“Okay. Fine. We’ll do it, now.” She kicked off her heels and handed them to her husband. My husband. “I promise this is the last time I have to do this…until Grace’s wedding,” she said, giving Mark a kiss that was filled with promise of another kind as well.
A few minutes later, a space had been cleared on the dance floor for the four Radonovic sisters. Alex wasn’t worried about her performance. This time, she was dancing from the heart. She’d never felt more connected, more secure in who she was and where she fit in the world.
This was her world.
The music started, a flamenco beat of guitar and castanets. Alex looked at her sisters—Liz in a gorgeous sari, Kate in a royal-blue maternity dress that she hadn’t even started to fill out, and Grace—in red, of course. Each a princess in her own way, beautiful and unique.
“Let’s do this, my sisters. For Dad.”
They lifted their arms gracefully and moved to a sound that had been a part of their blood, their history, since long before they were born. The audience responded with loud claps, whistles and calls of approval.
About halfway through the routine, without any outward sign of agreement, each sister twirled in step and found her husband or fiancé. The men put up a token resistance, but soon there were eight dancers on the floor. Then ten, when Maya and Braden joined them.
“Alex. Kate,” Grace called, nodding toward where their mother was standing, a tall, silver-haired man at her side.
As all three sisters attempted to coax Yetta to the dance floor, Liz joined them. “Come on, Mom. This is your celebration as much as Alex’s,” she said. “You’ve proved that the old ways really do have meaning in our lives.”
“Liz is right, Mom,” Grace said. “This wedding makes you officially four for four in the prophecy business. I’m marrying my prince. Kate fixed her past so she could see the road to a brilliant future. Liz picked the man of shadows, and Braden was the key to healing Alex’s broken heart. Now, we can all live happily ever after.”
Alex looked at her sisters and smiled. She had a feeling nobody outside their family would believe such a story, but they all knew the truth.
“Hear, hear,” Zeke said. “To Yetta.” He started clapping and soon everyone joined in.
Yetta’s cheeks turned a lovely, luminous shade of pink. Zeke whispered something in her ear, and she nodded, giving in to her daughters’ urging to join them on the dance floor.
Alex grabbed Zeke’s hand, too, and pulled him into the ever-enlarging circle.
“Daddy would have loved this,” Alex said loud enough for everyone to hear. “And I think he would have approved of you, too, Zeke Martini. Welcome to the family.”
Yetta’s tearful “Thank you,” and the tender look she shared with Zeke, told Alex other changes—and possibly even another wedding—might be coming in the future.
That was okay with Alex. Life was all about change. Her father had understood that better than anyone. Alex knew that if she peered hard enough, somewhere in this crowd of happy celebrants, she’d see him. The Gypsy King. He’d jingle his pocketful of coins in beat to the music. And then he’d look at his daughters and smile.
ISBN: 978-1-4603-6992-0
THE QUIET CHILD
Copyright © 2006 by Debra K. Salonen.
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*Sisters of the Silver Dollar
The Quiet Child Page 21