Chương 10 - The Gold Button
Three months later.
Summer had arrived in full force in the Hudson Valley. The twelve acres of the Moretti estate were brilliant green, the rose bushes blooming in vibrant shades of deep crimson and soft white, their fragrance filling the warm afternoon breeze.
The grand courtyard in front of the main house was decorated with white silk ribbons, thousands of fresh lilies, and long wooden tables filled with fine wine, silver platters, and laughter.
Over two hundred guests—family leaders, union bosses, local business owners, and estate staff—gathered beneath the clear blue sky.
At the head of the courtyard stood Don Alessandro Moretti and Rosaria Mendes.
Rosaria wore a breathtaking silk wedding gown, simple and timeless, with a lace veil that trailed softly over the red carpet. Alessandro looked striking in a midnight-blue tuxedo, his eyes never leaving his bride as the local bishop finished reading the final vows.
"By the authority vested in me," the bishop announced, his voice echoing warmly across the silent courtyard, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Alessandro didn't hesitate. He pulled Rosaria gently into his arms, kissing her with a deep, passionate tenderness that brought a loud, roaring cheer from the crowd.
Don Lucchese raised his glass high into the air. "To Don Alessandro and Queen Rosaria! Salute!"
"SALUTE!" two hundred voices roared in unison, silver glasses clinking, music swelling from the live orchestra near the rose garden.
At the edge of the red carpet, Mr. Bruno stood wearing a sharp dark suit, holding small Lily on his hip.
Lily wore a miniature version of her mother's white dress, her dark hair tied with a yellow silk ribbon. She looked completely delighted, clapping her tiny hands as she watched her mother and father laugh together.
Alessandro walked over, taking Lily into his arms and lifting her high onto his broad shoulder. The little girl squealed with joy, wrapping her small arms around her father's neck.
"Look, Daddy!" Lily chirped, pointing toward the marble steps of the grand entrance. "The sun is shiny!"
Alessandro looked down at his daughter, then at his beautiful wife standing beside him, taking her hand in his.
"Everything is shiny today, trouble," Alessandro said softly, using the gentle nickname he had given her months ago.
Suddenly, Lily reached into the small lace pocket of her white dress. She pulled out a tiny, polished object and held it toward her father's palm.
It was the gold button.
The same small, sun-shaped button she had picked up from the hallway floor on the morning everything changed—the button that had brought Alessandro to his knees, revealing the truth that had saved all their lives.
Alessandro took the small gold button, holding it between his fingers as it caught the warm afternoon light.
"You still have this?" he asked, amazed.
"Pretty," Lily said simply, her dark eyes—his mother's eyes—shining with pure, absolute happiness.
Alessandro looked at Rosaria, his heart fuller than it had ever been in his entire life.
May you like
He took the gold button and carefully placed it inside the front breast pocket of his tuxedo, directly over his heart.
"Yes, my sweet girl," Alessandro whispered, pulling both Rosaria and Lily close against his chest as the music played into the warm afternoon sky. "It is the prettiest thing in the world."
