, Dad. We appreciate that more than you know."

"Which is why I will happily pay for both weddings," he continues, back to business. "No matter the cost."

"Two weddings. You may have to sell the spare Tesla," Giuseppe offers with a charitable smirk.

Vinny shudders. "Nah, I'm good."

"No one is paying for anything," Enzo says through a laugh. His adoring gaze turns up to Ro. "I don't have another ring, but I do have a question. In front of our families and the Serendipi-deli where I first laid eyes on you, will you agree to marry me? For real this time."

"Yes. Every single time." She tugs him by the collar as a chorus of swooning awws floats through the air. He lifts her off her feet and spins her, gravel crunching under his feet.

If hearts could light up on scans the way brains do, mine would flash blindingly bright for the joy of it all.

"Urrà! And now we can eat!" Giuseppe wipes a tear from his cheek, which may come at least partly from the relief of knowing food is imminent.

"No, no, we aren't eating here," Alessia says in a rush.

"What? Why?" Giuseppe gestures at the diner. "Perfectly good selection."

"We've got a whole feast prepared after our next stop. Eloise made enough lamb to go around."

"Lamb? As in baa-baa black sheep?" Ro says through a gasp.

Eloise shrugs. "I just do as I'm told, and I was given a hunk of meat and told to prepare an Italian lamb stew."

Alessia claps her hands. "What better way to bury the hatchet over a sheep theft no one gives two shits about this side of 1910, than a lamb dinner?"

Ro doubles over cackling. "That is the most morbid thing I've ever heard."

Alessia shoots finger guns their way. "I agree. But it was your fiancé's idea. Take it up with him."

Enzo lets her down, practically choking on his laugh. "Is it lamb, is it beef, who can say until we eat?"

"You are ridiculous, and I love you." Ro peppers his cheeks with kisses. "Now what's this next stop you speak of?"

"Right." Enzo smooths the front of his shirt, eyes dancing with mischief. "I hope you were serious when you said yes . Because we've got an appointment in fifteen minutes and the courthouse is three miles up the road."

"Fifteen minutes?"

Chaos erupts.

Sebastian waves at me as Alessia drags him one way and Benji drags me the other. "See you there."

In a truly impressive feat of synchronicity, our three combined vehicles pull into side-by-side parking spots right up front of the regal brick building seven minutes later.

Two people wait for us on the stairs leading up to the entry, weighed down with bags.

Gia rushes to meet us as soon as we step out of the car, trailed by Sergio. "Thank God. We thought you were going to miss your time." She swats Sergio's hand. "Stop touching me."

"Nope. Our appointment is now in"—Enzo checks his watch—"eight minutes. You got the goods?"

Gia shakes her bag. "The nice camera, flower petals, Ro's cheeky little veil, her borrowed and blue garter—"

"—your rings and your vows," Sergio adds.

"We've got it all," Gia concludes.

"I'm so glad you're here." Ro throws her arms around her best friend. "We can take those wedding day pictures we'd plotted after all. Our dresses are a little less fancy, but still."

"I wouldn't have missed this for the world." She nods toward Sergio. "We were given specific orders to hold down the fort until you got here and make sure the courthouse knew you were on your way in case you got delayed."

Sergio reaches into his pocket and pulls out two silver bands. "You know, maid of honor and best man shit."

Ro salutes with watery eyes. "Thank you for your service."

A truck with a Celebrations by El painted on the side barrels into the lot.

"Excellent, dinner has arrived!" Alessia shoots Giuseppe a look. "For after the ceremony."

"Are we all allowed inside the courthouse?" Mamma V asks, nearly frantic. "Will we fit?"

"We'll fit," Enzo assures her.

"Wait for us!" Nonna Gloria and Santino yell in unison from deeper in the parking lot, hand in hand as they rush toward us.

" Shit , I forgot to tell them," Enzo says, smacking his forehead.

"I told Nonna Gloria the plan," Alessia says. "I know it was supposed to be a secret, but…"

"I told my grandpa," Benji admits.

Sebastian puts his hand over his eyebrows as he looks toward the entrance to the lot. "And apparently the grandparents called a few people."

"Wait, are those cars all our people?" Ro asks, mouth hanging open.

Vinny studies the processional. "I see my cousin's GMC, and that's Great Aunt Bella's Hyundai."

"My brother's the one in that white Mercedes sprinter van, probably toting his kids," Giuseppe adds.

That's the thing about big, meddlesome Italian families. Nothing stays secret for long.

A dozen or so vehicles pull into spots near El's catering truck. The doors to the Mercedes van open and an army of teenage Italian boys in hoodies hop out. One opens the trunk and pulls out four large poles, while another grabs a giant, white folded tarp. The rest all snag colorful beach chairs.

They set to work assembling the canopy over the cracked concrete in the corner of the lot. Twenty people could fit under that thing.

And they're not the only ones who brought their own party supplies. The Hyundai came loaded with a foldable banquet table and several chairs and a lot of plastic water bottles that have been filled with red wine, perhaps for ease of drinking.

El throws open the window to her catering truck, looking ready to serve lamb and/or beef through the window. She blows Alessia a kiss.

As the party takes shape, chaos, laughter, and excitement swirl in the air, carried by wind that holds the faintest cool bite of the approaching fall.

"Is this allowed?" I ask, incredulous. "Can we really take over the courthouse like this?"

Alessia puts on a winning grin. "Money talks, babe."

"But are government buildings allowed to take money in exchange—"

"Fear not," Alessia ruffles my hair and shoots me a wink. "It's a wedding. Everything is allowed."

"Seven-minute warning!" Enzo calls as a few more cars flood the lot. "Sergio, can you stay out here for four more minutes and help with the reception tent? We're heading in." He grabs his future wife's hand. "I'm not missing my wedding a second time. Not for anything."

…

Only a beautiful, intimate wedding ceremony could hold my attention when Sebastian freaking Rossi is seated next to me in a courthouse pew.

Good thing I can't take my eyes off the bride.

Not even a minute after the judge declares them husband and wife, Sebastian's mouth finds my ear. Really finds it, his lips brushing the shell.

I nearly launch off the pew in shock.

"Can we talk?" he whispers.

I forget to breathe as claps and cheers fill the room. "Sure. After the wedding?"

He jerks his head toward Enzo, who sweeps his newly minted bride off the floor and carries her toward the courthouse doors. "Wedding's over. Happy for them." His hand closes over mine as he rises to his feet. "But you and I are talking now ."

I'm jittery from all the excitement, but the contact makes my pulse nearly explode. "Okay."

He tugs me through the pearly white lobby and passes the families—who are all wielding their phone cameras as Enzo and Ro pose for photos—until we hit the double doors. He never releases his hold, even as we tackle the steep Metropolitan Museum-esque stairs that lead to the parking lot.

With everyone still inside, the scene of the future party is briefly quiet, the air abuzz with anticipation.

He guides me to Eloise's truck and stops right beside it. Our bodies gravitate closer as he traces his thumb down my temple, over my cheek, across my jaw.

I ache for how much I've missed being touched by him.

My stomach tap dances as I stare into his eyes. "Are we helping with dinner?"

"Not quite." He reaches half his body through the serving window and comes out with a bouquet tied with twine.

A tiny gasp springs from my mouth.

"Yellow daisies, orange roses, sunflowers…all the sunny, mismatched things." He offers them to me. "It's nowhere near as beautiful as you, but it's almost as warm."

"They're perfect." I whisper, gathering them close to my chest.

He huffs out a laugh. "The stems are all different lengths, half the sunflower petals are missing, and the roses are wilted. They aren't perfect. And the next year of our life will be far from perfect, too. But that doesn't mean it won't be great, if we give it a chance. I want to make more flower store memories with you, Nora. We haven't had enough time, and we need so much more. I know this courthouse isn't a special deli where we first met by fate, and we don't have an audience, and this speech of mine isn't as impressive as Enzo's—"

"I don't need an impressive display, Sebastian. I don't need an audience. What I need is you, exactly as you are, right now." I take his free hand and place it on the space above my racing heart. "You do this to me all on your own."

He slides his hand from my chest to my neck, his thumb pressing into my pulse. "If it's not you for me, it's no one." His eyes are a bright strike of lightning on a dark night. They are all the sparkling stars in the sky condensed just for me. "This is me trying. I have some things to figure out with work, but I will do whatever it takes to set us up for success. I want you to be mine and I want to be yours as well. And I want to give you the life you want. Here . Let's do this for real."

This. Us .

For real.

Joy fills me in a gust. "I was ready to buy a Huskers hat and come see you every month in Nebraska if that's what it took, and then wherever else. It's you for me, Rossi. Period." I wrap my arms around his neck. "Have I earned the right to call you by your last name like your best friends do?"

He's a wall of warmth as he holds me close. "Wear the name out, babe. Someday it could be yours."

His lips meet mine in a sweet, soft caress. They whisper the promise of later against my skin. They taste like home. Which, as it turns out, is not always a place you can point to on the map.

For me, it's a person.

My roots will tangle with Sebastian's as we grow together, and we'll be each other's home.

"There's one more thing." He walks backward, watching me intently as he guides me around the side of the boxy truck. "A question."

A tiny metal bistro table comes into view, complete with two chairs. I'd recognize the setup anywhere—it's been swiped from the café of my bookstore. A tiny glass vase stands empty in the center, as if waiting for my flowers.

Two glasses of red wine accompany each place setting, glinting in the sunlight.

My brain goes offline. "Wait, when did you do—"

"Nora D'Amato, will you finally go on that first date with me?"

"Now?"

"I don't want to wait another day. We've waited long enough."

In case my heart wasn't already full, now it's ready to burst. "Yes, I'll gladly go on a first date with you."

His grin is one for the books. "Your last ever first date, I hope."

"Sounds like a plan to me." I pull him closer by the scruff of his shirt and seal it with a kiss.

He leads me to our table. I arrange my flowers in the vase, setting the ambiance. "You've really outdone yourself."

"You haven't even seen the best part." He plucks a white bag off one of the chairs.

My stomach growls with both hunger and fear. "Did we get first dibs on the official wedding dinner?"

God, I hope that lamb thing was a joke.

"Nah." He unveils a giant Styrofoam bowl with a smudged Lou's Tavern receipt, some to-go silverware, and a carton of mango Italian ice that is sweating to death. "I opted for the special girlfriend menu."

I free his hands of the carton, launch myself into his arms, and pull his bottom lip into my mouth. In his arms, I'm exactly where I belong. "Great. Time to taste all my favorite things."