Francesca Romano

Chapter 5 | Kin To Me

Never did I think I'd be standing here looking for a dress to go to the same persons wedding for the 11th time. I didn't have much of a choice  but I took this as an opportunity to see vanni after a while, It was mostly talks on my break and nothing more.

Giovanni wasn't a people person and kept to himself. He bought a house in the hills far away this year and never looked back and I'm so proud that my brother is happy. We always had a close bond after dad died. He was only 7 and I was 10, though he doesn't remember much of him he's a daddy's boy for sure.

"I found this dress at the back of my closet and the back is perfect." Beverly said showing me a long white dress where the back was being help together by a big gold snake. I sighed not really wanting to find anything else and took the dress. "What are you wearing?" I asked her and her eyes widened.

"Was I supposed to come as well?" I scoffed at her words. "I'm not doing this on my own. You know I'll end up saying something I'm not supposed to." She turned around to face the door very slowly. "I guess I'll go look for something." She was dragging her feet as if she was tired.

~

As we were making our way out of the house my phone rang. "Ma?" I said getting into the car and starting  it as Beverly jumped in. "Francesca, Have you heard from your brother? I've been calling him and no answer." She was clearly driving, on her way to the wedding. "I talked to him this morning mom, he was already driving. It's going to take him a minute, he lives four hours away." I explained driving off.

She never liked that fact. "Okay just let me know if you hear from him and how far are you?" I looked over at Beverly of a split second to see her redoing her hair all over again. "I just left the house, I'll be there in about 20 minutes." She said ok and hung up. Never saying good bye as if she doesn't have the time.

I put my head down from the road to call Giovanni and looked right back up as the phone rang. "Hey Frankie, what's up." His voice over lapping the wind from his end. "Hey are you getting moms calls?" I asked him hitting a sharp U turn. "Yeah I am." I paused. "Then answer, cause she's calling my phone." I told him, a bit irritated he's making her call me for no reason.

"Yeah no. I told her I'm going to be their so I'll deal with more of her shit down there." He said with no emotion at all, and I don't blame him. I took a deep breath. "Let's not make a big deal out of anything this time around Vanni. How far off are you?"

"30 minutes, and no promises." I laughed and we hung up after saying our good bye's. "Go bald." I told Beverly as we pulled up to where the wedding was happening. God I hated wood themed weddings, so fucking stupid. "Fuck it." I heard her say as she dropped her long brown hair down her back.

We were already late so we sat in the very back and not long after Vanni sat right next to me. My heart skipped a beat and I hugged him and he hugged back with the tightest hug. "I missed you." I whispered and let go of him. "I missed you more, how's everything?" I smiled and leaned my head on his shoulder. "I'll tell you after this dump."

I can't lie my aunt Katerina looked beautiful and very happy too be up there with her new husband. Not to be cocky but my mom's side was never the ugly side and always the "better" side of the family. "You may kiss the bride." And at that the room filled with clapping hands and cheering.

After the couple walked back down we all went to the building behind the cabin we were in and everyone was dancing with their partners. But me, Giovanni, Beverly, and my mother, we sat at a table talking. "I still just don't see why you had to move almost five hours away." My mother shrugged her shoulders and sighed knowing this was nothing good. "Because I have nothing here beside Frankie, but she can't leave because of the hospital. I'm not abandoning dad's work to stay in this side of Italy."

After dad died Vanni took over his job as an architect like dad wanted in his will. He only started two years ago at the age of 17 and left home right after his 19th birthday early in the year. "He was barely a father let alone a worker." My mother whispered and at that I stood up with Beverly heading to the bar.

"Rum, dry." Eve sat next to me as we looked at each other knowing only hell is happening behind us at our table. "Friend of the groom?" A very deep voice said from behind me. I turned to see the most daring pair of green eyes. "Niece of the bride."  I said taking my drink from the bartender. "Remy Martian 1738, dry." He turned to look at me again as he pushed his very dark hair out of his face.

"Vanessa's Daughter?" He looked shocked. "The one and only." sadly. "Do you know her?" I asked because I've never seen this man in my life, though I was never really involved with the people she talked to. "Something like that." He showed a soft smile but didn't say anything after that. "I'm going to take this call out side."

If Beverly had to step away to take a call I knew it was her friend who she refuses to admit she likes. They were in love with each other but they both denied any love for each other and I gave up on those two girls at this point.

I turned to look back at the guy that was sitting next to me and I caught him staring. I smiled and his eyes dropped to my lips before he cleared his throat and put his hand before me. "Reid De' Luca." He said allowing me to hear his voice that sent shivers down my spine.

"Francesca Romano." He nodded before looking at the bartender and standing up. "Get her another, on me. " He took a napkin and wrote something down on it and handed it to me but before I could look at it another man approach him.

He whispered something in his ear and when his eye caught mine he looked at me as if I was someone he knew.