“There is in our family and when it’s our sister,” Giuseppe said, his voice growling over four other grunts of approval.
Brett shook his head and took the calendar away from her. “How about May twenty-fourth,” he said, choosing the first Saturday he saw.
“That’s only three month’s away!” she said, shocked that he would suggest anything that close.
Her brothers all nodded their heads in agreement. “Sounds good to me,” Sal said.
“I guess we’d better tell the aunts to start organizing. They have a lot to do in three months,” Michael said. The others all nodded in agreement again.
Antonia sat down on the sofa. “We’ll just do it at the justice of the peace. There’s no use going to all the trouble of a formal wedding.”
Brett shook his head. Turning to her brothers, he said, “Send all the bills to me. And tell your aunts to go all out.”
Brett walked into her bedroom and picked up the rest of his clothes. Once fully dressed, he came back out to the family room. “Will you be ok?” Brett asked. He wanted to lean over and kiss her, but he was sure she’d try to deck him.
Sighing at her belligerent expression, he stood up and turned to face her brothers. “Gentlemen, I think we have some calls to make,” he said. The men moved out to the hallway. “Antonia, I’ll pick you up at six for dinner,” Brett said before pulling the door closed.
Once in the hallway with her door closed, the six men looked at each other. “I think that went well,” Michael said, which started them all off laughing as they moved towards the stairs, the elevator being out of order again this morning.
An hour later, Antonia got up to answer another knock. Expecting one of her neighbors, she opened it, trying to pin a smile on her face.
But it was her Aunt Marsha and her cousins Jennifer, Belinda and Barbara. As soon as she opened the door, the four women pushed their way in, each giving her a hug as they entered and congratulating her on her engagement.
Her Aunt Marsha stood in the center of the room looking around. “This is gorgeous! I’m really impressed with what you’ve done here.”
“I’m not very impressed with the elevator system,” Jennifer said, dropping onto the sofa. “Couldn’t you live on a lower floor?” she asked, and everyone laughed in agreement.
Belinda put an arm around Antonia’s shoulders and handed her a box. “This is from Brett. He said we could deliver this one.”
Antonia looked at the small, beautifully wrapped, silver box with a gold, organza ribbon tied in a bow. “What’s this?”
“Obviously an engagement present. Open it, silly,” Jennifer said, wriggling in delight.
Antonia opened it slowly, wondering what Brett could possible have arranged to give her in such a short time. Inside was a key on a key chain. “What’s this for?” she asked, looking up.
“It’s a key, silly.” Antonia rolled her eyes, smiling with them, their enthusiasm was too contagious for her to ignore. “I know that. But what’s it for?” she asked.
“Look outside,” Marsha said.
Antonia opened the balcony door and all five women shuffled onto the tiny balcony. Looking down, Antonia saw her gift and gasped. Parked on the curb behind a white Mercedes that belonged to Aunt Marsha was a navy blue Porsche convertible with a tan leather, convertible top and a huge white bow on the windshield.
“Oh my,” was all she could say.
“Isn’t it gorgeous?” Jennifer giggled.
“I got to drive it over today,” Belinda said, sighing with her pleasure. “Nice wheels.”
Antonia could only stare. She didn’t know what to say. It was so beautiful.
“I can’t accept it,” she finally said to no one in particular.
“What are you talking about?” Marsha said. “Of course you can accept it. It’s from your fiancé.”
Antonia looked at the four women. They didn’t understand and probably never would. They loved their husbands and couldn’t imagine anyone not agreeing with them. The fact that Antonia wanted to make it on her own, just like her brothers, was a completely foreign idea to them.
“Why don’t you go shower and change, then we’ll be on our way,” Jennifer suggested.
“Where are we going?” Antonia asked, too tired and confused to argue the point.
Belinda stared at her blankly. “To get your wedding dress, of course,” she said as if it was the most obvious conclusion in the world.
Chapter 7
The four of them pushed a stunned Antonia into her bedroom and told her to shower and change. Antonia stood in the middle of her bedroom, realizing that she was quickly losing control of her life. Others were directing it, making sure she was playing her part, but ignoring her if she wasn’t and just continuing with the play.
And she couldn’t figure out how to gain control again. Like a robot, she showered, standing under the scalding hot water, hoping to come up with some way to get out of this insanity her life was becoming. But nothing occurred to her. She walked back into her bedroom and stood in front of her closet, wondering what one wore to pick out a wedding dress.
She was just about to reach for something that might be appropriate, but then changed her mind. Pulling out a black, short sleeved sweater and jeans, she added a plaid, tan, wool men’s jacket she’d found at a consignment shop a few months ago. A pair of burgundy loafers and she checked her appearance in the mirror. Her sisters-in-law would be shocked that the debutante look was gone. But she liked her appearance. She felt much more like herself.
Walking out of her bedroom, she expected them to take one look at her outfit and suggest that she put on something prettier for shopping. But they were all sitting in her living room drinking tea and coffee, munching on cookies and discussing ideas for a large wedding.
When they saw her, they all stood up and moved to the kitchen to rinse out their cups. Not a single comment was made regarding her outfit. In fact, none of them even blinked or looked twice at her. Antonia didn’t know what to make of their reaction. Or lack of one, she corrected.
“I’m riding shotgun with Antonia,” Belinda called, and all the others laughed.
“Got your keys?” Jennifer said to Antonia, smiling her excitement over the snappy new car.
Antonia held up a set of keys for the various locks on her door.