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A Wedding for Emily

By Seralynn Lewis

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December 26
Emily Barone frowned at Mama’s Christmas ornaments in boxes and groaned at the barren Christmas tree. All too soon, her favorite decorations would be stored, not to be seen until next year. With a sigh and quiet movements, she opened the hall closet and donned her red wool coat, and almost tripping over the stacked empty gift boxes near the front door. She hurried outside before her mother could question her.

She was fanatical about all things Christmas, but her family seemed to make the joyous time stressful, and yet she loved her parents and brothers.
Between her older brothers who hounded her about working with them in their family’s deli and soon-to-be-opened restaurant, and her parents who chided her about her life’s choices, a coffee date with her best friend, Brianna, was a godsend.

The six inches of snow that had fallen two days ago in the Youngstown, Ohio, area brought forth a picture-perfect Christmas, but the constant family togetherness wearied her soul. Something had to change.

As a first generation Italian-American, her parents were old-fashioned. They had struggled to learn English and carved out a life for themselves and their children. She admired them and inherited their industrious nature, as did her two older brothers, but the pride of her heritage fell flat under the weight of family pressures.

The drive across town from the west side to the Mocha House in Boardman would allow her some time to think. Even though the 680 freeway had been clear, she’d forgotten about the cars clogging route 224 with frantic shoppers returning gifts on the day after Christmas.

She parked her car as close as she could in the enormous parking lot, then trudged through the slushy mess of grimy snow into the warmth of one of her favorite coffee shops.

Retro colored lights twinkled on the decorated tree in the corner amidst the scent of eggnog and gingerbread. She inhaled and relished the Christmas music subtly playing in the background and wouldn’t hamper conversations. As she scanned the room filled with pine wreaths adorned with colorful ribbons, she stomped her feet, and spotted her friend.

Brianna pushed a cup of peppermint hot chocolate in her direction, the enticing aroma melted all her family angst.

“It’s about time you got here.”

“Have you forgotten post-Christmas traffic?”

Her friend’s scrunched-up nose gave Emily her first smile of the day.
She pulled off her coat, hung it on the hook at the end of the booth, and dropped into the cushioned seat. “I’m so glad you called yesterday. I needed a break.”

Her best friend took a sip of her usual chai tea latte. “That bad, huh? I can’t say Christmas at my aunt’s place was the best…” She lifted one slim shoulder and her auburn hair bounced. “But she’s family, you know? I would have been better off to spend the day at your house.”

“All you would have heard was my parents and brothers badgering me. It’s so infuriating.”

“Are they still after you to quit the hospital and work with them?”

“It was a two-pronged attack. My parents sat at each end of the table lamenting that I’m thirty years old and not married. Tom and Matt sat across from me extolling the virtues of quitting the hospital to oversee hiring for the new restaurant they will open in February. I can help with that on the weekends. There’s no need to quit my job. After I hired everyone, then what? They’ll relegate me to the kitchen. No thanks. I do enough of it at home already.”

“You need to get a place of your own.”

“Don’t I know it?” A slight panic seized her chest. To consider a move out of the only home she'd ever known was a gigantic step. “Since Dad retired, Tom took over the deli, and he’s insufferable.”

“It’s what over-the-top protective oldest brothers do, right?”

“Yep. The constant bickering has gotten worse since Matt came home from the military and agreed to open a restaurant in the adjacent building to the deli. My parents and brothers met about it and tried to pull me in, but I refused. That was four months ago.”

A wrinkle appeared between her friend’s finely arched brows. “You never told me your family was opening a restaurant.”

“Couldn’t. They swore us all to secrecy until it was official. I didn’t scrimp and save to go to school just to find myself back where I started in the family business.” She took a sip of her flavorful drink and refrained from rubbing her spasming chest. “I live almost rent free, but with my student loans, my new car payment, and insurance, I can’t afford to move for another three years.”
Brianna pushed the pastry across the shiny table. “Oh, boy. You need this more than I do. I always check nursing positions on the hospital’s job site to see if there’s something else I might want to try. Are there any promotions available in your department?”

She reached for the flaky croissant. “I haven’t seen anything.”

Her chosen career as a human resource professional had a distinct path. Any HR opportunity to earn more money had merit and was worth pursuing.
Brianna leaned in and her mouth curved down. “I’d invite you to live with me, but I have a one-bedroom, and I just renewed my lease.”
She gave her friend a half-hearted smile. “Understood, and I appreciate the offer.”

“I never suggested it before because I didn’t think you were ready to leave the nest.”

“Their constant nagging wears me down, Bree. After dinner yesterday, I hid in my room and enjoyed my decorations. But I love the idea of a promotion, though. I’ll look into it.”

Brianna dragged her hair behind her ears. “What about dating? Don’t your parents veto every guy you bring home?”

“Ugh. Three times in the last six weeks my parents presented men they insisted would be perfect for me. I’ve had enough of their matchmaking.”
Her family’s antics gave her acid indigestion. She was ready to head back to work and find a more lucrative job in her field.
Brianna leaned in. “I’ve been invited to a New Year’s Eve party. Want to go as my plus one?”

The cup she held halted in midair. “No eligible doctors to invite?”

“I want to have a fantastic time, not deal with a guy. Please. It’ll be fun.”

Her best friend winked. “And you might find a man too.”

“I’ll go, but I’m not looking for a guy.”

Brianna had pressed the boyfriend issue, and she hadn’t given up.
Emily already had.

***
December 30

Rob Donato had a busy graveyard shift at the emergency room, and he was ready to sleep if his parents and two younger brothers could keep their voices to an acceptable decibel level. A smile lit his face as he shrugged into his lined trench coat and headed for the doctor’s parking lot.

Thank goodness he would transition to days after the first of the year. His body dragged for weeks.

The move back to the Youngstown, Ohio, area was something he’d always planned to do, but time and life got away from him. When his father suffered a mild heart attack, he came home to his roots.

He pulled on his gloves and got in his car for the drive to his parents’ home in Austintown. They wanted him to live with them permanently until he found a nice Italian girl and got married.

What he wanted for himself in a marriage partner and what they desired for him
were two different things. He hungered for someone who supported his need to serve in the community.

His mother’s life revolved around his dad. It was bad enough Mama fluttered near him when he was home. A wife like that made him shiver, and it wasn’t from the cold air that blew out of the car’s vents. He wanted a woman who had her own interests and perhaps shared some of his.

Maybe his parents were right. A woman who understood the dynamics of his family would be more open to his parents’ mannerisms and ways. He had a keen awareness of his heritage since his parents had emigrated from Italy before he was born.

Even though he loved his family, they irritated him. His marital status was his business.

Papa and Mama wanted the best for him, but he'd choose his wife. None of the masciata stuff. They desired grandchildren before they got too old to enjoy them. He'd hold out for the love of his life, to have the forty-plus years and be still in love like his parents. That’s what he wanted.

As Rob walked through the kitchen door to his parents’ home, loud voices drifted from the family room behind Mama's domain. The place was homey and warm, but the rooms seemed to shrink as he and his two tall brothers invaded the place during the holidays.

The fire crackled in the fireplace as he sniffed the burning wood. “What’s going on?”

Silence.

His younger brothers’ lips twitched as they tried to keep the smirks off their faces. Something was up. Quiet in his parents’ household was a dead giveaway.
Papa stood from a crouched position in front of the logs after he’d poked them a few times. “Roberto. Have you eaten? Your mama will fix you breakfast.”

His mother bustled her tiny plump self over to him and prodded his middle.

“You’re too skinny. You need to eat.”

He bent low to plant a kiss on Mama’s cheek and gave her a soft smile. “I ate at work before I came home.”

“Pah. Hospital food. That’s not homemade like I make.”

“Mama, please. All I want is a shower and bed.” He looked around the room with a scowl. “And I’d appreciate it if you’d all not talk so loud.”

His father strode to him. It was almost comical the way he puffed out his chest and tried to stand as tall as his six-foot son, but he missed the mark by at least five inches. “You need a wife to take care of you when you get home from work.”

He drew a deep breath and forced himself not to grimace… or laugh. His father wouldn’t tolerate disrespect. “Papa, please. Not now when I’m so tired. We’ll talk tonight.”

He patted his father’s shoulder, left the room, and plodded up the stairs. Mumbled words floated up from the kitchen. Were they hatching another masciata? He’d find a woman on his own, thank you very much.

Every day, he treated low-income families in the downtown ER. It reminded him of the volunteer trips for international medical missions. The local families had limited care, and it pained him. He’d tossed around the idea of opening a free clinic, and he’d pitch it to doctors and nurses at the New Year’s Eve party in a few days.

As he rubbed his wet hair after a super-quick shower, a tap on the door made him sigh.

“We need to talk.” His youngest brother’s words were soft but emphatic.

Great. He longed for bed and some much needed rest. The dark circles under his eyes he caught sight of in the mirror made him want to convince his best friend to move to Ohio sooner.

With a towel wrapped around his hips, he stepped into his room. His lips quirked as he imagined his youngest brother, Vinnie, in one of the tiny twin beds across the hall.

He shut the door and donned a pair of warm sweatpants, a t-shirt, and socks.

“Make it quick, I’m exhausted.”

“Mom and Dad are planning a New Year’s Eve party to snag you a wife.”

“What?”

“Yeah, bro. I overheard them this morning, and we had just told them it was an awful idea when you came in.”

“Well, you and Eddie will have to hold down the fort because I was invited to a colleague’s party.”

His youngest brother pursed his lips. “Throw us under the bus, why don’t you?”

“Privilege of being the eldest.”

“Mama and Papa will not be happy.”

He glared at his brother as he pulled the covers off the double bed. “I’m done with the matchmaking. I’ll deal with it when I get up. Now get out.”

“In that case, we’ll wait for you to help put away all of Mama’s Christmas decorations.” Vinnie smirked and left with a quiet click but groused and thumped all the way downstairs.

Rob locked the door and sank into the warmth. He couldn’t wait to share a place with his best friend again.
 

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