While Lucrezia and Loredana discussed bridal fashions, Claudio gave Peppi a pat on the shoulder. "Signor Peppi, my wife is right, you look very sharp in that suit," he said with a nod of admiration, "and what great shoes!"

"I had a little help picking things out," Peppi admitted.

"From your...friend?" said Claudio, giving Peppi an inquisitive look.

Peppi responded with a shrug.

Claudio leaned closer so that the others wouldn't hear. "She is very beautiful, Signor Peppi," he said with a knowing smile. "I'm happy for you."

Peppi blushed. "Oh, it's not what you think," he said quickly. "At least, not what I think you are thinking."

"I was only thinking the best," Claudio a.s.sured him. He gave Peppi a conspiratorial wink before turning his attention back to the bride.

Later, after dinner had been served, the quartet gave way to a ten-piece band and the dancing began. Lucrezia and Peppi stayed off to the side at a little table from which they could watch the festivities. Lucrezia gazed pensively out at the dance floor where Loredana and Claudio were taking their first official dance as husband and wife.

"They make a nice couple, don't you think?" said Peppi.

"Very nice," she agreed. "They're so young and happy and with so much in front of them. It's almost like watching two people being born, if you know what I mean."

"I never thought of it that way, but I suppose you're right," said Peppi. "They are are starting a whole new life, so I guess that it is like being reborn in a way." starting a whole new life, so I guess that it is like being reborn in a way."

"Strange, isn't it?" she continued. "Life always seems to be beginning then ending then beginning again, all within itself. It keeps changing and it's like we're always happy and sad at the same time."

"It's hard to feel one if you haven't felt the other," observed Peppi. "I think a little sadness now and then makes the happier times like these that much sweeter. It's not healthy to be one or the other all the time."

Peppi paused and looked at her. "I couldn't help noticing some tears in your eyes during the ceremony today," he said after a moment. "It made me sorry for making you come here today."

"Nonsense," said Lucrezia, touching his hand. "You can't pay attention to me at times like these. It happens to me all the time at weddings. I start to think about my own wedding day, wishing I could do it all over again, wishing Francesco were still here, wishing that we had never waited so long to start having children. It all comes out. You must have felt that way at least a little too."

"I suppose everyone does who has ever been married," said Peppi. "So you're not sorry you came?"

"Not at all," she said, smiling. "I've had a wonderful time. But I was a little concerned when you convinced me to go up to communion with you at ma.s.s. I haven't taken communion in years and I haven't been to confession either. I thought for sure that the walls were going to start shaking or a lightning bolt was going to fall down from the sky and strike me."

"No," chuckled Peppi, "you had nothing to worry about. G.o.d doesn't hold grudges-so long as you don't hold one against Him."

Lucrezia looked back out to the dance floor where the other couples had started to join Loredana and Claudio. "That's the real trick," she replied. "Isn't it?"

Just then Peppi heard his name being called. He looked over at the dance floor and saw that it was Loredana and Claudio calling to him. They beckoned for him and Lucrezia to join them on the dance floor. Peppi turned nervous eyes to Lucrezia.

"I'm a terrible dancer," she said with a pained expression. "If you want to dance with me, you'll do it at your own risk."

Peppi pushed his chair away from the table and stood. "I don't want to disappoint them," he said, reaching for her hand. Then he guided her to the dance floor amidst the applause of the entire wedding party. Claudio gave a nod to the band leader and the music started once more, a slow melodic waltz.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Lucrezia as Peppi very tentatively took her hand and slipped his arm around her waist. "I really don't know what I'm doing on a dance floor."

"Don't worry," Peppi answered. "I'm not so sure of what I'm doing either. Just follow my lead-and try not to step on my new shoes."

Lucrezia and Peppi remained at the reception, dancing and enjoying the music until the time came for Loredana and Claudio to bid farewell to everyone and hurry off to start their honeymoon. As he watched the newlyweds leave in a flurry of hugs and kisses, it occurred to Peppi that the day had pa.s.sed very quickly. He was glad for not having given in to his initial reluctance to attend the wedding. All in all it had been a wonderful diversion. He was equally gladdened to see that Lucrezia had enjoyed herself as well. Now that it was time to go, he was surprised to find that he felt a little let down, as if inside he wished that the festivities could still go on.

It was well past nightfall by the time he and Lucrezia finally strolled back to the car and started on the way back home.

"It will be very late by the time we reach Villa San Giuseppe," noted Lucrezia as she started the car. "Do you think my parents will be up waiting for me when I get home?" she added playfully.

"It's entirely possible," chuckled Peppi. "They still worry about you, you know."

"Ayyy, I know," sighed Lucrezia. "Sometimes they act like I'm still sixteen."

"Well, you certainly dance like you're still sixteen," said Peppi with a smile.

"Hah!" laughed Lucrezia. "I don't know if that's an insult or a compliment."

"It's a compliment," Peppi a.s.sured her. "Believe me, it's a compliment."

The remark seemed to please Lucrezia and a look of satisfaction came over her face as she steered the car toward the autostrada. With a sly grin she stepped hard on the accelerator, jolting both of them back against their seats.

"Hey!" said Peppi through his laughter. "If I had wanted to fly I would have gone to the airport."

"But think of all the fun you would have missed," she said.

The engine gave a roar and the car sped off down the highway.

An hour or so into their journey home, the two decided to stop for coffee. It was nighttime and there was still quite a long drive ahead of them, so it seemed like a good idea to take a little break along the way. Lucrezia pulled off the highway into a little paese paese named Montevecchio. It was a quiet village, but there were still plenty of people strolling about when the two walked onto the piazza. When Lucrezia spied an empty table at a little outdoor cafe, they hurried over to take it before someone else had the chance. Before long a waiter brought them coffee and the pair settled back to watch the people come and go. named Montevecchio. It was a quiet village, but there were still plenty of people strolling about when the two walked onto the piazza. When Lucrezia spied an empty table at a little outdoor cafe, they hurried over to take it before someone else had the chance. Before long a waiter brought them coffee and the pair settled back to watch the people come and go.

"What a beautiful night," noted Peppi as he sipped his coffee.

"Yes," Lucrezia agreed, "it was a beautiful day as well. I'm happy things worked out so nicely for your friends."

"They're your friends now too," said Peppi.

Lucrezia smiled and looked out across the piazza. There a group of teenage boys were sitting on the stairs to the church, talking and laughing among themselves as they ogled the girls pa.s.sing by.

"Sometimes it seems to me like yesterday when I was one of those girls walking past all the boys back home," she mused.

"Well," chuckled Peppi, "I have to admit that for me it seems a little bit longer than yesterday when I was one of those boys on the steps."

"I can just imagine you back then"-she laughed-"and my father too!"

"Ah, now those were the days," Peppi sighed.

Peppi and Lucrezia stayed there for quite a while just talking and enjoying the evening. It was late and they had far to drive, but neither seemed in a hurry to leave. Finally, though, when Lucrezia let out a little yawn, Peppi knew that it was time for them to get on their way.

Lucrezia yawned again when they returned to the car. "Dio, "Dio, I'm so tired all of a sudden." I'm so tired all of a sudden."

"Then why don't you let me drive the rest of the way," offered Peppi, reaching for the keys in her hand.

"Do you know how?" said Lucrezia, holding them back. "I've never seen you on anything but a bicycle."

Peppi gave her a look of indignation. "Trust me, Signorina," he told her. "I'm a very good driver. We may not get there as fast as we would if you were behind the wheel, but we'll get there."

Lucrezia gave him a skeptical look of her own, but finally relinquished the keys.

"Well, just don't run into anything," she told him, trying her best to stifle another a yawn, "or I'll be very upset."

"I'll be careful," he promised.

Lucrezia said very little once they were on their way, and after a while said nothing at all. Peppi wondered what it was that had suddenly made her so quiet until he looked over and saw that she had simply nodded off to sleep. She was out like a light. Peppi laughed to himself and started to reach over to turn on the radio. Some quiet music, he thought, would keep him company for the rest of the ride. Just then, however, Lucrezia gave a soft moan, curled her legs up, and to his surprise leaned over and rested her head against his shoulder. No longer able to move his arm, for he feared that to do so might wake her, Peppi forgot all about the radio. Instead, he just smiled and hummed a song to himself while Lucrezia slept and the two drew nearer and nearer to home.

CHAPTER THIRTY.

Lucrezia yawned and sat up on the edge of the bed. She stretched her arms over her head for a moment, stood, and looked out the bedroom window to the mountains in the east. To her surprise, she discovered that she had slept well into midmorning, early enough for most people to arise on a Sunday morning, but not Lucrezia. Most mornings she awoke with the birds, sometimes even before the sun had a chance to peek over the mountaintops or the rooster to crow. On those mornings, a low, thin white carpet of mist would cling to the cool, dark ground, making the world outside a dreamy place half between sleeping and waking. It was her favorite time of the day. and sat up on the edge of the bed. She stretched her arms over her head for a moment, stood, and looked out the bedroom window to the mountains in the east. To her surprise, she discovered that she had slept well into midmorning, early enough for most people to arise on a Sunday morning, but not Lucrezia. Most mornings she awoke with the birds, sometimes even before the sun had a chance to peek over the mountaintops or the rooster to crow. On those mornings, a low, thin white carpet of mist would cling to the cool, dark ground, making the world outside a dreamy place half between sleeping and waking. It was her favorite time of the day.

By now, though, the mist had long disappeared, chased away by the warming rays of the morning summer sun. With another yawn, she turned away from the window and sat back on the edge of the bed. She felt too tired to start her day, but too restless to go back to sleep. It was the aroma of freshly brewed coffee that finally tugged her out of bed for good. She put on her robe and slippers and walked wearily to the kitchen.

As Lucrezia had suspected, Filomena was there at the table sipping her first cup of coffee of the day. Lucrezia smiled, for she knew that daily life for her mother, and most Italians for that matter, could not begin otherwise. For them, caffeine was an essential nutrient. The mere thought of starting a day without the bracing jolt of a good cup of coffee was beyond comprehension. She gave her mother a nod and went to the stove to pour herself a cup.

"You're up early today," she said as the dark, warm brew filled the cup.

"And you're up late," Filomena replied, barely looking up from the magazine she was leafing through.

"Papa out for his ride?"

"Mm-hmm," nodded her mother. "He left just a few minutes before you got out of bed." She turned the page of the magazine. "I didn't hear you come in last night. What time did you get home? It must have been late."

Lucrezia brought her mug to the table and sat down. She said nothing at first but simply gazed out the window as she drank her coffee.

"We stopped for a coffee on the way home," she said after a time. "It was a long ride, so we decided to stop and take a break."

"That was sensible," noted her mother, still focused on her magazine.

"We got to talking," Lucrezia went on with a yawn. "The time pa.s.sed so quickly."

"That can happen," said Filomena.

Lucrezia stretched out her legs and flexed her feet and toes. "Dio mio," "Dio mio," she winced, "my legs are aching today. I'm not used to dancing anymore." she winced, "my legs are aching today. I'm not used to dancing anymore."

Filomena peeked over the page she was reading, took a sip from her cup, and studied her daughter for a moment. "Sounds like you two really enjoyed yourselves," she said before hiding once more behind the magazine.

Lucrezia slammed her cup down. "Cosa?" "Cosa?" she said, glaring at her mother. "What are you trying to say?" she said, glaring at her mother. "What are you trying to say?"

"What do you mean, what am I trying to say?"

"You know exactly what I mean," fumed Lucrezia. "I know from that voice of yours. I can tell when you're trying to say something. What have you been doing, waiting out here for me to get up so you can start something first thing in the morning?"

"I haven't been waiting to start anything. I've just been sitting here reading my magazine."

"Well you're reading it upside down!"

Filomena's face reddened and she tossed the magazine aside. "I was looking at an advertis.e.m.e.nt, that's all. I don't see why you're acting so upset. What did I say, anyway? I only said it sounded like you two enjoyed yourselves. What was wrong with that?"

Lucrezia scowled at her. "What, are you trying to say that we weren't weren't supposed to enjoy ourselves?" supposed to enjoy ourselves?"

"Of course not, just the opposite!" said her mother, throwing her hands up. "It's natural for a man and a woman to enjoy each other's company."

"Then why don't you just come out and say what's really on your mind?" said Lucrezia.

"Maybe you should come out and say what's really on your your mind," Filomena replied, locking eyeb.a.l.l.s with her daughter. mind," Filomena replied, locking eyeb.a.l.l.s with her daughter.

"I haven't got anything on my mind!"

"Well, it's about time you did have something on your mind," cried Filomena, slamming her hand down on the table, "something other than running that stupid candy factory at the bottom of the hill!"

"What on earth are you talking about, Mama?"

"What do you think I'm talking about? I'm talking about you and that cyclist who's living two flights of stairs above the office you work in every day."

"Me and Peppi Peppi?" answered Lucrezia, gaping at her mother.

"Ayyy, don't act like you don't know," said Filomena with a wave of her hand. "You know exactly what's going on."

"No, I don't know, madre mia," madre mia," huffed her daughter. "Why don't you explain it for me." huffed her daughter. "Why don't you explain it for me."

"What's to explain? You're a woman, he's a man. Figure it out for yourself."

"Ma, tu sei pazza, Mama!" Lucrezia exclaimed, jumping up from her seat. "You're crazy!" Lucrezia exclaimed, jumping up from her seat. "You're crazy!"

"You're right, I am crazy!" Filomena shot back. "What a mistake we made, your father and I, letting you come back here after poor Francesco died. We should have made you keep your old apartment in the city and forced you to start your life over again. Instead we let you come back here and hide yourself where no one can find you."

Lucrezia stood in the middle of the kitchen, glaring at her mother. "Is that what this is all about," she said, suddenly calm, like the calm before a tumultuous storm, "you want me to move out?"

"No," said Filomena, shaking her head. "All I've wanted for you is to find another man. I want you to be happy. I told you before, it's time to put away the black dress. You can't go on mourning Francesco forever. He He wouldn't want you to." wouldn't want you to."

"But, Mama, listen to yourself. Are you telling me I should start my life over with Peppi Peppi?"

"Why not?"

"Please, Mama, he's Papa's friend," cried Lucrezia. "Have you forgotten that? And besides, I'm too young for him-or he's too old for me."

"So what?" said her mother. "He's strong and fit. And believe me, there's nothing old about the way he looks at you-or you at him. Anyone with eyes can see what's happening between you two."