Page 76 of Family Secrets

Chapter Thirty-Two

Gino stood shaking hands and hugging wedding guests as they filtered in the doors of Saint Anthony’s Church. He’d waited what felt like forever for this day, and he planned to enjoy every second, especially when took his new wife to bed for the first time.

“You know for a man about to tie himself to one woman for the rest of eternity, you’re certainly happy.”

Gino wanted to tell Niko to fuck off, knowing he’d never hear the end of it from his mother for swearing in church he decided against it. “Elizabeth isn’t some woman, she’s…everything.”

Niko had never been so proud of Giovanni; the young and brass boy had finally become a man.

“She’s amazing, I’m glad she could see the real Giovanni Vitale, and love you anyway.”

Gasps echoedthrough the room as Elizabeth stepped from the dressing area. Eyes full of happy tears stared back at her as she crossed the room to the full-length mirror.

“It’s as if seeing your mother walk down the aisle to me all over again.”

Casting a gaze to her reflection in the polished glass, Elizabeth couldn’t agree more with her father. She’d spent several late nights combing through her mother’s belonging, finding her preserved wedding dress and a stack of journals she’d read from cover to cover. Elizabeth discovered so many things about the once foreign woman, Nicole Vittorio. How she dreamed of designing a clothing line, wanting nothing more than to see her clothes grace the bodies of women she passed on the street. How like Elizabeth, she hated coffee, but loved tea.

Elizabeth shed several tears as she read of the day her parents met, how it was love at first sight. She’d skipped over the part where her mother talked about losing her virginity to her father, yet drank up the emotions her mother shared at finding the perfect dress, one she hoped her daughter would one day wear.

“Do you think Gino will like it?” While Elizabeth loved the dress from the moment she laid eyes on it, she worried Gino wouldn’t approve since it wasn’t new.

“Giovanni will love it,” moving to stand behind Elizabeth, Chiara pretended to smooth an errant thread on the lace covering her soon-to-be daughter-in-law’s arms. “He asked me to give you this, something his grandfather gave my mother on their wedding day.”

Turning toward Chiara, Elizabeth tucked the material of her six-foot train to the side, before taking the velvet box into her hands. Lifting the lid, her breath caught in her throat from the simplicity of the jewelry.

“May I?” Chiara gestured to the box, removing the diamond studs with a single tearful nod from Elizabeth. “My parents were an arranged marriage. My father, the youngest of the Amato sons was given the choice of working for the Family, or being sent to work in one of the diamond mines the Family owned. Being the stubborn man he was until his death; he chose the mines. His defiance to my grandfather lasted long enough for my grandmother to lay down an ultimatum. Return her son to her home, or her husband could find other sleeping accommodations.” She finished with a laugh. “You see, Loretta Amato was a patient and wise woman, one who’d invested a tremendous amount of time and energy hosting teas and luncheons in search of the perfect young lady for her son. My father, Antonio, returned a few weeks later, accepting a position with my grandfather, and family dinner with my mother as a guest. According to my mother, she severely disliked my father, found him too crude and disrespectful at first. However, weeks later he came to her rescue, in a way she never explained, winning a clean slate in her opinion. Days later an oath was cast, and an announcement of their impending nuptials. On their wedding day, he gifted her these earrings, the diamonds he pulled from the mine himself.”

Gino rocked backand forth on the balls of his feet, his hands crossed at his pelvis as the sweet sound of the violins filled the room. Elizabeth made him promise her two things when it came to the wedding. First, she wanted to finish college before walking down the aisle, and second she didn’t want anything over the top. It’d taken every ounce of patience he had, but he’d honored her request to wait nearly a year while she lived her dream of attending a university and graduating with honors. It was the second promise that had him watching the end of the aisle with cautious anticipation. While he’d sworn allegiance to her conditions, Emilio had not. Between the full orchestra and the number of flowers flown in, their wedding was definitely over the top.

White candles flickeredon the table, giving Elizabeth something to focus on instead of the butterflies multiplying inside her stomach.

“You ready, sweetheart?” Gaining Elizabeth’s attention, Emilio offered his arm as the attendants readied to open the doors. He wished her mother could have lived to see their daughter, how proud she would be to see her likeness wearing her coveted dress.

Nodding, Elizabeth offered Emilio a genuine smile before hooking her arm with his. She’d waited months for this day, anxiously counting the days until she could see the results of the endless planning she’d pretended not to know about. Shortly after moving into her father’s house, she came to the conclusion as much time as she’d lost with her father, he too, had lost with her.

“Let’s do this, Daddy.”

Georgianna grippedher bouquet tightly between her fingers, a tear of joy threatening to run down her face and ruin her makeup. She’d been left speechless when Elizabeth asked her to be her maid of honor, hugging her so tight she’d nearly choked her almost sister-in-law. Glancing at her brother, she lost the battle with her tears as she watched his reaction of seeing Elizabeth in her wedding dress for the first time. Sending a prayer of gratefulness, Gia silently hoped Ardan, the real name of Chess Guy—she hadn’t spoken aloud, would one day look at her with the same love her brother did Elizabeth.

Chiara took a deep breath,savoring the fragrant blooms decorating the church. Elizabeth was a part of her family and deserved to be spoiled as thoroughly as she did Giovanni and Georgianna. Taking in the sight of her only son, she couldn’t help but bask in the reality he had finally found true happiness. She’d worried for years Jonathan and Giovanni Sr. would turn him against her, filling his mind with the lies the Vitale men mastered. She thanked god everyday he’d seen fit to put enough of her into Gino’s DNA.

“Angel.”The word passed through Gino’s lips like a prayer meant for God’s ears. Yet it was the perfect description for the beautiful woman walking toward him. He’d imagined many times how Elizabeth would look on their wedding day, granted, most of those images were of her wearing nothing but his ring on her left hand.

Reaching the end of the aisle, Emilio turned to his daughter, lifting her veil before placing a kiss to her cheek. “I love you, Elizabeth.” His voice cracking with emotion, not giving two shits if anyone heard it.

“I love you too, Dad.”

Emilio recalled the first time Elizabeth said those words to him. It was an ordinary Tuesday; he’d had a shit day dealing with a missing shipment. He found her in the kitchen, wedding photos spread across the island, and dinner waiting on the stove. She asked him his favorite thing about her mother, when he told her everything, she smile and told him she loved him.

Gino offeredhis hand to Emilio, the exchange morphing into a back-slapping hug. “I will tell you the same thing my father-in-law told me on my wedding day.” Emilio whispered into his ear, “I don’t give a shit about the money, make her unhappy and I will kill you myself.”

It was early August when Gino had called a meeting with Emilio, not a full month after returning from the Hamptons. All the major players were invited, Chiara, Nona Vitale, and Niko. All there to stand as witness to Giovanni’s character and vast holdings. In old-world Italian tradition, an oath was struck, a dollar amount offered and accepted. With the flick of a pen Emilio granted Gino his blessing to ask for Elizabeth’s hand.

“You won’t have to,” Gino swore, staring over Emilio’s shoulder into the smiling face of his future. “Hurting her would kill me.”

Handing Gia her bouquet,Elizabeth kissed her cheek, “Your day will come, I know it.” Believing each word in the depths of her soul.

Elizabeth wasn’t certain if one person should be allowed to feel this much happiness. She wished she could bottle it, maybe send a sample to Jonah and even Karen, perhaps it would make them better human beings.

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