Chapter 21 Castel di Sangro
CASTEL DI SANGRO
DAPHNE
The sun warms my face as we sit at a charming little café in the middle of the town square. Mountains stand tall behind the buildings as if they’re reaching for heaven, not realizing they are already set in paradise.
After a month in Italy, my ability to speak the language of my ancestors is still atrocious. Leo’s been my saving grace, translating like he was born here.
“I could live here forever,” I say, tipping my head back to soak up a little more sun.
Life is slow here. There’s no rushing from one place to the next, no traffic jams or police sirens at all hours of the night.
The quaint little village of Castel di Sangro, tucked in a valley between the lush mountains and Leo’s great-grandparents’ hometown, is exactly how I imagined the old country to be.
“We could buy a place and raise the baby here,” he says as he lifts the espresso cup to his lips.
I glance at him and shake my head. “I can’t leave my family. I need my mom most of all, especially with the baby coming.” I touch the tiny bump that’s finally starting to grow, making the pregnancy all too real.
“We can spend summers here at the very least.”
I nod, liking the idea, because I can’t imagine anything better than escaping the loud, harsh city for the green countryside so filled with history and peace.
“See that church?” Leo motions across the square to a three-story white building which has seen better days. “My great-grandparents were married there, as their parents were.”
I study him because Leo doesn’t make small talk or drop useless information unless he’s going somewhere with it. “That’s so sweet.” I smile, taking in the beauty of the old structure.
“I was wondering,” he says as he places his cup back on the table and grasps my hand. “What do you think about getting married there?”
“Okay,” I say quickly.
“Because the baby will be here soon, and I’d love to…” He pauses, and his eyebrows draw together when my response finally registers. “Wait. What?”
“I said okay,” I repeat, knowing he wasn’t expecting me to say yes.
Leo’s face relaxes as a smile spreads across his handsome face. “I thought I’d have to fight you on this.”
I shake my head, knowing it’s exactly how I want our family to start. Steeped in history and tradition, surrounded by love and joy. “It’s perfect.”
He stands up and takes my hand, pulling me into his arms. “You’ve made me the happiest man in the world, bella.”
I peer up, staring into those sinful honey-brown eyes that captured me not that long ago. “I want us to be a family, Leo, in every sense of the word.”
He leans forward and presses his lips to mine, stealing my breath like he does every time he kisses me. I wrap my arms around his middle and hold him tight, wishing we could stay like this forever.
“How about tomorrow?” he asks.
“Tomorrow, what?”
His embrace tightens. “We’ll get married tomorrow.”
“That’s too soon. I need—” I start to say when he cuts me off.
“Your family is already on the way here. I have an appointment set for you at the dress shop in town, and the rings are already being made.”
I blink a few times, totally in shock. “How?”
He’s barely left my side this entire trip. How he had time to pull together a wedding, including flying my family to Italy, is beyond me. I’ve barely had the energy to make it to sunset every night without taking at least one catnap.
“While you sleep,” he says and brushes his lips against mine.
“Oh, well,” I mumble. “Tomorrow.”
I try to let that sink in. Tomorrow, I’ll no longer be Daphne Gallo, I’ll be Daphne Conti. I wonder how Leo would feel if I decided to hyphenate my name, but that conversation can wait until another day.
“A marriage license. We need one.”
“Taken care of, and this is about saying our vows before God more than the law.”
Then there’s no rush to discuss the legalities of which last name I’ll use. I push it to the side, not wanting to ruin this perfect day.
“When does my family land?”
“Your mom is meeting you at the dress shop, and your brothers and father are already back at the hotel.”
“What about your father?”
“He’s at the hotel too.”
I’m speechless. Somehow while we’ve been gone, our fathers have avoided killing each other and kept the truce in place without our having to step in the middle and remind them of their promise. It’s like a modern-day miracle.
Leo places his hands on the sides of my face and stares at me. “I love you, Daphne. I want this day to be perfect. I want you to remember it always.”
“I will.” I rest my forehead against his lips, loving the way his hands feel on me and riding high on cloud nine.
My mother squeals as soon as we walk in the front door of the quaint little dress shop near the café. She rushes toward me with her arms open. I run to her, forgetting about Leo for a second because I’ve missed my mom more than anyone this month.
“Mama,” I say, holding her so tight both of us can barely breathe.
“Baby, I’ve missed you so much.” She buries her face in my hair like she used to do when I was a little girl. “You look so happy.”
“I am,” I whisper in her ear and squeeze her one more time before finally letting go.
“Mrs. Gallo,” Leo says as he stands behind me.
My mother pushes me out of the way and tackle-hugs the man, practically knocking him over. “I’m a hugger,” she tells him like he hasn’t figured that one out yet.
“Well, good thing for you, I like to be hugged.” He laughs and peers at me over my mother’s head because she’s a good foot shorter than him.
“It’s so nice to see you again.” She backs away and touches his chest. “And for such a happy occasion no less.”
I swear she’s kneading his pecs, totally feeling him up. Leo doesn’t seem to mind. He’s standing still, letting her touch him. “I’m just glad Daphne said yes.”
“That would’ve been awkward.” My mother glances over her shoulder at me. “Has she been taking it easy?” she whispers.
“I can hear you.”
“Oh.” She starts to laugh.
I pull my mother away from Leo’s chest. “I’ve been taking it easy. Leo’s made sure of it.”
“We better get started. We don’t have much time, and you have a lot of dresses to try on.”
“She could wear a bag, and she’d be beautiful,” Leo tells my mother before he kisses my cheek. “Spare no expense, bella. Buy anything you want.”
My mother starts to clap. “A man after my own heart,” she says, staring at Leo like he’s Prince Charming. “Now, go. You can’t see the dress.” She shoos him toward the door.
“Have fun, ladies,” Leo tells us before he leaves us alone.
“Tell me he has some major flaw.”
“Ma.” I give her a look.
“What? I may be old, but I’m sure as hell not dead.”
“Soon, we’ll be picking out your dress,” I remind her, wondering what the hell happened to their wedding plans.
“Your father wants to elope to Vegas and be married by an Elvis impersonator.” She rolls her eyes.
“Vegas could be fun.”
“An ex-mobster in a gangster town is not a smart combo, dear.”
“Yeah.” I forgot about Vegas’s illustrious roots, and with my father’s sudden departure from his previous life, it most definitely could be a recipe for disaster.
“We’ll get married at the bar and invite the neighborhood.” She waves her hands toward the dresses. “I don’t need all this after being together for more than three decades.”
I’ll have to plant the bug in my father’s ear. My mother deserves something grand for putting up with his shit for all these years. I wouldn’t have stuck around, waiting for him to grow up and praying every night he didn’t end up in the county morgue.
“You’re never too old for romance, Ma.”
I gaze at Leo as we stand on the altar of the old church, surrounded by our family in an intimate ceremony. The priest is Italian, speaking only a few words of broken English, but it doesn’t matter.
“You look beautiful,” Leo mouths as the priest says a prayer over our rings, blessing them along with our union.
I picked the dress just for him, wanting to knock his socks off with something classy. The bottom of the silk gown pools at my feet and hugs my body in all the right places, even showing off the baby bump perfectly.
Leo’s dressed in a black suit and silver tie, looking every bit as delicious as the night we met. That’s how we ended up in this situation. Me pregnant, and him begging me to be his forever.
My mother sniffles from the first row, always the first one to cry at a wedding. I couldn’t have planned a better wedding myself. I don’t need the flashy reception and hundreds of guests to profess my love and devotion to my future husband and baby’s father.
I’ve learned a lot about Leo, myself, and life during our trip away from our hectic lives in the city.
Life’s sweet and short, needing to be savored like a fine wine instead of chugged like a cheap beer.
Italy has helped me realize that. There’s no rush to be anywhere, meals are an event instead of a necessity, and everything has to do with pleasure.
In Chicago, everything is fast-paced, hectic, and anxiety-ridden. But now, after so long away, I crave the easiness of the tiny villages lined with cobblestone streets which scatter out like a spider web from the center.
Last night after dinner, I told Leo I’d be slowing down when we returned.
I know he thought I was joking, but there’s no way I want to go back to the insanity of running a business when I don’t have to.
I’ll pitch in, but my late-night shifts five days a week are a thing of the past. I want to be the mom who stays home with her baby, cuddling him or her and spoiling them rotten just like my mother did with us.
Memories are our legacy. We’re not remembered for how many hours we worked or the size of our bank account.
Our actions are our imprint on people’s souls.
How we treat others, the time we spend listening, and the way we love deeply are what will stay with a person long after we’re gone.
I want the memories to be sustaining, lasting well beyond my lifetime.
I want to be remembered for touching their souls and leaving a lasting imprint on their hearts.
I want my friends, family, and baby to think of me for the love I showered on them and not for the time I spent chained to a neighborhood bar on the South Side of Chicago.
I want my legacy to be undeniable.