“You’re right. I don’t know what got into me. You’re too smart to throw away your exciting future for anything or anyone.” Lizzie’s stiff posture eased. I’m just so proud of you for getting into grad school. You’ll see—the time will fly by.”
This was Jules’s opening—a chance to tell Lizzie that she’d had a change of heart. But she’d have to do it gently. She could tell Lizzie was already nervous about the wedding. “What if I didn’t go back to school?”
Lizzie’s head lifted. Her focus narrowed in on Jules. A long moment of silence passed, and then Lizzie smiled. “You know, you scared me. Don’t do that. For a moment, I thought that you were serious.”
Jules’s palms grew moist. “You make it sound like grad school is the only worthwhile option.”
“It is.” Lizzie leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees. “I don’t understand. I thought this is what you wanted—what we’ve been working toward.”
“But what if I changed my mind?” She prayed Lizzie would understand. “What if I don’t have what it takes to get through the program?”
“So that’s what this is all about.” Lizzie leaned back and sighed. “Jules, you don’t have to worry. You’re going to do great. You’re the smartest person I know.”
“I’m not that smart.” Still it felt good knowing that her sister thought that highly of her.
“Smart enough to get honors in college and get accepted to your first-choice school. To me that’s very impressive. Just don’t stress yourself out. You can do anything you set your mind on.”
“But what if—”
“Lizzie, are you ready to go?” Dante strolled into the room, rubbing his hands together as though he was ready to hit the road.
“Yeah, I’m ready.” Lizzie put her supplies in a nearby box. “Did you remember to pack the recipes your aunt gave me?”
Dante nodded. “I got them.”
“And the photos your father gave me of when you were little.”
“I got those, too. Mind telling me what you plan to do with all of that stuff?”
Lizzie smiled up at him, and he just shook his head. “Well, you better get moving. We have to get ready for tomorrow’s filming, and I want to do some prep work tonight on the menu.”
Lizzie turned to Jules. “I’m sorry I can’t stay longer and help more.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got this.”
“And make sure you ask my brother for help,” Dante told her as he offered Lizzie a hand to help her off the floor.
When Lizzie got to her feet, she leaned forward just as natural as could be and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. The look that passed between them spoke of their boundless love. Jules smiled. This just confirmed that all her hard work for the wedding was so worth it. This truly was her sister’s happily-ever-after.
Lizzie turned back to her. “I’m taking the rest of the fans with me to finish. And I have the heavy paper for the place cards. I’ll run them off on the printer in the office once we have a finalized guest list.”
Jules placed the rest of the programs in the box and closed the lid. “I don’t think you have to worry about that. My guess is everyone will attend. No one wants to miss the celebration.”
“You don’t think they’re all coming because it’s supposed to be filmed for television, do you?”
Dante wrapped an arm over his future wife’s shoulders. “My family is all about the celebrating and it has nothing to do with television.”
Lizzie gazed into Dante’s eyes. “I hope you’re right.”
“Trust me. They’re happy for us.”
Lizzie reached up and squeezed his hand.
“I wouldn’t trust him.” Stefano stepped into the room. “If there’s one thing I learned growing up with him, it is to be wary when he says ‘trust me,’ especially if it involves the last of the gelato.”
Dante smiled and turned to his brother. “Hey, I can’t help that you were so gullible.”
“What did you expect me to do when you said Papa was looking for me and to trust you that there’d be some gelato left when I returned?”
“See? You learned a valuable lesson—eat your gelato first.” Dante smiled broadly over the memory of outsmarting his older brother. “We’ve got to go.”
“Don’t worry.” Lizzie turned back to Jules. “Everything will work out.”
And with that Lizzie and Dante carried the wedding supplies out the door, leaving her alone with Stefano. He turned a puzzled face her way.