My Big Fat Fake Wedding(102)

“When you came to me saying you were marrying Violet, I remembered an old dream I had,” Mom says vacantly, looking out the window again. “It was soon after Abigail and Violet became friends, and she’d invited Violet over for a sleepover.”

“Which time? She was always over here.” The attempt at lightness falls flat as Mom cuts her eyes back to me.

Mom takes another sip of her tea and nods. “She was. But this time, you spent all day being the most annoying pain in the ass a big brother could be. When the girls wanted to swim, you complained they were splashing too much. When they played inside, you complained they were too loud and disrupting your homework. You, of all people, complaining about being able to do homework.”

“If I remember right, you said I could sleep outside then.”

Mom nods. “And that night, when you’d gotten your sleeping bag arranged in Abigail’s treehouse, I noticed something. From this window, I could see both your and Abi’s rooms, and you were looking up there at Violet. And I just had this vision, a dream. I brushed it off at the time, though I did wonder when you two would fight so fiercely through high school. Love and hate are such a thin line, and you lost interest in everyone else so readily, but never Violet. And the engagement brought it back around.”

“I’m sorry, Mom. Truly, but I’m going to make this right.”

“How?” Mom asks, her eyes starting to water. “How can you make it right?”

“I don’t know,” I admit honestly, “but I’m going to.” I reach out and take her hand, “Mom, it started out because I was trying to get Dad off my back and because Violet wanted to do right by Papa. But over the last two weeks, or maybe you’re right and it started long ago . . . but when I stood up there yesterday, I meant every word I said to Violet.”

Mom looks at me hopefully, swallowing. “You mean . . . ?”

“I mean I’ve got some things to do, some people to talk to . . . maybe some asses to kick, and a few lumps to take.”

Mom smiles and stands up. “Then go take care of them.”





Chapter 26





Violet—Sunday—1 Day After the Wedding





The dawn breaks bright through the hospital’s waiting room window, waking me up from the fitful sleep I finally found about three in the morning.

My spine feels like someone’s filled it with glass and then beaten it with a rolling pin and my neck, especially, is cricked in a way that makes me wonder if I’m going to need a chiropractor stat. I can barely feel my toes, and my left wrist hurts from cradling my head while I slept.

But nothing hurts worse than my chest, where my heart thuds hollowly. The one kindness is that Abi brought me some clothes and helped me change out of my wedding dress late last night before she went home to get some sleep. She promised to be back today, though, which I’m glad for because I feel so alone and so scared.

My family fills the entirety of the hospital’s waiting room, sprawled over every chair and piled up in the corners, leaning on each other. But only Nana and Aunt Sofia are willing to sit on this side of the room. Mom and the triplets sit across from me, glaring at every opportunity. And my cousins mostly just look confused and concerned, but they understand the basics of what I’ve done and choose to go the safe route of the majority and ignore me.

Nobody sits within three seats of me, and I fidget to try and get back to some feeling in my right foot because my bladder’s screaming at me that it was a really, really stupid idea to drink that last coffee at two o’clock this morning.

Finally, I can’t hold it any longer and go waddling out of the waiting room, wincing with every step until I’m all the way to the ladies’ room. After I’m done, I wash my face, looking down at the streaky mess that comes away in my hands, the stubborn remnants of yesterday’s makeup that withstood the tears of the night. Using the harsh soap by the sink, I scrub at my face, wishing I could wash away the last twelve hours as easily.

When I come back to the waiting room, a few more people are awake, and a doctor is talking with Nana. She nods, then points toward me. I can read her lips even from the doorway. “There she is.”

Oh, great, what did I do now?

“Miss Russo?” the doctor says, giving me a supportive smile. It’s the first one I can remember seeing since yesterday, and I feel myself tearing up again before I can blink them back.

“Yes?”

“We’re allowing a few people in to see him. You should prepare yourself. He’s on machines, so we have him heavily sedated, but he’s made it through the night. Angela said you should go first.”

I swallow and look over at Nana. “Are you sure?” I ask, feeling like she should be the first to go in, or Mom, maybe. Not me, when this whole thing is my fault.

Nana nods. “Stefano and I have had many conversations about his health, his life, and yes, even his passing. There is nothing I need to say to him that I haven’t already said many times over. But I don’t think that’s true for you. Go to him, open your heart, and be at peace, Violet.”

Though her words are a balm to my soul, I can hear that she’s exhausted. I doubt she slept at all, instead staying awake to be the rock of our family and provide comfort to everyone else, just like she’s doing for me. I love her so much.