Gina steps in. “Tell me about your dress.” She looks at Lucy with a sparkle in her eyes.
“I don’t know what I’m wearing yet,” Lucy replies. “I guess I’ll go buy something new.”
Gina looks appalled and I can tell she’s itching to say something. Luckily my mom jumps in. “Whatever makes you comfortable, Lucia.”
Just like that, an idea hits me.
“You know what happens after a bridal shower right?” I ask with a twinkle in my eye.
“What else can happen? I’m getting married in six days?”
“You can’t get married without having a bachelorette party,” I explain. My mom and Gina both look at me as if I’ve lost it, and Lucy stares at me blankly.
“Make yourself available on Tuesday.” I say. “All day.”
Recipe: Zuccherini Cookies for an Italian Bride
Yields 3 dozen
Ok, so maybe Lucy’s not really Italian. But she’s going to be part of our family now, and no DiLucio girl can have a shower without these cookies. Even if you’re not Italian, you can make them for a bridal shower. They’re pretty much the perfect cookies.
1 1/2 sticks of butter
1 cup of sugar
6 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons of baking powder
3 1/2 color cups flour
for the icing:
3 cups powdered sugar
1 stick of butter (softened)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons milk
1 bag of shredded coconut
1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2) Cream the butter and sugar, then add eggs one at a time. Beat well.
3) Add the vanilla and mix well.
4) Slowly add in the flour and baking powder. Mix until incorporated.
5) Drop teaspoons of dough onto a greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
6) Bake for 6 minutes or until the bottoms are slightly golden.
7) Place on a cooling rack to cool completely before icing.
For the icing:
1) Mix powdered sugar, lemon, butter, and milk together in a large bowl until smooth.
2) Divide the icing into a few separate bowls and add a few drops of food coloring into each bowl. My mother usually makes one pink bowl of icing and one pale green. She leaves the last one white for a nice array of color.
3) Ice cookies and top with shredded coconut.
4) Place cookies in an airtight container and they will last 4 days.
5) You can also freeze the cookies in an airtight container and defrost them at room temp two hours before serving (or you can eat them frozen like I do. That’s Food Therapy at its finest).
Chapter 15
Tuesday can’t come fast enough. I wake at 6:00 a.m. and I know the day is going to be great. My best friend and brother are getting married in four days, and all the plans are set.
I pick Lucy up at Lorenzo’s at 7:00 a.m. She’s been staying there openly since the big news hit, and though my parents are not pleased with them living together before the wedding, they’ve kept their mouths shut. At this point what can they really say?
I honk twice.
Lucy walks out of the apartment wearing slim fit jeans, a long gold tank top, and brown flip flops. Her hair is pulled off her face, and big hoop earrings hang from her ears. She looks at me as she gets in the car. I’m wearing a pale grey pencil skirt and a black tank top. Of course, I’m in heels.
“Am I dressed okay?”
“You look beautiful, mamma.” I smile as she gets in the car.
“So what kind of wild and crazy stuff are we doing at 7:00 a.m.?” she asks sinking into the seat.
I start laughing. “Don’t worry about it.” I pull the car out of the driveway.
“Can we at least stop at Quick Mart? I need some breakfast.”
“Of course,” I say and turn the car around.
Lucy buys a large bottle of whole milk and a granola bar. I opt for a large coffee with French vanilla cream.
“Your mom’s trick really worked,” Lucy says as we get back into the car. She opens the cap to her milk bottle and takes a sip. “I think the milk coats my stomach.”
“Well keep drinking it then, because we have a long day ahead of us.”
“Where are we going?” she whines and stamps her feet. Lucy’s acting about five years old. She’s going to be a mother?
“Relax. The only thing I need you to do is pick some music.” I hand her the leather CD case from the console. “Something upbeat.”
She decides on Beyoncé as I pull onto the Garden State Parkway. We car dance for a few hours, laughing and gossiping like old times.
That’s the thing about best friends. No matter what happens between you, you’ll always be able to brush it off and, eventually, laugh.
We make it to Bella Sposa’s just as they open at 11:00. When I called Maria to ask her about a dress, she suggested we get there early, so that Eva will have time to make any alterations before we leave tonight.
When Lucy sees the back and white-striped awning she looks at me. “You took me here to pick up your bridesmaid’s dress? That’s not exactly a fun bachelorette activity.”
I open the car door. “Get out. It’s time for you to pick your wedding dress.” I step out of the car and into the August heat.
“What are you talking about?” she says shutting the door. “Even if I wanted a wedding dress, I won’t have time to order one.”
“That’s exactly why we’re here. I have pull with the owners. We’re getting you a sample.” I start walking to the front door.
Lucy remains near the car. “Stell, I don’t have money for one of these dresses. We’re trying to save every penny for the baby,” she frowns.
I look at my best friend. “Which is why I’m buying you the dress.”
She shakes her head. “No, Stella, you won’t have a job after September. Plus with Gina and Pietro’s wedding, you’ll be broke by Christmas.”
I walk towards her. The morning sun is already hot, and if we stand out here much longer, she’ll be all sweaty. You can’t try on wedding gowns if you’re sweaty. It’s against the rules. I’m sure Martha Stewart would agree.
“Lucy I won the money in AC. It’s play money,” I say grabbing her arm. “Come on.”
She tries to resist, but I can see that she’s excited. “I can’t let you do this.”
“It’s already done. Come on.”
She lets me pull her until we get to the doors, then she smoothes out her tank top and follows me inside.
“Look at this beautiful bride,” Charlene coos as she greets us in the entranceway. “With a body like this, we’ll have plenty of options.”
Maria scans Lucy up and down then looks at me. “You didn’t tell me your best friend is a model.”
Lucy laughs.
“Who do you think I roll with?” I joke.
She laughs and motions for us to follow her. “Come sit down. Let’s talk about styles.”
Lucy looks around the room as if in a trance. Bella Sposa’s sitting room is so luscious with its soft leather couches and marble floors that it’s easy to get swept away.
“What kind of bride are you?” Maria asks professionally.
“I have no clue. I was going to go to the BCBG outlet in Atlantic City to look for a dress. I didn’t expect this.”
“So you’re an easy one to please, huh? Follow Charlene upstairs while I pick some gowns for you. We’ll go from there.”
In the dressing room, we sit on the small bench and wait for Maria. “I don’t know how to thank you, Stella,” Lucy says as tears fill her eyes. “I never imagined I’d have to get married so quickly.”
“But you want to, right?”
“More than anything. It’s just that, I wish I had more time to plan things. I mean, it would be nice to do things like Gina.” She looks down for a minute, and then adds. “Not that I deserve those things.”
My heart
breaks a little. “You deserve even more, Luce. Why would you even say that?”
“My dad isn’t even talking to me, Stella. And I caused problems in your family too.”
“You didn’t cause any problems,” I lie.
“Stella, I saw how your parents reacted.”
“Yeah but my parents always freak out, Luce. They love you.”
I get up to hug her.
“Thanks,” she says. I can see tiny drops forming in her eyes.
“I’m glad we’re here, getting you a proper dress.”
“You’re the best,” she says and hugs me tight.
Maria arrives with five dresses. “We’ll start with these. While we’re trying them, Charlene is gathering more. We’ll look for a style you can take home today.”
Lucy is beaming as she steps on the platform. Maria unveils the first dress: a wondrous satin mermaid style gown with a long train, spaghetti straps, and plunging V-neck. I hold my breath. It’s gorgeous.
“I love it,” Lucy coos and Maria slips it over her head and lets the dress fall. The satin wraps around her body, hitting every curve in all the right spots. Even though she’s pregnant, Lucy’s stomach is flat as a board. She doesn’t even need Spanx.
I put my hand to my stomach and feel it’s softness. I really need to start working out.
“My boobs already started to grow,” she shrieks and looks at her chest in the mirror. “I have cleavage!”
“And you can work it, girl,” Maria says. She pins the straps tight, adjusting the drop of the neckline and making the dress look even better.
Lucy turns to look at the back view in the three-way mirror. “I love the train.” Maria fans it out so we can get a full view. The satin is cut to reflect the light, and it seems to create an aura around her.
“Now dance around a little. Go and sit. See if you’re comfortable.”
Lucy steps down and sits on the bench next to me. “What do you think?”
“You’re absolutely beautiful.” There’s nothing more to say.
She stands back on the platform. “I love it. I’ll take it.”
Maria laughs. “How many wedding dresses have you tried on in your life?”
“One,” Lucy replies still looking at her reflection.
“Then you can’t possibly decide rationally. You’re love struck. Take the dress off and we’ll put it in the yes pile.”
“No, I don’t need to try on anymore. I want this one.”
The way she says it, full of conviction, makes everyone take notice. I can’t help but be jealous of Lucy because she is getting everything she wants. I thought I knew what I wanted when I was with Drew, but that all blew up in my face. Now, as much as I hate to admit, I’m thinking of Roberto in the same way. Could I possibly have a future with him? Does he even genuinely like me or is it just his mom trying to fix us up? And am I just thinking of him because I desperately want to get married?
“This girl knows what she wants,” Maria says snapping me out of my thoughts. “That’s a good trait for a bride.”
We all smile but Maria’s words hit me differently. What do I want? I just feel lost. And confused.
I try not to let the familiar feelings of dread sink in. I won’t let them.
“Ok, time for the veil,” Maria says, ushering the appointment along. Lucy is wearing her dress and glowing. “And shoes. I’ll be right back with some samples. What size are you?”
“Ten,” Lucy says and Maria raises her eyebrows. “I’m assuming you want a little heel, right?”
“Not too high though, Lorenzo is only two inches taller than me.”
I can’t help but laugh. Lucy’s main criteria for a boyfriend was that she always wanted to be able to wear heels with him. Lorenzo, her future husband, just makes the cut.
Maria shuts the door behind her.
“Do you like this one?” Lucy asks.
“It’s perfect. It really is.”
Maria returns with a long veil and places it on Lucy’s head. She pushes the blusher in front of Lucy’s face and I almost start to cry. Lucy is getting married.
“Wow,” Lucy says. “This is it. I love it.”
“Me too,” I agree. My friend looks stunning. She beams as Eva starts pinning the dress, marking where she needs to adjust it.
“Now Stella, how about we get you in a few dresses, just for fun?” Maria asks me.
For a minute I’m caught off guard, but then I realize that if I’m going to get over Drew I need to face the facts. “I’m not getting married anytime soon.”
“You never know,” Maria says with a smile.
“Oh, I know. My boyfriend broke up with me.” I try my hardest to say this without any emotion.
“You can get him back.” Maria winks at me.
I sigh. “Even if I wanted to, I can’t. He’s already with someone else.”
“A total slut,” Lucy adds and we all laugh.
“Well then the guy was a loser anyway,” Maria adds. “Any new ones in the works?”
Lucy perks up. “One of Lorenzo’s friends is totally in love with her.”
I shoot Lucy a look. “He’s a family friend and he’s so not in love with me. Our mothers are trying to set us up.”
“Is he cute?” Maria asks.
“He’s totally hot,” Lucy responds. I shoot her another look. “What? He is!”
“Regardless, I’m just not interested,” I lie. It’s better not to get my hopes up anyway.
It’s 12:30 when we step out of Bella Sposa. Maria told us to go to lunch, and hang around Towson for a while as Eva makes the adjustments.
I want to take Lucy to Vince’s crab shack, but she’s not up for fish, so we go to a diner instead.
As soon as we step into Chubby’s, the place feels right. The restaurant is decorated in a 1950s style motif, with black and white checkered floors and red vinyl seats.
We take a booth in the back and start flipping through the menu.
“Do you think a milkshake will coat my stomach just like milk does?” Lucy asks after a minute.
“Yeah,” I say, looking down at their milkshake list. “I just wouldn’t go for the peaches and cream.” I look at it again. “Or the Monstrous Mint.”
She laughs.” “I was just thinking vanilla.”
“That’s pretty boring,” I say. “Look at this list, there’s like fifty to choose from.”
“I’m a girl who knows what she wants.” Lucy repeats Maria’s words and suddenly, I feel sick. Why don’t I know what I want.
“I need a milkshake too,” I say folding my menu and placing it on the table.
Before Lucy can respond, a waitress comes to our booth. Lucy orders a vanilla milkshake and a grilled cheese, and I follow her lead, and order a grilled cheese too.
“Something to drink?” the waitress asks me.
I take a minute to scroll down the list. “I’ll take a Death by Chocolate milkshake.”
When all else fails, I turn to chocolate.
Recipe: Death by Chocolate Milkshake
Yields 1 serving
For when you’re facing a million options and your life seems to be spiraling out of control.
So it’s not exactly chocolate cake, but trust me ladies, there’s nothing as pleasant as chocolate when you’re stressed. I should know. You know how stressed I’ve been lately.
1 cup chocolate ice cream
1/2 cup hot fudge
1 shot of espresso
1/2 cup milk
2 cups of ice
1) Place all ingredients into a blender.
2) Blend until all the ice is crushed.
3) Drink your problems away.
Chapter 16
On August 10 we’ll do something we’ve never done before. We’ll close the restaurant on a Friday night. Luckily, when Lorenzo and Lucy told me their plans a week ago I didn’t have to cancel too many reservations. People understood, especially when I told them we were having a family emergency and needed to close. In a lot
of ways, this wedding feels like an emergency, and I’m just hoping we can all get through it without any major blowouts.
Lucy wakes up around 11:00 on the day of her wedding. She’s never been a late sleeper; being a teacher she’s used to getting up at the crack of dawn. I wonder how she’ll manage during the school year.
“Morning Mrs. DiLucio,” I say when she opens her eyes.
She smiles and stretches. “I’m still a Caulden for the next couple hours.”
I throw a pillow at her and she swats it away.
“Good thing you woke up,” I say. “I’m starving.”
“Me too, I need a huge breakfast. Dinner won’t be until nine.”
I stand up and Lucy follows.
“Give me five minutes and I’ll be ready to go,” she says ducking into the bathroom.
Cindy’s is packed for a Friday but, of course, she doesn’t make us wait. She knows what a big day this is for Lucy and my brother, and wants to do everything she can to make it special.
We follow her out to the deck and take a seat at our usual table. As we settle into the white plastic chairs, it hits me that this is the last time Lucy and I will be sitting here.
Everything will change after her wedding. She’ll spend more time with my brother; they’ll raise a family; buy a house together.
And where will I be?
I don’t even know what I’m going to do for a job.
Worse, I don’t even know what I want out of life.
My chest begins to tighten.
Oh my God. I can’t breathe…
The waitress comes to take our order and miraculously, I catch my breath.
“Two short stacks?” she asks. We’re regulars, and any good waitress would remember our order.
I nod my head.
“I think I’ll get an egg sandwich,” Lucy says looking up at the waitress. “With extra bacon.”
The Queen of Minor Disasters Page 17