"Mama!" Maya's yell was followed by a chortle that made the whole congregation break into laughter.
Arie turned to see her daughter bouncing up and down on Lily's lap, waving her chubby arms like she wanted to be picked up. And Lily, her soon-to-be grandmother, was beaming so proudly that anyone would have thought this was her first grandchild. Arie blew Maya a kiss then turned back to the matter at hand, the business of tying the knot with the man standing by her side.
And in the deep, mellow voice she had grown to love he began his vows to her. "Io, Rome Milano, prendo te, Aristotle Angelis, come mia sposa e prometto di esserti fedele sempre," he said for the benefit of the non-English speakers and then he followed in English, "I, Rome Milano, take you, Aristotle Angelis, as my wife and promise to be faithful to you always."
They were the sweetest words she'd ever heard. Following his example, she said her vows in the Italian she'd practised and then in her native English. And then the minister said the long anticipated words, "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride."
To Arie's surprise, her brand new husband let out an audible sigh like he'd been holding his breath all that time. And then his face relaxed into a smile that was tinged with relief and he pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly, right there in front of family, friends and the smiling minister.
And then they were walking down the aisle together, hand in hand, and then out the open door where they were pelted with rice and flowers, the primary perpetrators of whom were Lena, Marilyn, Sophia and Lucia. "I'll get you," Arie called out as she ran down the steps of the little church but she was laughing as she went, glad that she had the support of her good friends and her two newly acquired sisters. She and Rome piled into the Bugatti Veyron convertible and then they were off, through the streets of Rome, her veil floating on the breeze. They would be meeting everyone at the banquet hall in an hour and this time Arie would not be the one doing the catering.
Rome leaned over and kissed his wife full on the mouth. "Now you're all mine, Mrs. Milano," he said, smiling, "for now and for always."
And the way he said it made a lump rise in her throat. Overcome with emotion, all she could do was tilt her face up and kiss him back. If there was a heaven on earth, this was it. She had her Maya and now she had her Rome...for always.