Page 24 of Loving Her

“I’m fine, sweetheart.” Elena stretched and wiggled her toes. “Just enjoying the last few minutes of freedom my tootsies are gonna have for a while. Don’t you worry about me. I’m just fine.”

Meanwhile, Sasha was somehow as jittery as though this were her own wedding.Fat chance. “You’re not… I don’t know. Nervous? Excited?”

“Honey, Danny is my baby boy and I love him, but he’s the fourth of my kids to get married.” Elena smiled, and Sasha saw so much of Ruby in the glowing good humor of it. “Of course I’m excited! But it’s gonna be a long day, I’m not burning up my energy too early.” She pointed to the shoes. “I need all my reserves to deal with wearing those and still get in a few dances at the reception while my temper’s sweet.”

Sasha eyed the shoes. Unlike Ruby’s shoes with their barely an inch block heel, Elena’s shoes sported a slender, three-inch stiletto. “Why on Earth did you choose that heel?”

Looking almost affronted, Elena sat up straighter and yanked up the knee-length skirt of her pink dress, lifting one stockinged leg into the air and pointing her toes. “Because I may be in my sixties, but I’ve still got great legs! I’ll be wearing heels until I break a hip.”

It was an effort not to choke herself laughing. Elena really was so much like her younger daughter, down to the twinkle in her eyes. “Got it. Fair point.”

Swinging her feet down to the floor, Elena stood up and walked over to Sasha. She reached up to cup Sasha’s face in her hands and pulled her down for a forehead kiss and a smile. “You have been a gem this week, my darling. I really can’t thank you enough for helping out as much as you have. I know Rose and Cecelia appreciate you lending a hand in the kitchen.” Herface was soft with fondness. “I’m so glad my Ruby has found a wonderful woman like yourself to bring home.”

Guilt pierced Sasha’s heart. The Fierellis were such an amazing family, and had been so kind to her, and she and Ruby had been lying to them this whole week. It was going to be as painful to leave them behind as it would be to give up on her dream of being able to love Ruby for real. She had come to adore them, to feel accepted into their fold.

What would Ruby tell them? How would their “breakup” go? As good a writer as Ruby was, Sasha was sure it would be heartwrenching. And as close as they were—even closer now after this week, the last few months—she trusted that it would be something that was kind to her.

Still, it was a depressing thought, a dream popping like a balloon in a plane engine. She sighed, and Elena cocked her head to look at her with concern. “What’s the matter, Sasha? On a day like this, you look so sad.”

“Just… I don’t want this to end,” Sasha said truthfully. “You’ve all been wonderful. I can’t believe it’s almost over and we leave the day after tomorrow.”

“Why borrow tomorrow’s troubles today? You set that aside.” Elena gave Sasha’s cheek a brisk little pat. “Right now is for happy thoughts, we’re celebrating!”

“You’re right,” Sasha agreed. Itwouldbe a long day if she moped about their departure. And anyway, she did love weddings. She shook off her sadness and stood up straight. “Of course you’re right.”

“There we go, that’s my girl.” Stepping back, Elena clapped her hands and sat down to pull her shoes on. “Besides, you might leave in two days, but who knows? Maybe in a year or two you’ll come back and we’ll do all of this again with you and Ruby, hm?”

“Hmm,” Sasha squeaked out, and fled the room.

“By the power vested in me by the Lord God Our Father and the State of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.” Father De Palma was beaming as he watched Danny swoop Angela into his arms and dip her back for a passionate kiss. As they stood back up flushed and delighted, he spread his arms wide. “Mr. and Mrs. Daniel James Fierelli, everybody!”

The string quartet in the back corner of the sanctuary struck up Mendelssohn’s iconic wedding march and everyone stood up to cheer as Daniel and Angela walked and waved their way down the aisle. Ruby followed along behind, grateful for waterproof mascara and the best setting spray she could find at the drugstore. Tears had started running down her cheeks at the I Do’s and she didn’t anticipate them stopping until the Fierellis and Pausinis were partying their asses off at the reception.

As she passed Sasha, she reached out her hand for a quick squeeze. They both laughed helplessly at each other when they realized they were both crying like babies. Shaking her head, Ruby sailed on down the aisle and out the church doors to get to the limo that was taking the wedding party to the Grand Colony Ballroom. She cast a weather eye towards the sky, happy to see it was clear as a bell and blue as a baby’s eyes. Between that and her nearly flat shoes, there would be no repeats of her and Michael’s disastrous senior prom night.

Michael. She’d seen him on the groom’s side with his husband Gray. They’d been holding hands and looking weepy, and at one point Gray laid his head on Michael’s shoulder in a gesture so intimate and sweet that Ruby wanted to bitesomething to relieve the furious envy that sprang up in her gut. God, she wanted that.

Don’t you know you have it? Danny’s voice echoed in her head, and she nearly did trip down the steps of St. Clare’s. Dante, behind her, grabbed her upper arms and kept her upright. “Whoa, baby sis. You good?”

“Yep, yep, no problem.” Her heart was racing. “Get me into the limo and a glass of champagne in my hand.”

It had not escaped her notice that for someone who rarely drank, she was really getting through the bubbles this week. Fortunately, her family hadn’t seemed to notice. Dante kept a firm hand on her elbow and escorted her to their limo, where she was duly installed into a seat and presented with a glass of Cristal.

And then another one.

By the time they were all loaded in and had gotten to the Grand Colony, she was three glasses deep on an empty stomach.

Oops.

Sasha had ridden with the parents and partners to the reception hall and was waiting outside when the wedding party limo pulled up. Her face was astonished as Ruby toddled her way out and towards her. “Have you already been drinking?” she whispered with concern, and Ruby giggled even as she melted internally at someone being worried for her.

“Yes, and I need snacks now, please,” she whispered back, tucking her arm through Sasha’s with a little thrill.

“Got it. You don’t have to be in the receiving line, right?”

“No, I am free to sit down and eat crud… croo… croupiers.”

“Crudités,” Sasha replied, and was she stifling laughter? “I think I’ll get you something a little more substantial… and a glass of apple juice.”

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