My eyelashes flutter as I open, and my eyes widen at the person standing in front of me right as Mya fluffs out my train. Holy freaking shit, I feel and look beautiful. The dress hugs my curves the way I dream other clothes would. It makes my waist appear smaller when in fact is not. It makes my cleavage look sexy but not too much. My heart and my mind are for once in agreement that this is the dress I’m to marry a stranger in. At least the dress will be the only good thing out of this horrible day looming over my head.
Meeting Mya’s gaze in the mirror, she asks, “Are you ready to go out to the firing squad?”
Feeling confident, I say, “Yes, I am. I’m ready.”
She helps me step down and gathers some of the material so I can walk out to the show room.
My mother is talking to my sister, who has a blank look across her face. But when she notices me walking out, her face lights up like a kid on Christmas morning. Right then, I know that my sister is on my side. My mother turns her head and her Botoxed face tries to frown at my entrance in the dress.
I step on the stand in front of the mirrors, I turn to face my mother and sister.
My sister is the first one to speak. “Izzy! You look fucking stunning! You are beautiful already, but this dress brings out the sparkle in your eye. This is you, sis.” Her eyes start to water, which in turn makes mine, but I blink them back in fear of a tongue lashing from my mother.
“I guess this will have to do, Isabella. It appears to be the only dress in this god-awful store that seems to fit you.” My mother rolls her eyes and dismisses Mya. “Thank heavens you will not need any alterations. That means, my dear daughter, no eating the junk you eat daily.”
Lucia turns to our mother and says, “Mother, I think maybe for once you try being encouraging to Isabella. It’s not every day your family marries you off to a stranger like some barbaric custom. This is not the 1800s or something.”
“Lucia, please darling. This is what grown-ups do. You’re too young to understand at your age.” Our mother ignoring anything my sister said to her. Turning her focus back to Mya. “Let me know how much the dress is. The exact one she has on since we will be taking it with us today.” She reaches into her purse to grab her black card to hand to Mya. “Just put it on this.”
I can feel the tension in the room grow minute by minute. Suddenly, this special moment I haved before my mother looks or speaks to me is gone. Reality comes crashing in.
“Did you hear anything I just said to you?” Lucia pauses with the fork of salad halfway to her mouth.
My mind was not here mentally, and I heard nothing she said. I kept thinking of how lately it feels like someone is either watching me or stalking me. I’m not sure which is worse. My skin seemed hot with a cold shiver going down my spine. I couldn’t put my finger on it. Which is strange because at the coffee shop I stop at daily, I felt it there too. It’s bizarre, and it’s probably the anxiety leading up to this shame of a wedding. My mind is playing tricks on me.
Clearing my throat, I say, “Um, no. Sorry.” I look down at my untouched salad in front of me.
My sister tilts her head to the side after she takes a bite. She stares at me for a moment while she chews. “You know, you could have told mom and dad to suck it. Right?”
My eyes widen at her suggestion. “And to have a death wish? No thanks, Luc. If it’s not me, then it would be you or even them marrying Joseph off to some mafia princess. I couldn’t do that to either of you. Plus, we all know there is no love lost between our parents and me. You and Joseph can do no wrong in their eyes, whereas I am the failure.”
I let the words fall out of my mouth and float around in the air around us. I’m not wrong in what I have said, and it’s not the first time I have talked about this with my sister.
Placing her fork down on the table, she leans forward. “I know this is not what you want to do. You don’t want to be someone’s property and to be treated like a mafia baby making machine. No, big sis, I know you want to be loved by someone who worships the ground you walk on. Treat, you like the queen you are. Love you more than life itself.” She pauses and to gesture to something behind me. “Like that couple over there in the corner of this café. Not a care in the world, just lost in each other’s eyes like some romance movie or romance book. That right there iswhat you deserve, not this marrying you off to benefit the family in some sick twisted gain. It’s gross.”
I watch the couple. How they smile at each other. How he tucks the loose strand of hair behind her ear before he kisses her softly on the cheek. How her eyes flutter at the touch of his lips. How he places his arm around her back to pull her closer into the seat to be next to him. Like he can’t stand being apart from her. If he were, it would be as if he could not breathe, and his world would end without her in it.
That is not how the cookie crumbles for me and the life I was born into. I’m at the mercy of my parents, to please them and the family.
Turning my head back to my sister, I say, “Lucia, there is no changing their minds on this. It is what it is. This is the life we were born into and the only life we know. It was written out for us before we even took our first breath, and you know that. We do what we must do for the family to survive.”
Stabbing her salad with anger, she says, “Well, it’s gross and dumb.”
Moving my own lunch around on my plate, taking in her words when I get the sense of a pair of eyes watching me. The cold shiver falling down my spine makes me shift in my chair. Looking over my shoulder, I don’t see anyone out of the ordinary, just the people talking, laughing and eating in the café. Turing my head back, I roll my shoulders and my neck to erase whatever I’m feeling. Again, it’s just the anxiety over everything recently, and hopefully, when this wedding over with, maybe it will go away.
Or at least, I think it will.
My eyes are scanning over the documents from our last shipment, the club the night prior and many other businesses. Money has been flowing in nicely and our business are growing immensely, but there is still the issue with the dock’s that is causing the throbbing content headache. I decide to turn on the listening app on Isabella with hopes that it might give me some information on her father or Ian. Neither of those things are spoken when my head snaps up when I hear Isabella is at the doctor.
“Good afternoon, Miss Costa. It’s good to see you.” The man’s voice burns into my ear, and my lip curls.
“Hello, Doctor Scala.” Her voice is soft and timid. I shut my computer firmly to focus on why she is at the doctor’s. “It’s good to see you as well.”
“I hear a congratulations are in order for you, dear.” The doctor beams through the speaker.
She chuckles softly. “Thank you, Doctor Scala”
“You’re very welcome! He is a very lucky man.” He shuffles before he sits down. “Then it’s good thing we had your testing done as your mother requested. I know she has voiced her concerns. But at our last appointment, you voiced concern on how long your periods were lasting and the pain.” I hear him clicking on what I can assume is his computer. “Your test results came back in, and I wanted to speak with you in person rather than going over them on the phone. Plus, it’s easier if you have questions.” There is a clicking and typing sound before heopens his mouth again. “Have you heard of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome?”
