Page 136 of 7+Us Makes Nine

Arianna

I realized that I had quite a bit to learn about married life—mainly learning the importance of trust. As it turns out, the woman I’d seen with Giovanni at the nightclub really had been his cousin. He showed me pictures of the two of them growing up together, and even let me speak with her on

the phone.

“I’m sorry, Gio. You just have to understand, I’m new to all of these feelings,” I said, after getting off the phone with Maria Romano.

“It’s all right. I’m willing to help you adjust,” he said, kissing my neck as we lied across my bed. My entire body tingled with how badly I already wanted him again, but it was getting late, and I didn’t want my parents to find him here—to find us together in such a compromised position. Thankfully they had been gone when I had gotten home.

I sighed. “You need to get out of here, Gio. I don’t want my parents to find us like this.”

He laughed. “All the more reason I can’t wait to get this wedding over with.”

“Tell me about it,” I said, laughing as I watched him put his clothes back on. I walked him to the door and kissed him before letting him out. “I’m going to talk to my parent's first thing in the morning to let them know the wedding is back on.”

He stood on the doorstep, his hands in his pocket and his head tilted to the side.

“What?”

“Let’s do it next week.”

“The wedding?”

He nodded. “Yeah. Why not? The sooner, the better, right?”

* * *

The last 24 hours had been a whirlwind, to say the least. But it was a relief to know that things were finally on the right path.

I ventured into the kitchen, where I heard my parents making breakfast.

“Good morning,” my mother said, smiling. “Did you have a good night with your friends?”

My cheeks began to burn, and I suppressed a smile that would have surely revealed how my night had ended. “Yeah,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Good.”

Daddy turned toward me with a mug of coffee in his hands. “Well, I’ve spoken with the Romanos and—”

“Wait one second,” I said, cutting him off. “That’s actually what I want to talk to you both about…”

Daddy raised his eyebrows, and Mama turned away from the oven, where she’d been removing a batch of buttermilk biscuits.

I took a seat at the kitchen table. “Well, I don’t know how else to say this, so I guess I’ll just keep it short and sweet—Giovanni and I are going to get married. The wedding is back on, and we want to do it next week.”

Mama remained perfectly still, and Daddy set his coffee down on the table.

“What did you just say?” he asked after a prolonged pause.

“The wedding is back on. Me and Giovanni—we just had a terrible misunderstanding. It’s all been worked out now though. And we want to be married again.”

Daddy scratched his head. “Ari, how—?”

But with a swift motion of her hand, Mama silenced him. “Are you sure this is what you want, honey?”

I nodded and smiled. “Yes, it’s exactly what I want.”

“Well then—as long as you’re happy.” She came to the kitchen table and wrapped me in a hug.

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