Chapter Four
Mimi stood by the window in the vestry, staring at the light as it fractured across her dress. Her hands twisted nervously at the fabric, the silence in the room feeling heavier with each passing second.
The space was small and plain, in contrast to the magnificent architecture of the grand cathedral. Soft wooden pews lined the walls, a narrow stained-glass window casting muted hues of red and gold across the floor.
Despite her resolve to not soften towards her confounding bridegroom, she found herself utterly grateful to him. He had given her the quiet retreat she desperately needed, tucked away from the bustling preparations outside.
Both to catch her breath and to have a private chat with her stepdad.
The door creaked open, and Mimi turned, her chest heavy with emotion.
John stood there, his tough face etched with fatigue and concern. Usually a simple man, he looked out of place in his designer suit, and yet he was here. He’d traveled thousands of miles just so she wouldn’t be alone.
“You look beautiful, Mimi,” he said gruffly.
Mimi’s eyes filled up, probably turning her into a raccoon, but she didn’t care. “I’m… I don’t know what to say. I didn’t expect you to want to be here. After the last few months…” Her words choked and died in her throat, her stepsister’s name refusing to come to her lips.
He stepped inside, letting the door click shut behind him. “You think I wouldn’t be here for your big day?”
Her hands automatically went to her belly as she blinked the tears back. “I did this for her, John. This was supposed to be her baby. And it all fell apart.”
He closed the distance between them and took her hands in his, his own eyes filling with tears.
“Of course you did this for her. You were a good sister to her, Mimi. Never doubt that, okay?” His grief slashed lines through his face.
“She made it so hard some days to love her, but we loved her. And she knew that, Mimi. She knew how much she was loved. So we’ll remember that, yeah? ”
Mimi nodded, his words chipping away at the grief and guilt, making her burden lighter.
On an impulse, she threw her arms around his solid form, feeling like that little girl who had gazed up at him in wonder the day her mother had married him, and he had told her that they were a family now.
“Thank you for coming. I can’t tell you how much your words mean to me.
How much I struggled these past few months. ”
He patted her back awkwardly, shocked no doubt by her sudden display of physical affection.
She’d never been one to show it. Pia’s warning on the day of their parents’ wedding, that he was her dad and not Mimi’s, had killed any inclination to do so.
“None of that now, Mimi. You hear me? Not in your condition.” He pulled back. Feeling self-conscious, Mimi released him. “Your mother wanted to be here too.”
She nodded, not putting much stock in her mother’s wishes.
John cast a look around as if he was searching for eavesdroppers, then leaned closer.
“Everything really alright, love? You sure about this? Renzo—he’s…
” He stopped himself, his words faltering.
“He’s always struck me as a solid fellow, more reliable than Santo, at least. But marriage is a big thing. ”
“A solid fellow?” Mimi said in disbelief. “He’s…far too arrogant and has always looked down on our family.”
“Yes, but then, his gaze was colored on his brother’s behalf, no? Pia didn’t make it easy for anyone, and Santo enabled her, and…it’s good that Renzo’s stepped up to look after you and the baby after how you both got here.”
“I can look after myself,” she said perversely.
John’s smile was like a rainbow in a cloudy sky. “Of course you can, Mimigirl. You’ve always had a sensible head on your shoulders, but sometimes it’s nice not to be alone. Nice not to go through life all by yourself.”
“Is that why you married Mom?” Mimi had no idea where that question came from. “Because you were lonely?”
John looked stunned and then shook his head. “No, I married your mom because I love her, Mimi. I know it might not look like that, the way she carries on and orders me around, but your mother…she cares, in her own way.”
“I’ll take your word for it, John,” Mimi said, out of all pretense.
“Say what you need to, Mimi,” he said, shocking her. “Get it out of your system. All this beating around the bush didn’t help Pia one bit, did it? Believe it or not, your mother’s cut up that you didn’t tell her about the pregnancy.”
Mimi stared at the resolve in his eyes. “You want me to talk about why I’ve never felt the remotest connection with the woman who raised me?”
John blanched but nodded. Apparently, the day’s shocks would keep coming.
“You know, I’ve never held it against her that she sent me off to boarding school or that she prioritized her career over being a mother.
That she brought me home only after she and you married.
But she…she never tried to connect with me on any level, John. And yet with Pia…”
“Easier with Pia because they cared about the same things, no? Clothes and acting and all the silly, superficial stuff. Your mother can’t handle anything deep.
You, Mimi, are the most self-composed, intellectual, thoughtful woman I know.
I wouldn’t be surprised if your mom didn’t know what to do with you. ”
“That’s an easy excuse,” she said, even as shock tumbled through her. Then there was the fact that when it came to Renzo, all that composure went out the window.
“Why do you think she caused such a big ruckus when she found out you were pregnant?” John said softly. “She wanted to be here so badly, but I discouraged her. I didn’t want her to make things more awkward for you and Mr. DiCarlo.”
“It only complicated matters for me,” she said morosely.
John’s shoulders slumped, and for a moment, he just stood there, beaten down. Finally, he said, “She wants to make it up to you, Mimi. And believe me, it’s never too late for that. Never too late for admitting that we are wrong. I’m so sorry, love.”
“What do you mean?”
“I know Pia made things hard for you. Until a few years ago, I didn’t see it, Mimi. I didn’t realize how insecure my daughter was and how you became the target for that.”
“It’s fine. It’s all in the past.”
“It’s not fine, and it’s not in the past when the hurt she caused you is still…there.” He rubbed his palms over his eyes. “I see now how alone you must have felt. What with your mom’s head in her own career. I should’ve stepped in more. I should’ve done better by both you and Pia.”
“You were there for her when she needed you most,” Mimi said quietly. “And now you’re here for me. That’s what matters.”
“You did always have the best heart out of all of us, darling.” His hand lifted, hesitating for a moment before resting on her head.
“I understand why you didn’t tell your mama or me.
But we’re here now. We can help you raise the baby.
I don’t want you to make choices because you think you have to. This marriage, is it what you want?”
The question made her heart stutter. “It’s not a love match, but it’s what is necessary right now.”
John studied her for a long moment, then sighed. “Alright, then. But remember, you always have a home with me and your mother. We love you, Mimigirl.” He held out his arm. “Now, will you please give me the honor of walking you down the aisle?”
Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes as she looped her hand through his arm. “Thank you, John. For coming, for…everything.”
He patted her hand, his rough palm warm against hers. “Always, love. Let’s get you married, then.”
Together, they turned to the door, the quiet solace of the vestry giving way to the bright, extravagant facade her immediate future seemed to demand.
Mimi hated to admit it, even to herself, but Renzo had been right again.
No one, not even the couture-dressed guests with their brilliant diamond chokers and beautifully cut features, could question his commitment to this union, this baby, to her.
Inside the basilica was even more overwhelming than its exterior.
Gilded domes soared high above, adorned with intricate mosaics that seemed to shimmer with an otherworldly light. Marble columns lined the nave, their veins catching the flicker of countless candles.
Rows of chairs filled with impeccably dressed guests fanned out before the altar. The space hummed with a different kind of energy now, the chatter quieter but no less intense.
The air was heavy with the scent of incense and beautiful white roses alluringly draped over every possible surface and the whispers of the gathered elite of Venice.
At her appearance, no doubt.
Mimi took a deep breath and straightened her spine, clutching John’s arm as they began their slow walk down the aisle.
Each step seemed to amplify that pulsing twinge in her lower back, but she decided to ignore it for now.
No wonder her body was making up new cues in concert with her agitated, anxious mind.
But the ache, along with the weight of her seven-month pregnancy pressing down on her body, was a constant reminder that this wasn’t a fairy tale. As much as Renzi DiCarlo had fabricated it just so.
And then, like a fish taking bait, she caught his gaze.
Renzo, so impossibly handsome that she still thought she might be dreaming, stood with a confidence that seemed to anchor the opulent surroundings, that seemed to mock her own misgivings about this wedding.
He had more to lose than she did by tying himself like this, didn’t he? His freedom as a bachelor, his fast life. He hadn’t even sent her the prenup agreement she’d insisted on.
Did he trust her that much? Or was his wealth so vast that whatever cunning scheme Mimi might run later didn’t worry him?