An Italian beauty, Lilia stood average height with above average looks. Her chestnut coloured hair in long curls framing her olive skinned face as her big brown eyes lit up with happiness as she hugged her mother.
Lilia’s mother, a shorter version was cooking over a hot stove, in typical “mamma fashion” with her apron on, hair in curlers and a wooden spoon in hand hugged her daughter as tears fell upon her wrinkled cheek.
The proud father got up and shook Frank’s hand and brought him over to the table, pouring some homemade wine into a tiny glass and was now patting him on the back.
Lilia’s mother walked over and hugged her soon to be son in law and asked, “When’s the wedding?”
They stood there for a moment in silence and Lilia said, “This September”.
Her mother waved her hands in the air saying, “but that leaves us only have a few months to prepare, why can’t you wait till after your sister’s married?”
Lilia’s face reddened as she sat down and told her parents to do the same.
Her father was the first to say, “Yah gotta get married, is that it?”
Lilia’s eyes filled with tears as Frank reached over to pour himself another glass of vino and he replied with a little stutter in his voice, “it happened and now I’ll take care of it”.
“Take care of it! What kind of answer is that?” Lilia’s mother was now crying and shaking her head as a curler fell to the floor. “How can we have your wedding before her sisters without people talking …ah Madonna che vergogna!!!”
“Ma, we were thinking of having a very quiet wedding, just la famiglia, we’d move upstairs and after the baby’s here it would be perfect, us close by and you could take care of the baby while we go to work”.
Part II next week……
« Okay, that's it.