First Comes Marriage

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in the baby carriage...

This is the story of the Koutromanos family. They are an old family, their bloodline a mix of Greek, Italian, and French, and they follow the old traditions. When a young Koutromanos reaches their eighteenth birthday they are given a choice. Men can choose to devote their lives to the study of one thing or be married to a life mate chosen by the Matriarch. Women are given three days to go out into the world and find their life mate. Once they have chosen they must bring them back to the family property and the marriage ceremony will commence.

Over the years the family has dwindled from the size of a village to only a few people through tragedy and time. The story begins the day after the eighteenth birthday of the youngest Koutromanos, Lucia. She has gone into the nearby town, hoping to find the love of her life.