Mafia's Desire

24

I was beaming with excitement as I stood next to Eloise on her big day. The most important day of her life, right after the birth of her son. I couldn't be more honored that she had chosen me to stand next to her on this day as she married the love of her life.

She'd asked me just two weeks ago to be her maid of honor and I was elated to be that person for her.

"Fuck it," I heard Arsenio whisper a few feet away. Eloise had just walked down the aisle to him in her beautiful white wedding gown.

He bent down to kiss his bride as she stopped in front of him. "Couldn't wait," he said loud enough for the guests to hear, but he was speaking directly to Eloise.

I laughed a little bit and caught Ermanno's gaze from across the floor. He looked striking in the dark gray suit he wore. I prayed the blush on my face wasn't visible to the crowd of mafia members that I had yet to properly meet as I thought of peeling Ermanno out of that suit.

He also held baby Coda in his arms as Eloise and Arsenio wanted him to be a part of the ceremony. And something deep within me was obsessed with the way he looked with a child in his arms. Obsessed.

"Dearly beloved," the priest began. "We are gathered here tonight to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. Arsenio Campione, do you take this woman to be your wife, to live together in holy matrimony, to love her, to honor her, to comfort her, and to keep her in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?" The Priest asked.

Arsenio grabbed Eloise's hands in his and gazed into her eyes. It was clear no one else mattered to him at that moment. Just the woman he was marrying. "Of course," he said.

I smiled at his declaration rather than a traditional "I do." It was precious. When he realized his mistake, he smiled at her and then said "I do," causing the crowd to laugh.

"Eloise Markov, do you take this man to be your husband, to live together in holy matrimony, to love him, to honor him, to comfort him, and to keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Eloise said, smiling at her groom. She looked beautiful up there, smiling at the love of her life. My entire body was vibrating with warmth and joy as I stared at them.

"Repeat after me," the priest said to Arsenio.

"I, Arsenio Campione, take you, Eloise Markov, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part," Arsenio said.

I took a deep breath, trying to hold back the wave of emotion that had just crashed through me. I would not cry. At least, I was trying not to, but hearing his raw declarations of love for her was  becoming too much to bear.

I wanted that for myself, with Ermanno. Oh, how badly I wanted that, the pure, beautiful, and unadulterated love that Eloise and Arsenio shared.

Then the priest turned to Eloise and asked her to repeat the same. "I, Eloise Markov, take you, Arsenio Campione, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part."

"Arsenio, please place the ring on Eloise's finger," the priest said.

Ermanno walked from beside Arsenio and stood in front of the beautiful couple. Arsenio unhooked the ring from around the necklace Coda wore. "I give this ring to you as a symbol of my unyielding and unconditional love for you, Eloise. The heart that beats in my chest is equally yours as it is mine," Arsenio said.