Chapter 41
Chapter Forty-One
LOLA
Eliza screams her pretty head off, pure Marino fire, ego, and stubbornness. She's barely over one, and she's got the Italian drama down pat.
Aunt Lyndall tries to feed my very upset, very overstimulated child puréed fruit. "Oh, come on, Eliza Squish. It's your favorite. Blueberries."
Eliza screams louder, then clamps her mouth shut and turns her head, her body going stiff as she acts like the purée is poison.
Thing is, I'm not sure why she's refusing to eat since she's clearly hungry.
Too much excitement, maybe.
But I know everyone is trying their best to get her to calm down and enjoy the rest of the day.
Her grandpa fed her breakfast, but she didn't eat all of that either. She was too busy trying to follow the people coming and going and setting things up.
I say "try" because every time she attempts to take a wobbly step, having to hold onto something or someone, her chubby legs get tangled as she tries to go in every direction at once. This means she is down on her cute butt more often than not.
Mind you, she is very determined to be a part of everything, even if she can't really walk or speak. But...she tries.
The screams and tears don't stop until Uncle Jack spins her around like an airplane, and Grandpa Mario scoops her up and tries feeding her again.
Of course, the flowers and balloons are mesmerizing, and the idea of food drops to last on her list.
Violet takes her once more and tries to talk to Eliza while Ruby makes funny faces.
But Eliza isn't having it.
As if I need the added stress.
In no time at all, I'm meant to be walking down the aisle.
We decided to have our wedding in one of the properties. The garden was transformed, an aisle was added just for today, and the designers have turned the whole place into a pale cream and faint blush pink fairyland.
I'd have been happy at City Hall, but Enzo pointed out that no one else would be. And this wasn't about us, it was about everyone else.
That made no sense until he whispered, "The party and ceremony are for them. The after is all about us."
And I can't wait.
But first, my little Squish has to eat something so she can calm down a bit.
Ready to walk down the aisle in my wedding dress, fully prepped, I bend down to my daughter in her highchair with the seatbelt. "Hey, Squish."
I unbuckle her and go to pick her up.
Lyndall reaches for us. "Lola. Wait—"
I hold my baby in my arms.
The pouting stops. So do the tears.
Eliza looks at me with a blueberry-smeared mouth, and she gleefully runs her hands all over my silk, pearl-white dress.
Hands that are covered in blueberry purée.
I look down at the damage as Lyndall plucks Squish from me.
Ruby and Vi rush up to inspect the damage.
Vi holds out her hands to take Squish from Lyndall. As soon as she is holding her, she takes Eliza to the sink and starts to clean my child up, which makes her bubble with laughter and squeals of joy.
Violet huffs. "Ugh, you goddamn adorable little monster."
"Eeeeh!" shouts Squish.
I look down at the mess she's made of my dress, trying not to cry as it'll ruin my makeup.
Lyndall rushes up with damp paper towels and hands some to Ruby as they both try to clean up all the blueberry puree.
"Oh, God. I don't have another dress."
But I can't be mad at Eliza. She is the cutest little Squish there is as she burbles at me in Vi's arms.
Vi looks at me over her shoulder. "You could wear a hoodie? They love hoodies."
Ruby nods. "Or maybe a top and sexy skirt."
And the traitors laugh.
"It's not coming out, and Dad's waiting for us. Enzo is probably birthing kittens since you're five minutes late. He's very controlling. Are you sure you want to marry him?" Lyndall sits back and grins.
"Why wouldn't I? He's mine. Besides, he'll like it."
"He will," Violet says. "He's a mess. I've never seen Enzo a mess until you came along. Hey, Eliza, can you say Cancun?"
Squish looks up at Vi. "Aamoo."
"Oh, Squish, you ruined mommy's dress." But I can't help but smile at her.
She's fisting banana into her mouth, right from the bowl.
My eyes widen at Lyndall. "You had banana?"
Lyndall rolls her eyes. "Eliza Squish loves blueberries, and earlier bananas weren't even allowed in viewing distance of her."
Lyndall has taken to calling her Eliza Squish, but her middle names are Anne and Maria.
Of course, she's definitely a squish.
I want to be mad, but honestly, who could be at someone so damn adorable? "I guess blueberries are going to be my something blue."
"You can barely even notice it," Ruby offers, red creeping up under her skin, and she can barely keep her mouth straight.
Lyndall nods. "It's edgy."
"It looks like it's part of the dress. Next season catwalk worthy." Violet lets Eliza continue stuffing banana puree into her mouth.
I bite back a smile, taking the empty dish from Eliza, whose chin starts to wobble and a scream starts up.
That's when Grandpa walks in.
The little minx stops, holds her chubby arms up for Mario, who just picks her up and kisses her, banana all over her face and all.
Vi and Lyndall attack my baby, cleaning her up as she sits like a perfect kid in Grandpa's arms.
But honestly, this is normal. It's rare not to have something mushed into my clothes these days.
Blueberry stains on a wedding dress?
They're not about to stop me from marrying the love of my life.
Mario looks at me. "Ready? Because my son is falling apart by the second. I've got them playing the wedding march."
Which I am not particularly fond of. There are other pieces I would have liked, but the wedding march is traditional, so I'll take it.
I smile and nod. "Ready."
Violet and Ruby walk down the aisle first, and Lyndall holds a falling-asleep Eliza, one who Mario reluctantly let her have.
He takes my arm instead.
I don't need anyone doing this, but I said yes because he's changed with me, and he's trying to show Lyndall that he does love her.
I can see it, and she's starting to believe it, too.
Like Enzo said, the wedding day isn't for me. It's for the rest of them, so they can see us come together officially. And that's more than enough for me.
Having Enzo's ring, and him mine, and exchanging vows that are from the Bible but ones we mean are the most important things.
This is our first official day.
And it's to each other that we're making the forever pledge. Each other and our friends and family.
Marrying him is what matters. The rest is trimmings, and the more I see it, the more it means something.
This is our life. The first day of our forever more.
And for the past almost two years, he's made me so happy.
Enzo has proved himself over and over.
He has been there through cravings and wild emotional outbursts. He has held me when I sobbed because I felt like an elephant, and he made me laugh when he said, "You're my favorite elephant. The sexiest elephant who ever elephanted."
He hasn't been perfect, but he has been incredible.
And when Eliza was born, his Squish instantly became his pride and joy. He dotes on her.
Raising a baby is hard, much harder than I thought. And working and being a mom, even with the money we have, is insane. I don't know how others do it with less or close to nothing.
I'm going to put in a program to offer jobs and daycare to moms, especially those trying to make ends meet.
But Enzo...
He's been a great dad.
A pang of sadness hits me, knowing my dad isn't here.
But Mario is trying to give something new while not trying to take Dad's place in my life or in Squish's.
And with all these great people, the core group here, for whom I'm having this formal, blueberry-stained wedding, I know I'm lucky.
I'm not alone.
They are family.
Enzo's eyes light up as his dad hands me over.
His gaze hits the stain.
He presses his lips together, trying not to laugh.
"I know. I look like I lost a fight with a Smurf," I hiss, remembering that old cartoon.
He shakes his head. "No, you look like you massacred a heap of Smurfs."
"Your daughter painted me in blueberries."
And he grins. "That's my Squish."
"Your kid is a year and change old and is trying to walk, speak, and rule the planet."
"Good girl." His chest puffs out.
I glower, fighting my own sigh. "She's havoc in pink."
"Lucky she's so freaking adorable, just like her mommy," he whispers.
Hell. Tears blur my eyes as I melt.
"Yes. And God help us when she's a teenager."
Before he can lose his shit, the priest says, "Dearly beloved..."
Because Mario wanted to be involved in the wedding, he's got a world-class chef and team for the food and drinks.
We celebrate in the great room turned dining room and ballroom.
I've danced with everyone, and now I'm back in my husband's arms, swaying with him as the music plays softly.
Eliza's fingers pull at my hair as he holds her too.
I smile at him. "We're married."
Enzo kisses my mouth as I look up, trying to keep my eyes open. "I noticed. I'm sorry if it wasn't the wedding you wanted."
"I would have been happy with you and Squish in City Hall or in Vegas, and I'm just as happy here.
I realized the part of the day for us was the vows.
Not the words we said, but the meaning behind them.
It's forever. We have each other's backs.
Thick and thin, good and bad. This is real love. And I'm here for it."
"God, I fucking love you, Lola. And you, my little Squish."
"Even though she's not a boy?" I can't help teasing him. Because even when we found out the sex, he insisted the doctor was wrong.
Now? He's adamant she's exactly what he wanted.
"A boy?" He sounds utterly outraged. "Who wants a stinky boy? I never did. A perfect little girl, that's for me."
I laugh. "Liar, liar, pants on fire, you know?"
"Only if you're a snitch." And he holds me tighter.
Eliza pulls my hair and grips her daddy's neck, looking around with big, dark eyes, cooing and burbling to herself, and laughing uproariously every now and then.