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Epilogue II
Evangeline
Years later
“What are you two doing?” Grams and Sophia turn around, both with wide eyes. I know I’ve caught them when they’re up to something.
“Nothing.” Sophia shrugs. If I didn’t know her I’d believe her, but over the years we’ve become as close as sisters. She may be a good liar, but I know her too well now. She has her sneaky expression on. The one she thinks none of us recognize. My niece Bianca gives me the same sly look as her mother.
“The Davinci ladies are always up to no good, I see.” I kiss the top of her little head as she giggles.
She runs off, her dolly in one hand as she chases the family cat Fredo from the room. She’s lucky she’s utterly adorable.
Nick lets Sophia and Bianca get away with thinking they’re pulling the wool over his eyes all the time. It’s actually very cute to watch. But I plan on giving Sophia a little bit of a hard time about whatever she’s up to.
“Are you hungry?” Grams tries to distract me, but I’m not letting either one of them off the hook that easily.
“No, thanks.” I walk closer, trying to get a peek at whatever it is they were looking at. I can see Grams try to slip it to Sophia behind her back, but it ends up on the floor. These two are as thick as thieves when they get together. That thought brings a smile to my face.
The Davincis have changed my and Gram’s lives for the better. Over the years, we’ve all grown together. Marco and I will soon start a family of our own. He’s already begun construction on our new home. He tells me it’s a surprise and won’t let me see it. I’d been down with this when I was still in college. I was too busy with classes and finals to think about anything else. I’d double majored in foreign language and economics. Nick will even pick my brain from time to time with random questions.
I had no idea how easy picking up other languages would be for me. I can speak Italian, Spanish, and my favorite, Latin. The dead language, but not to me. I’m still trying to learn more even though I’ve already graduated. It has become a passion of mine. With each new language I learn, I also learn about the cultures that they represent. It’s been nice to be able to lend a hand in a few meetings that have gone down in the family. Whenever outsiders thought they had an advantage over us by speaking out of line without anyone knowing what they were saying, they were always surprised when I answered in their language. Marco and Nick always get a kick out of it when it happens. I’m just glad to be able to help out in some way. My claws might not be as sharp as others around here, but I can hold my own for the most part. I also think Marco enjoys that I’m softer. It’s just who I am. It balances us well, because my Marco can be a little hot tempered at times. He’s gotten better with age, but I know it will always be simmering under the surface, and no one can calm him like I can.
“Do either one of you want to explain why there is a sketch of a wedding dress on the floor next to your feet?”
Grams and Sophie quickly look at each other, trying to figure out how to explain it. My name is scrolled across the bottom, and it’s a dress that I’ve looked at before.
“Nick wants to renew our vows!” Sophia shouts, startling Grams. This is so much fun that I can’t stop myself from continuing on.
“You stole my dress idea?” I accuse.
“I’m not a thief.” Sophia scoffs.
“She did. I tried to talk her out of it.” Grams elbows her.
“Right. I’m a big thief. I just steal everything.” She keeps her face straight. I don’t know how but she does.
I burst into laughter, then lean down and pick up the paper.
“We aren't getting married anytime soon, guys.” I stare at the dress.
Marco and I have been engaged for years. When he first popped the question he said he knew we were young, but he wanted his ring on my finger as a symbol of what was to come. That we’d wait until I was done with college before we got married. I’d agreed. I didn't want to wait, but deep down I knew it was the right decision. I would have married him that day, not caring that I was only eighteen at the time but I agreed to waiting. What did it matter? We lived together already. We’re practically married as it is.
“You said right after you graduated,” Sophia reminds me. That was four years ago. I’d brought up planning a wedding a few times to Marco but he brushed it off. Told me we needed to finish college first. That I didn't need to be planning a wedding and trying to handle a double major at the same time.
Well, I’ve graduated and still he hasn't brought up the wedding. Maybe that’s because he’s too busy working on his law degree? After he got his GED, he whizzed through undergrad in three years, majoring in pre-law, and went right to the law school. He’ll be finished sooner rather than later, and is already working on family business.
I haven’t mentioned the wedding either. I keep waiting for him to say something. Anything! But there hasn’t been a freaking peep about it from him. I was so sure the second I was done with college that he’d be pulling me down the aisle. I guess he’s gotten used to the way things are. Even though I know that I’m his life, I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t a little disappointed. In saying that, my life with Marco is happy and I never second-guess how much he loves me.
“Marco hasn't brought it up.” I put the paper on the desk facing down, not wanting to look at the dress.
“That’s because he doesn’t want us to have a bachelorette party,” Sophia blurts out. “I think that's why he wanted to do this whole surprise wedding, because he didn't want us to have our wild night out.” She purses her lips.
“What?” I stare at her in shock. A surprise wedding? What the heck is she talking about?
“How can you be so tight lipped about some things and yet you can’t hold a secret about others?” Grams nudges Sophia again.
“We’ve been planning this for six months. It’s the day of the wedding. I think we have to tell her.” She turns around and walks over to the closet, opening the door. I stand there still in shock. It’s my wedding day? “How were we going to trick her into the dress or get her down the aisle? We had to tell her at some point.” She pulls out the same dress that is sketched on the sheet of paper.
