Here Comes the Bride

V A L E R I U S ' P O V :

"Ellie! I'm home!" I shut the door behind me. The noise echoes through the house.

Little pats on the floor intensify until Ellie runs right to me with a huge grin. I pick her up with one hand and kiss her cheek. I hand her the two flowers in my hand. She grabs them.

"Thank you, papà!" She kisses my cheek back and I chuckle.

"You're welcome, piccolina."

We go into the kitchen together and put the flower into a vase next to the other six. I kept my promise and I've brought flowers home for my girl everyday since the.. incident. Two flowers each day to give her what she deserves. Hypothetically, one to represent her and one to represent me but both are for her.

Ellie tells me that she and Tommy aren't dating anymore. I sleep better at night knowing this.

"Papà?"

"Ellie." I reply in the same tone.

"Can I go to work with you?"

I hold Ellie's hand as we walk outside onto the back porch. I give her a juice box.

I bite my lip for a moment because I know I can't say yes. Ellie can not come to work with me. It is far too dangerous.

"Why?" I deflect. "Papà's job is very boring."

"Mrs. Williams said that tomorrow all the kids go to work with their mamma or papà."

"Papà's job isn't very good for kids. Is it okay if you just go to school tomorrow?"

Please say yes. I can't handle sad Ellie right now.

Ellie's eyebrows scrunch together for a moment. She thinks hard about her answer.. maybe a little too hard.

A little smile inches on her face as she looks out into the yard. She nods her head slowly and looks to me with a big smile.

"Okay!"

I furrow my eyebrow for a moment. That was easy.

"Okay then."

• • •

T H I R D P E R S O N P O V :

"Ellie.. you no ever talk to me anymore!"

"I can't! Papà said no.. lots of times."

"Why so?"

Ellie blinks at him. Why isn't she allowed to talk to Tommy anymore? She can't really remember the reason anymore.

"Papà said no! He don't like that I have a boyfriend!"

"But— but you're my girlfriend!" Tommy falls to his knees in front of Ellie who is crisscross-applesauce on the ground. "We play all the time! Who will I play with if you not my girlfriend no more?" He pouts.

A similar pout settles onto Ellie's face. Who can she play with now? She's been playing with Summer sometimes and occasionally the twins but it isn't the same. They don't like the same games as her. Tommy likes the same games as her.

"Do you wanna even be boyfriend and girlfriend no more!?" Tommy sniffles.

Ellie sits up quickly and touches his arm. "I do! I promise!" She pouts.

"Is everything okay over here?" Mrs. Williams bends down to her student's level. She notices how upset the two look. It's unusual for them.

"No!" Tommy cries.

Mrs. Williams is shocked. "Is that so? What happened?" Ellie and Tommy look away from each other in sorrow.

Is this what being a grownup feel like? They wonder.

"My papà says we can't be boyfriend and girlfriend no more." Ellie states sadly.

"I see." Mrs. Williams sympathizes with the two. "You can still be together though, no? Friends are a very good thing to have."

"But I love her!" Tommy confesses and throws his hands up in the air. Ellie gasps loudly.

"What!" Ellie cries out. "Really!?"

Love is a very special word. That's what her Nana told her once.

Tommy nods proudly.

Mrs. Williams laughs quietly. Kindergartners never cease to humor her. They're so innocent when they're young.

"Well.. I love you!" Ellie declares but this time Tommy gasps.

"What do we do now!?" Tommy huffs in distress.

Ellie loves Tommy. Tommy loves Ellie. But they can't be boyfriend and girlfriend. Being a kid is so hard.

"Mrs. Williams?"

"Yes, Eleonora?"

"What you do when you love someone?"

A sad feeling starts to pull at Ellie's chest.

Mrs. Williams smiles timidly. She has to figure out a way of answering Ellie's question without overstepping the boundaries Ellie's father set with her.

"Well you can love in a lot a different ways. You can love your parents, your friends and you can love someone enough to marry them."'

"Marry like boyfriend and girlfriend?" Tommy perks up, suddenly very interested in the conversation, more so then before.

"It's a little different then that."

"Then what's it mean?" Ellie gazes up to her teacher.

"Like husband and wife in your case. Marriage means you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, because you love them."

Tommy looks at Ellie and smiles. Does that mean him and Ellie could play forever? Even when they're old!? This is great news. Amazing news even.

"How do you get married?" Tommy questions.

"Well, you and the person you love will hold hands. You tell each other what you love about them. You promise to love them even when they're annoying." Mrs. Williams jokes and winks at Ellie which makes her giggle. Boys are annoying sometimes. "Then you kiss.. and you live happily ever after. As adults."

"Okay. Thanks, Mrs. Williams." Tommy nods professionally. He's got some work to do.

"Anytime kids." Mrs. Williams walks away with a soft smile.

Tommy stands up and breathes deeply. He helps Ellie up too. "Ellie?"

"Uh-huh?"

"Will you marry me?" Tommy's cheeks tint pink. He dances on his feet a little, nerves jump through his body like when lightning strikes.

Suddenly, Ellie is very shy. Tommy wants to play with her for forever? Pink flushes her cheeks too and she hides her smile by looking down to her pink tennis shoes.

"But papà said no boyfriends." Ellie whispers. Tommy grabs her hands like he remembers Mrs. Williams telling them.

"But then we be husband and wife! Not boyfriend and girlfriend, silly!"

"Ohhhh!" Ellie smiles brightly. Her husband is so smart! "Yes, I'll be your wife!"

Tommy wiggles his feet in place for a moment.

"Do we kiss now?"

Ellie looked away shyly. She resists the smile that wants to come into her face. She nods nervously.

Tommy squeezes his eyes shut and leans in with his lips puckered in. Ellie shuts her eyes real tight so she won't get too nervous.

"Wait!" Ellie says and her eyes pop open. Tommy stops and looks at her worriedly.

"Are you okay?" He asked. "You need food?" He asks because that's what his papà always asks his mamma when she's stressed.

"We didn't say what we love yet." Ellie blushes, Tommy does too.

"I'll go!" Tommy declares. He swings his and Ellie's hands back and forth. "I love that you play blocks with me and play with sticks and stuff. You sit next to me at craft time and I like it when you smile! And you said you like my shirt today!" Tommy smiles giddily. He can't contain his excitement.

Ellie smiles and giggles a little. That was a good speech. She thinks.

"I love that you pick me flowers! And you play with me lots of the time. You always give me your other juice box at lunch and the bigger half of your brownie! You make me smile lots too."

"Now kiss?" Tommy asks, itching his nose.

"Yes." Ellie nods.

"On the cheek?" Tommy isn't really sure how to kiss like big kids. He's only ever kissed Ellie in the hand.

"I'on know." Ellie shrugs. "Big kids do it here." She points to her lips and Tommy blushes, looking away.

"Okay." Tommy's voice wavers nervously.

Ellie and Tommy both close their eyes.

• • •

V A L E R I U S ' P O V :

"How did it go?" I ask nonna as her and Ellie walk into the living room.

"Good, Ellie had a lot of good ideas." She smiles and Ellie runs up to me and gives me a big hug. I squeeze her tightly to say a silent hello.

Ellie and the other two girls in the family went to go get their fittings for the mafia ball. It's coming up shortly after Christmas. In January. It's tradition for the dresses to be revealed at the ball, and for the men in the family to not see beforehand.

"Tell me Ellie." I scoop her into my lap and tackle her with my kisses. Her giggles fill my ears. "Tell me anything!" I tease her, trying to get her to reveal her dress.

"No papà!" She giggles loudly. "No papà, I can't tell!" She squeals as I poke her belly.

"Not even for your papà?" I tease further and she shakes her head no. I settle a fake pout on my face.

"Noooo papà!" She whines with a small smile.

"Okay. Fine! I give up." I smack a kiss to her cheek and she giggles.

My family starts coming into the room. Clustering together like leeches. They all find their spot on the couch while I pull Ellie into my lap. She snuggles closer to me.

Conversation picks up. Ellie plays with the remote, flickering through the different channels.

My papà's phone rings once and I watch him turn the call off. It was only seconds later when the call came back and begrudgingly, he walks out of the room to take it. He looks annoyed and I don't blame him. It's probably my mamma again, telling him that he's making a big mistake.

She calls more than fifteen times a day. Papà's tolerance level only goes so high. I'm curious to see what happens if she keeps this up.

"Do you think it's a coincidence we're all single?" Marcello days out of the blue. "That can't a coincidence.. right?"

"We don't count, our husbands are dead." Nonna points to her and bisnonna and Savino snorts under his breath.

"Are we hopeless?" Mar continues.

Where is this coming from?

"Probably." I say at the same time Fabio mumbles a, "Yes."

Mar slumps back onto the couch and huff annoyingly loud. Fabio goes back to scrolling on his phone and Enzo goes back to his computer. Savino stays quiet.

Now that Mar says it— I really do wonder if we're all doomed. It's a miracle I even came close to getting married. It's an even bigger miracle that a child leeched off of that almost marriage.

After awhile, papà comes back into the room and slumps down into his chair. His neck cracks and he rubs his head to relieve the stress. His eyes screw shut. He's tired. I can only imagine what he's feeling right now.

"Don't get married, boys. It's a scam." He says.

I raise a brow. We all look at each other.

"Tough day?" Savino tries.

"Try tough twenty-nine years of marriage."

Nonna slaps papà upside the head and he flinches, his body jerking. His eyes snap over to her. Even the coldest men still fear their mammas.

"Don't say that, Adriano! The woman may be a fucking lunatic but she gave you five beautiful boys. And that is worth appreciating." She scolds.

"Ai! I know, mamma." Papà mutters while rubbing the sore spot on his head. "I'm just trying to say.. marriage is not easy. Be careful."

"Yes it is."

My eyes immediately flicker down to Ellie.

Her voice is soft and dreamy like she is in a trance. She blankly stares at her nonno as she sits crisscrossed on my lap. Ellie's hair is tucked behind her ears. She looks so cute and innocent for being the devil's daughter.

Everyone chuckles a little under their breaths. Other than papà.

"Yes and what do you know about marriage, principessa?" Papà teases.

"Lots." This pulls my attention.

"What does that mean?" I enquire, gazing down at her.

"I'm not seeing a good outcome here." Mar (not so quietly) whispers to Savino. Savino shakes his head as a no, agreeing with him.

"Marriage isn't hard silly!" Ellie looks at me with those little eyes. This feels like a trick.

"And how would you know about that you little devil, eh?"

Ellie blinks at me.

"Tommy."

The two other women in the room snort.

"Excuse me?" I raise my brows at her.

"That little shit." I hear Enzo grumble from across the room.

My brothers sit up straighter now.

"I thought I said to boyfriends." I challenge her.

"Tommy not my boyfriend." Her eyebrows furrow like she's confused. This little devil is playing her innocence card. "You said no boyfriends no more."

Huh?

"How do you know about marriage from Tommy if you aren't talking to him?" I click my tongue against the roof of my mouth.

"You told no more boyfriend. Tommy is not my boyfriend."

"Then—"

"Tommy is my husband."

What.

That little fucking shithead.

He's dead.

• • •