Epilogue
LUCIO
Three Months Later…
My palms are sweaty, and my heart’s pounding so hard I’m sure the entire church can hear the crazy rhythm over the piano music. When the church doors open and Delilah steps out on Angelo’s arm, my heart practically stops for a second before beating faster than before.
She looks stunning in the all-white gown with her hair pulled up off her shoulders and the lace veil down over her face. I can’t take my eyes off her as she makes her way up the aisle, almost floating over the hardwood.
When she steps up to the altar and I pull back the veil, revealing her tearful but happy face, a sense of bliss comes over me. It’s like the entire room disappears, and only Delilah and I exist.
Her hands are in mine as we stand in front of the altar, listening to the priest. The entire church is filled with our family and friends, dabbing at the tears in their eyes as we say our vows.
I haven’t taken my eyes off Delilah since the moment she walked into the church. How could I? She’s everything I ever wanted but never knew I needed. I can’t imagine a day without her or Lulu in my life. My heart’s filled with so much joy, I’m not even sure how I can stand as still as I am.
I turn to Angelo on cue and take the ring from his finger. He smiles, but his eyes are teary too, maybe remembering the day he married Marissa. I touch his hand before I turn back around, and he nods, giving me the sign to move on.
The platinum band seems too small as I hold it between my two fingers to face Delilah, one step closer to her finally being my wife.
The priest clears his throat, reminding me of what we rehearsed last night. I slide the ring onto Delilah’s finger, staring into her eyes as I see my future come to life. “Repeat after me,” he says quietly.
“Delilah, receive this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
I don’t speak right away. My fingers are holding the ring and Delilah’s hand as I stare into her sparkling blue eyes. “Delilah, receive this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
She bites her lip, holding back the tears I know are about to fall again, only harder this time. Even I can feel my nose tingle, but I take a deep breath, pushing any tears away.
Delilah turns toward Daphne and takes the ring from my sister. She’s smiling when she faces me again, looking more confident and beautiful than I’ve ever seen before. I glance to my mother, who’s holding Lulu in her arms. My daughter.
“Repeat after me. Lucio, receive this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” the priest says again as Delilah touches my hand.
She keeps her eyes on me as she starts to slide the ring on my finger. “Lucio, receive this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
I squeeze her hands, wondering if that feeling of peace washes over her like it does me in that moment. We’ve said our vows before the eyes of God and my entire family. Even though the priest hasn’t said the words, we’re officially husband and wife.
We kneel, waiting for the silent blessing, and our hands are connected. I can’t stop turning the ring on my finger, still a little shocked that I’m married. I’m not scared for the future. Not worried I’ll mess up like my father anymore.
I sneak a glance at Delilah, and she has her head bowed, but she’s watching me too. The mass seems to take forever when all I want to do is take my wife out of this place so I can show her exactly how much I love her.
“Please stand,” the priest says, closing the bible in his hands as soon as he’s done with the prayer. He nods at us when it’s time to face the crowd.
I smile at Delilah, happier than I’ve ever been as we turn toward our family and friends while they rise to their feet too.
“I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Lucio Giovanni Gallo. You may now kiss the bride.”
I know my mother’s praying I keep it tasteful. And while I want to abide by her wishes in theory, the ceremony has been entirely too long, and I’m dying to give my wife a real kiss. One that she’ll remember forever. One that’s bigger and better than any I’ve given her before.
As Delilah turns toward me, I place my hand against her neck, sweeping my thumb across her cheek as I wrap my arm around her back. She stares at me, tears hovering in her eyes as I lean in. She holds her breath, and I hold mine as I pull her close and fuse our mouths together.
The cheers of the crowd die away, and my mind and body buzz with excitement as she places her hand over my heart and kisses me back. The moment’s one I burn into my brain, never wanting to forget how I feel in this moment when we’ve become each other’s.
When I pull back, I gasp for air and my head spins, knowing the ceremony’s over and the good hasn’t even begun.
As I walk down the aisle with my family looking on, I know the best is yet to come.
“Why are Carmen and Colleen here?” I ask, leaning over and whispering in Daphne’s ear as we stand in the receiving line, greeting the last few guests.
“Delilah invited them.” Daphne shrugs. “Honestly, if we couldn’t invite any woman you’ve been with, there wouldn’t be many people here you aren’t related to.”
Only my wife would give the okay to invite everyone from the neighborhood.
I heard her say something about making it clear to every female in a five-mile radius that I was officially off the market.
I didn’t expect her to invite them all to the wedding.
I just had to shake my head and know I probably would’ve done the same.
“What’s wrong?” Delilah asks as the last wedding guest steps down the stairs to the dining area.
“Nothing, sweetheart.” I touch her face and resist the urge to haul her into the storage room to officially consummate the marriage.
“I’ll announce you to the guests after the wedding party, as you make your way down the stairs, and then we’ll go right into your first dance as husband and wife,” the DJ tells us so fast I can barely understand his words.
Thankfully, I’ve been to enough weddings to know the spiel without being told.
“Sure,” I say, still holding on to Delilah.
He heads toward the dance floor, and Delilah and I finally look out over the crowd, which has more than doubled since church.
“Holy hell, who are all these people?” she asks with wide eyes.
“Your family,” I answer simply.
“I never thought I’d have a family quite this big.” She squeezes my hand, and I can see the tears coming again.
“Don’t cry, Mrs. Gallo.” I like how her title sounds coming out of my mouth. I’m not sure I won’t say it on the daily because it’s still too damn unbelievable.
The wedding party, which consists of Angelo, Daphne, Vinnie, and Michelle, marches down the stairway, forming a line for us to walk through as the DJ plays the theme music to Rocky, even though I told him not to.
But I can’t be mad. It’s my wedding day, and I married the girl of my dreams. “Ready?” I ask her, bringing her hand to my mouth and pressing my lips to her soft skin.
“Yes.” She smiles, and it’s like my whole world is complete. “I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life.”
I raise my hand, along with hers, in celebration as we make our way down the stairs, going slowly so she doesn’t fall over the ridiculously long dress and her crazy high heels.
Everyone in the room is standing, clapping loudly, probably still not believing I actually tied the knot.
Hell, I have a hard time believing it myself sometimes.
How the hell did I get this damn lucky? Of all the places her father could’ve left her, it was in front of my bar.
Anywhere else and we probably never would’ve crossed paths.
I’d still be alone, and she’d be… I put the thought out of my mind, trying not to think of what could’ve happened when that bastard abandoned them.
Angelo slaps my shoulder as we walk by, and for the first time in a long time, he looks happy. Ma’s waiting at the end of the line, just before the dance floor, with Lulu in her arms.
Lulu’s smiling as she looks at us and holds out her arms. I take her and hold her tightly, bringing my mouth close to her ear. “My baby girl. I love you so much. I’ll always love you. Always protect you. You’re mine now too. Forever and always.”
She makes a little noise, blowing out a raspberry before grabbing on to my ear and giggling.
Over the last few months, she’s grown so much, and every day’s like a new beginning.
Watching her grow up, seeing her personality come alive, has been something I never could have explained to another human being without experiencing it.
“I think she needs a little brother,” I tell Delilah as she touches my arm to lean in to kiss Lulu.
“Getting ahead of yourself, aren’t you?” she says.
“Oh no. I want a house full of little ones running around.” She pales a little, and I laugh, giving Lulu a kiss on the cheek before handing her back to my mother.
“Nothing would make me happier,” Ma says, looking more than excited about the possibility of more grandchildren.
“Think of all the fun it’ll be,” I say as I usher Delilah toward the dance floor.
“What? A house full of kids?”
“Making all the babies,” I correct her as I pull her into my arms, and the music starts.
She laughs, swinging her arm around my shoulder and taking my hand. When Luther starts to sing, her smile almost touches her eyes. She let me pick the song, and there’s no one more romantic than Luther Vandross singing about love.
I hold her closely and sing the words to “Here and Now” to her. Every damn word of this song is exactly how I feel about Delilah.
She doesn’t take her eyes away from mine as we dance around the floor. Everyone else in the room doesn’t seem to exist. Just the two of us, moving as one to the words of Luther.
My heart’s pounding as the realization comes crashing down on me. Delilah’s mine forever. As I sing about loving her faithfully and promises for the future, I know when I look into her eyes, I’m the luckiest son of a bitch in the world.
With Delilah and Lulu by my side, anything’s possible. I thought I had it all before they walked into my life, but I realize I had nothing. I was a shell of a man with no real purpose or future.
But now, with them, I have everything I ever could’ve wanted and more.
Delilah places her chin on my shoulder and brings her mouth close to my ear. “I love you,” she whispers.
“I love you too, sweetheart,” I tell her before singing the words to the song in her ear. I want her to hear the promises, the love, the way I plan to love her forever.
Her thumb strokes the back of my neck, brushing the skin just under my hair. As the song comes to an end, I start to back away, but she pulls me back. “We’re not done,” she says in my ear.
Luther melts into Celine, and Delilah takes another page out of my book, singing “Because You Loved Me” in my ear. I listen to every word, holding my wife tight, and close my eyes, reveling in the moment.
She thinks I gave her strength, but I didn’t. It was always there, waiting to break free. She gave me a daughter, love, and more than I could ever give her. But damn it, I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to show her what she means to me and how grateful I am for her to become mine.
As she sings the last word and our bodies stop swaying to the beat, I grab her face and cover her mouth with mine. The moment’s sweet, slow, and everything it should be.
We turn to take a bow, and I see him. Standing in the back of the room, clapping slowly and leaning against the wall with a smile, is my father.
“Fuck,” I mutter, and I know shit’s about to get crazy.