Chapter four
"Aaliyah where you at?, we wanted you to be the first to know." My mother burst into my apartment, her excitement palpable as she handed me her shawl. My youngest sister Camden trailed closely behind, a radiant smile lighting up her face.
"I wanted you to be the first to know," Camden chimed in, her enthusiasm infectious.
"After me!" my mother interjected, settling onto the couch. I adjusted my glasses and shifted the bowl of ice cream in my hand, taking in the scene.
"I'm engaged!" Camden exclaimed, lifting her left hand to reveal a stunning diamond ring.
"Liam proposed with a two-carat diamond!" she added, her eyes sparkling.
"I didn't get my first carat until my third marriage," my mom remarked with a hint of disappointment before heading to the kitchen.
I turned my attention back to Camden. "You know I'm happy for you, right, Camden?"
"Yeah," she replied, her smile unwavering.
"But… you're just a sophomore in college. You're still figuring out your major, let alone who you want to spend your life with," I pointed out.
"Why now?" I pressed further.
She sighed. "Why not now? He's a great guy."
"And I don't want to wait until I'm old, like…" she trailed off.
"Like me," I finished for her, a small smile creeping onto my face as I withdrew my hand from her shoulder.
"Aaliyah, I didn't mean it like that," she said quickly.
"It's fine, I get it," I replied, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach my eyes.
"And Mom's even letting me wear her wedding dress!" Camden continued, her excitement bubbling over, her dimples on full display.
From the kitchen, my mom called out, "You can choose whichever one you like!" Camden beamed at the response.
"But there's one thing that would make this the best wedding ever," she said, her voice filled with anticipation.
"I want you to be my bridesmaid."
****
"A bridesmaid again?" Amanda, one of my close friends, sighed as I took a sip of my cocktail. I nodded in agreement.
"I can't show up to my youngest sister's wedding single. I went to Rebecca's, Joy's, and Liya's weddings alone, and the stares and mockery were unbearable."
"I'll be the joke of my whole family and half the town," I lamented, recalling how Shanda and Tamika had ridiculed me in the restroom. This time, I knew that if I went solo, the teasing would only escalate.
"If you're looking for a guy, I can help you out," Amanda chimed in, suddenly whistling to a man perched on a barstool facing the bartender.
I quickly lowered her hand, my cheeks flushing. "Shhhh, don't make it worse! I don't just need a guy; I need a husband, or at least a potential one, by next month."
"Why not marry Amanda? If she skips a week without shaving her mustache, you might mistake her for a man," William quipped from beside me, earning a fierce glare from Amanda, who retaliated by tossing some chips at him.
"Seriously, guys, why is it so difficult to find the right guy?" I pleaded.
"Tell me about it," Amanda replied, her voice tinged with sadness as she took a sip of her vodka.
I dropped my drink in frustration. "A girl can have it all, an MBA, a job, but still no man."
"Well, that's because men get intimidated by strong women," Amanda pointed out.
"I never mention my degree to guys," she continued, and I sighed, anxiety twisting in my stomach at the thought of the wedding. It wasn't like I could just skip it.
Suddenly, William slammed his hand on the table, startling both me and Amanda. "You are not going to that wedding single," he declared, snatching my phone from the table.
"Hey, what are you doing?" I protested.
"I know exactly where you can find the perfect guy for you," he said, and Amanda and I exchanged puzzled glances.
"What do you mean? Have you finally lost it?" Amanda asked, but he shook his head as he scrolled through my phone, keeping it just out of my reach.
"Two of my cousins went to Italy for a friend's wedding, and guess what? They both came back with a man," he announced, causing Amanda to gasp.
"A polyandrous relationship, two of them with one man!"
"Of course not! You really need to have your brain scrubbed," he replied with a smirk.
"Look, they both returned with two dashing Italian gentlemen and ended up tying the knot, so I thought maybe the same luck could strike you," he continued, eliciting a laugh from me. William must truly be losing his grip on reality.
"I'm already in the process of booking your flight to Italy," he declared, and my eyes widened in disbelief.
"Are you out of your mind? I'm not doing that! Hand me back my phone!"
"Sure, why not?" both he and Amanda chimed in unison, and I shot them a bewildered look, convinced they had both lost it.
"I can't just hop on a plane and travel thousands of miles to a foreign land in search of a man! That's utterly ridiculous! Can you even hear yourselves?"
"It's a brilliant idea! It seems like you're not having much luck finding a guy here in Atlanta or even in Georgia as a whole. Why not expand your horizons with some…"
"Italian dick!" Amanda interjected loudly, causing heads to turn in our direction.
William placed his hand over mine, his voice sincere. "Aaliyah, you are one of the sweetest and most deserving people when it comes to love," he said, filling my heart with warmth and prompting a smile to spread across my face.
"And think of it as a little getaway for you too! A break from your sisters, those envious girls, and especially from your mother," Amanda added, and I found myself staring at them, utterly speechless. Yet, the seed of the idea was already taking root in my mind.
I was tired of feeling alone, weary of my mother's constant complaints, and exhausted by the pitying glances from my sisters.
"I mean, what's the worst that could happen? You've always said you need a vacation. Go to Italy, have a blast, enjoy yourself, and maybe even find a man," Amanda said with a playful giggle.
"Even if you don't end up with a guy, you'll still have a blast, and when you return, William can step in as your date for your sister's wedding," she concluded, and I couldn't help but smile, surprised that I was actually entertaining the idea.
"But what about the bakery? I can't just abandon it to travel abroad," I replied.
"Don't worry, you have Beatrice, my cousin. She already works for you, and you mentioned that you trust her to manage the shop with the team while you're away," she reassured me. I nodded, feeling uneasy about leaving my business for an extended period, especially for nearly a month, but I knew Beatrice could handle things in my absence.
"Yeah, you're right."
"So, you have twenty-eight days in Italy. Enjoy yourself, let loose, and be true to who you are," William said as we lifted our glasses for a toast.
"And maybe find a husband," I murmured as we all clinked our glasses together.