Page 37 of Falling for my Family's Rival

“And we’ll get to live that way for the rest of our lives,” Luca says. “It’s beautiful that we’re making that kind of commitment to each other. Come what may, we will always have one another. One heart, one life, one love.”

I love hearing Luca get poetic about our relationship. He’s passionate about so many things, and I feel lucky to be one of them. We’re well-matched, and I have no doubts about getting married. I wish that things were different with our families, but I hope that, in time, things will calm down and work out. I’m just not willing to wait for that to happen before I start living my life.

Chiara and Angelo arrive, and we all walk over to the courthouse together. Luca and I filled out the paperwork yesterday, so all we have to do is wait for our turn. Once we’re called in, we’ll go before the Justice of the Peace and have a quick ceremony. Then I will be Mrs. Luca Pistilli.

I smooth my simple white dress and fidget with the end of my veil. I’m not nervous, but I know that I want to look nice. Chiara is already taking pictures of us. She’s actually a pretty good photographer, and I’m guessing we’ll have some lovely shots, thanks to her.

Luca takes my hand, and we go to sit on a bench together, just the two of us. He leans close and says, “I hope you don’t feel like you’re missing out on a big grand wedding. Marissa, you’re the most beautiful bride I have ever seen, and I love you so much.”

“This is exactly what I want,” I say. “I love you, too, Luca, and if we could have done this sooner, I would have jumped at the chance.”

We sit in content silence, as we watch other couples head in. We’ll certainly be soon. There is one thing nagging at me, though, and I want to get it off my chest before we go in. I turn to Luca.

“Hey, there’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about,” I say. “I want to start volunteering with the Cranberry Creek Youth Symphony Orchestra and Chorale. I used to play violin and sing for them growing up, and I always thought I’d go into music. Then the restaurant happened, and that dream kind of died.”

“Okay,” Luca says seriously. “That sounds amazing.”

“The only thing is, I’m worried that doing that, volunteering I mean, might get in the way of the plans for the restaurant,” I say. “I think that it might take up a lot of my time, so I know it’s not the ideal moment to do it. That’s why I wanted to bring it up now. I am totally willing to put that on hold, until the restaurant is up and running. I want to be able to support you fully.”

“That is absolutely not necessary,” Luca says. “You should fully pursue your passion. We are partners, and we can both pursue our dreams without sacrificing our happiness. I want you to see where this leads you. If you feel like helping at the restaurant, you’re always more than welcome, but that’s my dream, not yours. We’ll be there for each other all the time.”

Just as we finish our conversation, the officiant calls our names. With Chiara and Angelo trailing behind us, we enter the small room where the ceremony will be held. The walls are beige, and the officiant stands behind a small podium. There isn’t much else here, but this space highlights the significance of what we are doing.

“We are gathered here today to wed Luca and Marissa,” the officiant says. “I understand that you’ve each written short vows that you would like to exchange. Please do so now.”

“Marissa,” Luca says. “I fell in love with you the second I saw you at the masquerade ball. Our connection was instant, and from that moment, I knew that you were the only one for me. I promise to love you for the rest of our lives.”

“Luca,” I say. “I felt the same connection, and also knew that you were the only one for me. We’ve faced some challenges that have brought us together and made us stronger. I know that whatever we face, as long as we face it together, we’ll make it through. I love you so much.”

“Now let us exchange the rings,” the officiant says. We do, and then he says, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may share a kiss.”

Luca leans in and kisses me tenderly on the lips. He lingers for a moment, while Chiara and Angelo cheer softly in the background. When we break apart, I can’t believe that we are actually husband and wife now!

As we make our way outside, I can’t help but bask in the glow of happiness that seems to be radiating out of us from every angle. Chiara has us pose on the courthouse steps, so she can take a bunch more pictures. I appreciate that she’s helping us commemorate the day with such support and excitement.

After that, Chiara and Angelo bid us goodbye, and Luca and I walk to his car. We’re going to go out to dinner to celebrate and then move my things into his apartment. This will be a little tricky to do, since I still live with my parents. But Chiara helped me pack and stash my things in the garage. I’ll call my parents from my new place and bring them up to speed, after I”ve successfully moved out.

As we drive away from the courthouse, I can’t even believe that this is my life. It all feels so surreal. I know that the near future holds some challenges that I’m not exactly looking forward to, but at the same time, I feel confident that Luca and I can face them together.

Twenty-Three

LUCA

We chose to invite both of our families to dinner at Lindy’s Fisherman Inn. It’s outside of Cranberry Creek and is an institution unto itself. Everyone who wants to have a fancy dinner comes here. I know my parents are curious why I asked them out to dinner, especially here, but Angelo says Dad thinks it’s my way to apologize. I hope he isn’t too mad when he finds out the real reason.

We’re already seated, and Marissa is fidgeting with her silverware beside me. “Do we really think this is going to work?” she asks.

“It will, because ultimately they love us, it has to. So yes, I believe it will work,” I say with more confidence than I actually feel.

“I hope so,” she says, hesitantly.

When she moved out, she decided not to tell her parents the whole truth. She just said that an opportunity presented itself, and she had to take it. That was a week ago, and I know that the guilt has been eating at her ever since. That’s what spurred us to invite them all here tonight. We don’t want to live in the shadows and keep telling white lies to the people we love most.

Our families arrive at the exact same time, because well, hey, we need that tension. The moment our fathers see each other, their faces get red. Our mothers look confused. Chiara and Angelo hang back, clearly not wanting to be here, but having no other choice.

“Hey everyone, thanks for coming,” I say before any heated words can be exchanged. “Why don’t you all sit down, and we’ll share why we invited you all here tonight. Please?”

As soon as everyone is seated, I raise my water glass, and I say, “Before we order, I have a toast to make. Once I’m finished, you are all welcome to ask us any questions you might have. But, here goes: I offer a toast to me and Marissa here. We got married last week!”

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