Epilogue
DANTE
Six years later
I never imagined I’d be back at this Italian villa, standing beneath an arch of white flowers, with a young man I didn’t think I’d get to know as well as I do.
And I’m here to marry the love of my life. With my sister.
A double wedding. Lucia is marrying Beniamino after what can only be described as a passionate, whirlwind romance. And I’m renewing my vows with Ruby.
“Daddy,” my son, and joy of my heart, tugs on my trouser leg.
“Yes, Marco.” He’s named after my Italian London Maths Club friend, Marco Brent, since it was thanks to him saying yes quite enthusiastically to my idea of having our wives with us for the Italian Dons sub-meeting of the Syndicate that I was back in time to save Ruby.
I owe him my life, because if I didn’t have my wife, I don’t think I’d be able to go on.
“When’s Mummy coming?”
Well, she came on my tongue only three hours ago when we indulged in a bit of “pre-marital” mischief together, before our second—third?—wedding.
Soon after we agreed our accidental marriage would be deliberately permanent, we had a tiny, private ceremony with my sister and a few others present.
But Ruby decided that since everyone already thought we’d eloped in a technical first wedding, we should have the ceremony quietly. Only for us, really.
“Mummy and Aunty Lucia will be here soon.” I ruffle Marco’s hair and he scowls as he tries to smooth it again. He has brown eyes like Ruby, but black hair like mine.
To the other side of the triple arch, Beniamino fidgets with his usual energy. My sister calls him a golden retriever, which doesn’t seem complimentary until you see the expression on her face as she says it.
She’s lucky I didn’t arrange for her to be mysteriously married to him.
“What colour do you think your mum’s dress will be?” I ask Marco, and settle my hand on his shoulder.
My son is my official best man, while Marco Brent is dealing with all the duties with the chance of going wrong. He has the rings. No pets involved, we’ve learned that lesson as a family.
“White, obviously.” Marco rolls his eyes.
“Mmm. You never know.” Ruby has been teasing me that she’s going to wear red, given she’s hardly a virgin now.
I wasn’t allowed anywhere near the dress, my bride, or my sister getting ready this morning.
They said I was bad luck at Francesca’s wedding, and to keep to my place, so I haven’t seen either of their dresses.
Our two daughters and my sister’s granddaughters are Ruby’s bridesmaids, carrying baskets of red and white flowers and some foliage. Luna and Sofia are followed closely by Francesca’s two girls, and Francesca is both their Matron-of-Honour.
We don’t talk about the weirdness of the criss-cross of ages in our family. Love is love, and given Lucia’s husband-to-be is young enough to be her son, it’s better ignored.
They proceed up between our guests, and my heart swells at the full circle of the time Ruby and I met, when I walked Francesca up the aisle to her husband, and Ruby was there, waiting.
It’s a mirror of that wedding.
With slightly less chaos.
They’re wearing objectively cute little white dresses covered in red fabric flowers. They walk carefully and I smile because they’re doing it just as we practised at home.
Sofia holds it together right to the end, then rushes to me. Luna is too old and cool for that.
“Did I do well?” Sofia asks in a whisper, and I sweep her up.
“Yes, you did brilliantly,” I tell her and kiss her cheek, and put her back down for Francesca to lead to sit in the front row.
I give my elder daughter an approving nod for a job well done, as befits my mature little girl, then turn.
I’m eager to see my bride.
But first, Lucia emerges first from the archway that leads into the house, and everyone is on their feet.
My sister is in a white wedding dress, and her hair has sparkly bits in it, presumably done by Ruby. Her bouquet is white and green, matching Ben’s green tie. Mine is the pink-red of the ruby in my wife’s engagement ring.
Lucia looks amazing, and Beniamino seems stunned. Unable to believe his luck. Which is about right. He’s far too young and stupid for my sister, but he loves her, and they figured it out. I’m not one to judge, given Ruby is about the same age as Beniamino.
Then Lucia stands aside, and Ruby steps out into the sunshine.
I have no eyes for anyone but her. She’s wearing a long white dress, and her bouquet has red-pink flowers, and her brown eyes are rich and calm.
It’s a different dress from the one for our private ceremony, and I don’t have the words for how gorgeous she looks.
She glows with joy and confidence. Over these years we’ve been together, she’s grown into herself so much.
She was always beautiful and sweet, but she’s secure now.
There’s no more worrying that I don’t love her.
She knows she’s my good wife.
A tug on my hand brings me back to reality. “Daddy, I can’t see Mummy.”
Chuckling, I move Marco so he’s in the middle and has a clear view of Ruby and Lucia.
They join arms, smiling at each other. They’re best friends now, and this double wedding was a plan they cooked up together.
Ruby lets go of Lucia’s hand and turns to me, and my heart expands. I love this woman so much. She’s the centre of my life. The pivot point for everything.
“My love,” I breathe, and draw her to me. “Tesorina.”
I take her in, unable to stop myself from looking at her from head to toe. She’s mine, and I thank god for that every day.
I remember to check on my son, and find Marco Brent has guided him to his seat in the front row with his sisters, so I return to staring at my wife. The priest is saying something, but I don’t look away from Ruby, even as she does what’s expected, and pays attention to the priest.
I repeat the words as directed, and when the moment for rings comes, Marco senior has them. I teased him that he was the fill-in because we couldn’t get a reliable dog.
Pushing the new ring onto Ruby’s finger makes me smile.
It’s an eternity ring. A band of gold with rubies and diamonds all the way around, signifying my eternal love for her.
“There are five diamonds, equally spaced. To represent the five of us.” I lower my voice and lean down to whisper in her ear. “But if you wanted me to breed you with two more, they could represent our five children.”
Ruby giggles, and when I draw back, she’s blushing.
She’s mine, and the signs of ownership please a primal part of me.
Thankfully the ceremony happens without any interruptions, sickness, animal antics, or guns, and when the priest says, “You may kiss the bride”, I gather Ruby to me, sweep the lock of hair from her face, and look into her brown eyes.
And I kiss my wife. The best accident that ever happened to me.