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At the sound of heels, I whirled around. “Seriously, Bella? A limo?”
Bella opened her mouth to protest, but a voice behind her interrupted her. “Don’t blame your sister, Gabriella.”
Glancing past Bella, I saw my father standing on the landing with an enormous grin stretched across his handsome face. Although he was in his early fifties, he still looked like the guy on the album covers from his twenties. Bella and I teased him about his vanity. Especially the way he kept the gray out of his hair with monthly salon visits as well as occasionally getting Botox. Of course, he always lied and said he was just taking Mom to get it. He still drove women to distraction, which in turn, caused my mother to curse him in Italian.
“I should’ve known it was you who ordered a limo,” I said as he made his way down the stairs.
With a wink, Dad said, “Oh yes, the blame lies entirely with your papi.”
I grinned. “My verypretentiouspapi.”
Throwing up his hands, he replied, “How else could I possibly have my daughters arrive if not in style?”
“Per the traditions of this Hindu Fusion wedding, it’s Mason and his groomsmen who are supposed to have the grand arrival at the Sangeet,notthe bridal party,” I countered.
Dad cocked his brows. “Do you honestly think yours will be the only limousine?”
“Why do I get the sneaking suspicion this has more to do with you performing tonight than it does with Bella’s and my arrival?”
Dad had originally hoped that Mason and Laurel would ask him to perform at the wedding. However, Mason’s aunt Emma had an amazing voice that would be better served singingAve Maria. Thankfully, they had healed his slightly wounded feelings by asking him instead to perform at the Sangeet.
Sweeping a hand to his chest, Dad said, “Your insinuation about my inflated ego deeply wounds me.”
After stepping out into the foyer, my mother countered, “Please, Amorcito Mio. You know it’s the truth.”
As Bella and I laughed, Dad groaned. “Where’s Alex? I’m outnumbered by estrogen.”
Mom playfully swatted his arm. “This has nothing to do with estrogen, and everything to do with your big head.” Before Dad could argue with her anymore, Mom turned her attention to me and Bella. “Don’t you two look stunning,” she gushed.
“I could say the same about you,” I replied. Just like Dad, Mom didn’t look in her fifties. Her long dark hair fell in waves down her back while her dark eyes sparkled. While Bella and Alex were Dad’s twins, I favored my mom. We had the same nose and lips, and our hair was slightly lighter than the others in our family.
Not only had she outfitted the bridal party, but Bella had designed saris for my mom along with pajama kurtas for my dad and brother. Although we were all outfitted in the same color, our saris were different.
“As usual the Resendiz clan is going to knock ‘em dead,” Dad mused. Nudging my shoulder, he added, “Right, Gaby?”
I swallowed hard. “Yeah,” I squeaked.
As Mom shouted for Alex and Bella went in search of him, Dad cocked his brows at me. “That didn’t sound too convincing.”
“You know me and my stage fright.”
Shaking his head, Dad countered, “You were made for the stage.”
“That’s Bella and Alex, not me.”
“You have something neither of them do.”
“Wider hips?” I joked.
With a no-nonsense look, Dad said, “That is not it, and you know it.”
“Fine. Enlighten me.”
Dad pointed to the left side of my chest. “You have the heart.”
“And exactly how is that going to help me?”
“Because it means you feel more. You experience things more deeply.” He took me by the shoulders. “Tonight when it’s time for you to lead the dance, turn your brain off, and lead with your heart. Listenonlyto the beat of your heart.”
