A Girl in Red

33| WEDDING DAY

I shrug, "I'm in a surprisingly cheerful mood, it's my wedding day."

Bea clears her throat, "Two minutes."

I nod at her as I take in my mother's face. "I'm glad you came."

"Me too, you look so beautiful, my little skunk." Mom uses her old nickname for me and for the first time in forever my heart warms at it.

"Don't call me that," I complain.

"I know, you hate it," she chuckles, "You do look wonderful, so grown up. It's like I blinked and suddenly you were twenty-four."

"You missed most of the growing up process." I state.

"I've made many mistakes with you." She declares as a tear falls down her cheeks, "And if I'm being completely honest, the anger I had towards your father I put upon you because I loved him so much it hurt. I can't change what I've done and I know a part of you will never forgive me, but I wanted to be here. So maybe one day, you can say I was here for one of the biggest moments of your life."

"You're right, I don't think I can ever forgive you." I blink back the tears threaten to spill. "But maybe...maybe you won't always be this monster in my head. I don't want to hate you forever."

Mother smiles, genuinely, and I give her a soft one in return. "I gotta go before anyone finds out I'm here, you have a good life, Francesca."

I nod, "You too, Mother."

She grabs a tray and slips out of the room. My heart hurts for some weird reason. I wanted get back, I wanted her to hold me like I was four, again. She was gone, Mikayla Deacon has always been a ghost in my life — barely there and when she was I never wanted her to be. Now that I wanted her to be, she couldn't be and that was the most frustrating thing of all. How can you hate someone and still love them?

Bea touched my shoulder softly and I snap back into focus. I give her a half smile. "You ready?"

"As ready as anyone can ever be." I adjust my tuxedo as Bea places my bouquet in my hands and I step into the hallway.

Everyone glances at me nervously as I take my place at the end of the line. I can hear the soft chatter of the entire mafia world outside the French doors. I can't see them because I have to walk around a curve but my stomach flips at the idea of thousands of them. They were all waiting patiently to see two women get married — one of those women being the leader of the Northern Dragons mafia. It was insane and nerve wracking.

I look at the curtain that is separating me from seeing Alana way at the end of the hallway. I know there are identical French doors that will open when the song starts, our bridesmaids will go before us and then we'll both get to walk down the aisle. I square my shoulders as Bea speaks into her headset. "One...two...three..."

The doors open and the song begins its descent through the garden. A sweet melody being played on a live piano just around the bend of the walkway fills the air and warms every part of my body. The flower girls Kloe, Noah, and Amerie, three of Alana's cousins, all grin as they walk forward and begin throwing the rose petals onto the ground. I can hear everyone laugh and giggle once the girls come into view.

Then a stunning Lexi takes her first step forward and my heart thunders with each step she takes until she disappears around the bend. Brooklyn turns around and adjusts my suit before patting me on the shoulders. I watch her face and she looks like she's trying to get her her own wits.