EPILOGUE
He could not believe he was subjecting himself to this.
All of those eyes watching his every move as if they could read his mind just by looking at him.
And everybody was there: From the Sinatras and Gabrinis and all of their wives and children, to Monk Paletti and his family, to billionaire Alex Drakos and his family, to Greek mob boss Oz Drakos and his family, to their half-brother billionaire Marcellus Drakos and all of his family too.
Even Trevor Reese and his brother, the legendary Hammer Reese, were seated in Mick’s huge backyard back in Philly with their families, staring at him too.
Bella Caine arrived with the Drakos clan: Gloria was married to Oz, which made Bella Oz Drakos’s mother-in-law.
She was often included in family get-togethers because of Gloria.
Same for Teddy’s mother. She was there as well.
And both of his baby mamas, whom Mick still supported financially, were staring at him as if they would never believe for a second that this man standing before them in a white tuxedo, was the same hard as steel man they used to know in every way possible.
Kelly Cochran wasn’t there however. He was the only firm no from Mick.
He was just too fond of Roz for Mick’s taste.
Not that Kelly coming would have been the only bad idea.
It was probably a bad idea allowing his baby mamas to come too, although they were there.
It was a bad idea allowing any of those staring-behind people to come.
It was the most uncomfortable moment of Mick’s entire life.
And the crazy part?
The absolute looney-toon, barking mad insane part?
It was Mick’s idea!
He was still getting over that flub. But it started innocent enough. Roz’s Broadway show was back in business again, and a huge success, and after the show they decided to drive back to Philly from New York rather than stay the night at Mick’s Manhattan hotel. It was simple enough.
Hall and Oates came on over their limousine’s stereo system and started singing Maneater. Roz started laughing and talking about how Teddy and Nikki called her that very name the night they had that intervention in that restaurant. “The time you walked out on me,” Roz said.
And when she said those words, and although she was smiling, he could hear the pain in her voice. They had come a long way since that night. He was improving immensely with his long hours at work. But they still had a long way to go.
But when he looked over at Roz, and saw her swaying her sexy body from side to side as that music played, looking so desirable and youthful and fun, yes fun, it took his breath away.
All the shit he’d put her through down through the years had taken a toll on her.
It had taken away her joy. It had made her almost as vicious as he was because that was the only way she could keep up with him.
Now she was doing all she could to get her happy back.
And what was he doing to help? What special thing was he doing for Roz?
Or ever did for Roz? Absolutely nothing!
And that was when it occurred to him. And as soon as the thought popped into his head, he knew he had to speak it into existence or he would never speak it ever. So he spoke it.
“Rosalind,” he said.
She kept swaying her body to the music as she looked at him. When he just stared back at her like a deer in headlights, she smiled. “Why are you looking like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like you need to shit.”
That was the courage he needed. Because he broke into a hearty laugh. Only Roz could make him laugh with such freedom.
And he said it: “I want to rededicate my life to you. Will you remarry me?”
As soon as those words left his lips, he thought he was going to regret it. Because her smile left. Her swaying side to side completely stopped. And she looked at him as if she could not believe her ears. His heart dropped. The last thing she probably wanted to do was remarry him!
And just when he was about to say never mind, and that he was just joking, she flung her small body against his large body and threw her arms around his neck. “Oh Mick,” she said with tears of joy in her eyes. “Yes, I’ll remarry you. Oh yes, yes, yes!”
And they started kissing. And then they hugged each other tightly. And they made love. Right there in the backseat of that limousine, Mick entered her.
He loved her reaction. But he was terrified by what it all meant.
Would he look like some wuss in public for this remarriage ceremony?
Would his enemies take it the wrong way?
Would Roz herself take it the wrong way and start treating him as if he was her boy toy?
As if he was some lovesick puppy who couldn’t do shit without her?
And that song that had blared over the stereo system, the one she loved so much, didn’t help:
“Oh-oh here she comes.
Watch out, boy, she’ll chew you up.
Oh-oh here she comes.
She’s a man-eater!”
Mick wanted to shout for joy and scream for mercy all at the same time. What did he just do? What did he just get himself into?
Because as soon as Roz got home, the wedding planning began.
And that was a nightmare in and of itself.
Roz wasn’t acting exactly like a bride-zilla, but she was close.
But she kept insisting that he was behaving like a true groom-zilla, which he thought was ridiculous.
But it also meant that they both were in it to win it now, and there would be no turning back.
Now he was standing in his own decked-out back yard, with their entire family and roster of friends staring unwaveringly at him. And Charles “Big Daddy” Sinatra, his big brother and best man, wasn’t helping.
“You aren’t burying her, Mick,” he whispered in his ear. “You’re marrying her. At least look like it!”
But Mick couldn’t help it. He felt as if he’d been trapped into something of his own making and he couldn’t get out. Why did he do it???
That question, that had been plaguing him ever since that ride in that limo, was finally answered when Roz appeared and began walking all the way from the patio toward him.
Everybody stood up in instant respect as Rosalind Graham-Sinatra made her way down the aisle.
And Luther, singing the Gary Benson et al-penned Here and Now, brought her to him:
“Here and now,
I promise to love faithfully.
You’re all I need.
Here and now,
I vow to be one with thee.
Your love is all I need.”
And suddenly, all those eyes and all those backstories didn’t mean a thing to Mick. All he saw was Roz. And by the time she made it up to him, and they were holding hands, face to face, he was grinning like a big, fat Cheshire cat. He was beyond happy.
And Mick’s happiness took Roz, already in space, over the moon. Everybody in that backyard were stunned.
Including Mick and Roz.
They were happy.
They were carefree.
At least in the moment, they were going to shout it from the rooftops for all the world to see.
“Rosalind Sinatra, do you take Michello Sinatra to be your wedded husband again?” the pastor asked.
“Again?” said Roz. Damn!” And everybody laughed, including Mick.
But then she got serious. “Absolutely,” she said.
By when the pastor asked Mick if he would take Roz to be his wedded wife again, Mick couldn’t pull himself to joke about it. It was just that meaningful to him. “With all my heart, soul, and body,” he said heartfelt. And Roz and the entire audience gave a collectively loud and sweet aah.
When Mick realized what that they were aahing him, as if he was some punk, he looked at them as if they had stole his money. And they all laughed. They couldn’t hold back. Which caused him to laugh too.
Either way, on that day, Mick and Roz rededicated their hearts to each other. And while they were at it, they had themselves a ball.