揝antino did his duty,?I told Sofia.
Sofia nodded, but I could tell my words made no impact. I hoped Anna had shared whatever bothered her with her friend.
揑抣l go to Anna now, and your husband is probably already looking for you.?
Sofia gave me a quick smile before she lifted the hem of the green bridesmaid dress and hurried back to church.
I headed toward the door at the end of the hallway and knocked.
It took almost a minute for Anna to answer. 揅ome in!?
I slipped in, my heart beating faster upon seeing Anna in her wedding dress. She was impossibly beautiful. But then my eyes landed on her face, and it was off. She was smiling at me, but it was a smile I never wanted to see from my daughter, especially on her wedding day.
It was forced and careful.
揧ou look beautiful,?I said slowly as I closed the door so we could talk in private.
揟hank you. The dress is very beautiful.?
揑t抯 stunning.?
I抎 been a bit disappointed when Anna had chosen not to design her own dress, nor the bridesmaid dresses. She had so much talent and it would have made her special day even more special.
I walked up to Anna抯 side and touched her shoulder. 揑s there something you want to talk about??
Anna gave me an amused look. 揚lease don抰 give me the talk, Mom. It抯 a little too late for that.?
I gave a quick laugh. I wasn抰 caught up in some old-fashioned fantasy that Anna hadn抰 made certain experiences while she was abroad. I actually hoped she had, considering Clifford hadn抰 held back either. 揑 know. That抯 not what I meant. Maybe you have something else you want to talk about.?
Anna抯 expression didn抰 give anything away. She reminded me of Dante in that moment. She could be hot-headed and stubborn like myself, but when it really mattered, she became Dante. Her expression softened at the look on my face. She shouldn抰 be the one feeling like she needed to console me. 揑抣l be fine, Mom. Today I抣l do my duty like every member of our family has always done.?
We抎 raised both Anna and Leonas with a strong sense of duty and responsibility. Anna had accepted it outwardly, determined to do us proud. Leonas was more vocal with his protest, and often fought against any kind of rule. With Bea, we抎 allowed more freedom, and I sometimes wondered if we should have done the same with Leonas and Anna.
But duty was such a big part of our existence?
揑 want you to be happy, more than anything.?
揥hen you agreed to marry Dad, you didn抰 think you could be happy.?
I laughed. 揇on抰 use my story as yours.?I paused. 揑 wasn抰 emotionally drawn to anyone else. That抯 a big difference.?
Anna gave me a curious look. 揘either am I. I don抰 have feelings for anyone. I抦 sure Clifford and I will find a mutual understanding that抣l make our life agreeable.?
揝poken like a true politician抯 wife.?
揑 practiced.?
I nodded but felt even sadder after Anna抯 words. Anna was such a passionate woman. I wasn抰 sure the confines she was agreeing to in a marriage with Clifford would really suit her. 揑 met Sofia in the hallway. She told me you still feel guilty because of Santino.?
揑 can抰 help it but I can handle it, Mom,?Anna said smoothly.
I sighed. 揑抣l always be on your side, Anna. No matter what. I know you feel like you can抰 share certain things with me, but nothing you could do or say would make me love you any less. From the second you made me a mom, my love for you has been unconditional and it抣l always be.?
揗om. I can抰 cry now.?She hugged me briefly. 揑抣l be fine. But thank you.?She didn抰 release me immediately. 揑 love you too.?
I swallowed, wanting to say so much more, but Anna was right. I shouldn抰 make her cry. A knock sounded.
揅ome in,?Anna said, sounding more composed than I felt.
Dante poked his head in, looking mildly concerned when he found Anna and me close together, and the hot feeling in my eyes probably didn抰 go unnoticed either.
揟he ceremony is about to start. Is everything okay here??
His eyes searched mine, trying to find a silent answer to his question. I stepped back from Anna. He finally registered Anna抯 dress and took another step in. For anyone who didn抰 know him, it would look as if he wasn抰 touched by the sight, but his eyes told me a different story. Anna was a gorgeous bride. She was how I抎 imagined her. The only thing missing was that she was in love. It was something I抎 always wished for her, but our world made impossibly difficult.
揈verything is fine,?Anna assured him with the smile she only had for him. It reminded me of her little girl smiles.
揧ou look very beautiful.?
揧ou should go now, or this wedding won抰 ever start,?she told me with a teasing smile.