Chapter Fifty-eight Jennifer
Chapter Fifty-eight
Jennifer
Yeah, well… Shit. When I told Daniel the completely abnormal and overexaggerated plans for my wedding dress, I was joking.
I mean, really, joking.
God. Fuck me.
He did get me a huge, white dress with enough tulle for me to have trouble walking in—don’t even get me started on the sitting down part—and sparkles that will ruin at least 99% of the pictures. Oh, and don’t forget about the veil. The goddamn veil.
Have I mentioned it is exactly three meters long? Just as I told him?
I’m so gonna trip over it.
“Do you like your hair? Your makeup?” Katya asks.
We haven’t seen each other in a while now. Months, to be exact.
The last time we’ve met was at Lilia’s funeral. They didn’t attend Vittorio’s, being too stressed with their baby being sick, but obviously, everyone understood. That girl needed rest.
Katya did send us a few pictures of her sweet girl though. It brightened our day, even if not completely.
But honestly? I’m so glad that Yuri and Katya are here for the wedding.
A huge amount of anxiety suddenly started to flood my body the second I woke up this morning. When I looked at Daniel, all I could think of was the number of eyes which will be on me today.
But… Knowing Victoria and Katya will take care of me?
It felt like the biggest relief ever.
“It looks amazing. How are you so talented?” I gasp, looking at myself in the mirror.
Victoria is sitting on the sofa across the room, holding Katya’s Babygirl in her arms. Mary and Enzo are with Yuri.
Honestly, I was skeptical about leaving my girl with him, but I’m close with Katya. We’ve been calling sometimes, even if we didn’t have the time to meet.
And seriously, she’s married to him, and their baby is on Vicky’s arm.
Mary is safe with him. I know it. Oh, and in case she’s not, I am going to torture him. But I’ve already mentioned that to Katya, and she just laughed it off, telling me that Yuri is an absolute sucker for kids.
He's fucking scary, that’s what he is. I’m hoping he’s like my husband. Um, soon-husband.
He’s especially protective of his little girl.
It does really remind me of Daniel. The way he’s been treating Mary for the last few months. The way he’s been spoiling her, taking both me and her to so many places in the world.
Paris, Tokyo, Berlin, Mexico City, Miami—Yes, I did get him to take us to Miami. Surprising, huh?
I expected him to take us to another beach from Chicago, look at us and say something such as “it’s the same. Get over it.”
But well, what can I say?
One pair of puppy eyes were almost enough. And when I told my girl about the idea, and one pair became two, he immediately gave in.
Sure, he could’ve said no. He just didn’t want to. You have no idea how much I love him for that.
And today? Well, today we’re making sure that the promises we whisper to each other at night will stay true.
Looking into the mirror, looking at my makeup, my hair, the dress, the veil hanging over the sofa—it almost makes me tear up.
Katya gasps. “Don’t you dare!”
I laugh, holding my tears back. “I am so sorry, I swear.”
Vicky’s laugh tunes into ours, and so, we all laugh and share recent stories and some gossip before it’s time for the ceremony.
It’s peaceful. Soft. Comforting. It helps to take the anxiety out which has been infesting my body these days.
But there’s something missing. Or, rather, someone. Lilia. Vittorio. My mom…
Today is supposed to be perfect. And I have a feeling it will be close to it.
But without them here, it can’t feel complete. They will always be missing.
I still think of Julian these days.
And I hope the bastard is burning in hell, regretting his actions as he sees how good Daniel and I are off without him.
The Caruso business has been taking off again recently. But Daniel? He’s not working much.
Hayden is doing the most work. And with Daniel always watching him, praising him, and staying with me and Mary, I have a feeling that soon, the leader of the family will have a different name.
I could be wrong, of course, but… Something deep inside of me wishes that he’d give up the leading role.
It doesn’t have to be the whole business thing. I just…
I just want my husband out of direct danger. I want him with me. Safely.
Of course, I know giving Mary a normal life isn’t possible anymore. It hasn’t been, ever since her father left.
But Daniel is filling all the holes.
As much as I want a normal, peaceful life with him—I know he wouldn’t want that.
He needs the drama. The action. Not too much, but just a little adrenaline.
He needs it. And I can’t take that away from him. All I can do is keep Mary safe.
All I can do is love Daniel and trust him to keep me and our daughter safe.
The music begins.
Not the cliché wedding march, thank God—Katya and Victoria would’ve told me I’m insane—but something soft. Classical with a bit of modern piano woven in. I can't focus on the notes, though. My heartbeat is louder.
It feels like my pulse is gonna rip through my skin any second. Fuck.
My hand clutches the bouquet of pink roses tighter. I’ve mentioned liking roses a while ago, and while I don’t have a favorite color—I like all of them—Daniel knew Mary’s favorite.
Of course he was gonna get me pink roses.
Shit.
The veil already feels like a storm cloud hanging off my head, heavy with nerves and emotion.
Why did we choose a summer wedding? It’s way too hot, I’m already starting to sweat, and it’s probably not even going to take a minute until I trip over either my dress or my vail and blame myself in front of his whole family and friends.
Fuck, mind, please stop racing. Stop thinking.
What do I do to make all this stop? More importantly, why am I out here alone? Isn’t someone supposed to walk me inside?
Keep your cool, Jennifer. You got this. You killed a man with a gun for fuck’s sake; you can do this as well.
Right. Right?
When I finally look up, my face full of panic… I see her.
My mom.
Mom? What is she doing here? Isn’t she—
She steps out from behind the open door, eyes wide and glassy with tears, and for a moment, I genuinely forget how to breathe.
“What—?” I gasp, blinking, because there’s no way. She wasn’t supposed to be here. She couldn’t be here.
When I called her, telling her everything—okay, not everything—that happened, she mentioned being sorry. She mentioned not being able to come here.
She cried on the phone with me! Why is she here now? How is she here now? She has work, not enough money to fly here, what?
She walks toward me, that familiar soft smile on her face I haven’t seen for a long time now. God, it must have been years. Her arms open, and I let the bouquet fall against my dress just to hold her.
“You didn’t think you’d do this without me, did you?” she whispers.
I laugh, even though my throat tightens with a lump so sharp it hurts. “But how…?”
She just leans close to my ear and says, “He made it happen. Daniel.”
And just like that, the anxiety vanishes. It’s still there—buzzing under my skin—but I can breathe now. The dress doesn’t feel as tight as it felt before anymore.
I know I’m doing the right thing. Because Daniel knows what I need even when I don’t say it out loud.
Shit. I’ll never regret marrying this wonderful man.
He’s way too perfect to even exist. Is this a dream?
He does quite anything for me, and I’ll make sure to do the same.
Just to show him how truly and deeply I really love him.
“Are you ready?” My mom whispers, linking her arm into mine. I nod, holding back my tears.
As much as I love Katya’s makeup skills, I don’t want to find out what she does in case I ruin it before I even say the yes word.
I nod, taking a deep breath before she leads me towards the entrance, my feet barely being able to carry me.
I swear I almost fall over the dress at the stairs, but I am able to keep my composure and just continue walking like I’m expected to.
I’m going to be honest.
The second I put my foot into the church, walking down the aisle and staring right at Daniel waiting for me, I couldn’t stop my tears.
Katya is going to kill me, but I couldn’t care less.
My eyes stay focused on him, our eyes locking and searching for the words we can’t say yet.
The music gets pushed to the background, my mind shutting everything away except from him.
All I can see is him.
I don’t pay attention to my mom, Andrew, Victoria, and Mary, who’s probably bouncing in her seat at the sight of my dress—nobody else matters.
It’s just him and me.
When my mother lets go of me and goes to her seat in the first row, I finally look at it. It’s a subtle glance, and yet, there’s so much behind it.
My mother is here. Mary is right next to her. Enzo, Katya and Yuri are here. Andrew and Victoria are watching, as well.
But there are two empty seats.
And when I look back at Daniel, spotting his eyes wander towards the seats as well, I know who they’re for.
No one says it. They don’t have to.
We both know who should’ve been sitting there.
Vittorio and Lilia Caruso.
Daniel doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t cry. But his eyes—God, his eyes—carry that storm he never lets loose. The storm I’ve seen since I’ve met him.
And maybe today, I’ll carry a piece of it for him. Just for a while.
He looks back at me then.
Just a blink. But it’s enough. I feel the ache melt into something warm again.
His chest rises and falls, slow, controlled, like he’s reminding himself this is still real.
That I’m really walking toward him. That even in the absence of the people we lost, love is still here. Still alive. Still worth everything.
I wipe a tear from my cheek, ruining Katya’s hard work even more, but I smile anyway.
Because in just a few steps, I’ll be his wife.
And no one—living or dead—can take that from us.
The second I walk up at him, standing in front of him, he takes my hands in his, looking at the dress.
“I knew this dress looks good, but you make it look even more amazing than I could’ve imagined.”