“Would you be okay with it?” Massimo asked me apologetically, then looked deferentially towards Cat. “And if it’s okay with the bride.”

I looked at Cat. “Fine by me, if it’s cool with you.”

Cat laughed. “It would bewonderful!”

Lucia jumped out of the pews, ran up the steps, and got up on her tiptoes. Massimo leaned over and kissed her.

“We’re gonna have to have another wedding in Venice, though, ‘cause my Nonna willkillme if she doesn’t get to watch me walk up the aisle,” Lucia warned.

“Maybe we should wait, then,” Massimo suggested.

“Eh, she’ll get over it,” Lucia said and grabbed his arm. “Let’s do it!”

The priest, however, was not pleased.

“This isHIGHLYirregular,” he sniffed.

Dario narrowed his eyes, then pulled out the rest of the bills and held them up.

The priest grumbled…

Then took the bills and shoved them in his cassock.

“Is there anyoneelsewho wants to join the wedding party?” he asked sarcastically.

“Actually…” Lars said.

We all looked at him in surprise.

Rachel stared at him, too. “Are you serious?!”

“We’ve waited five years,” he said. “I don’t want to wait anymore.”

She stared at him some more –

And then a grin slowly crept over her face.

“Okay,” she agreed, then looked at me and Cat. “If it’s alright with you two.”

“The more the merrier!” Cat cried out.

Alessandra was jumping up and down, she was so happy.

“Is there room for one more?” Roberto asked.

Everyone turned to him in shock – including Mei-ling.

“What?!” she whispered.

“Marry me,” he said.

Mei-ling tried to suppress a smile, like there was some secret joke they shared.

“…no,” she whispered.

“Marryme,” Roberto repeated.

“…nooo,” she murmured with a coquettish smile.