All the Love in the World: A Holiday Anthology

by Karina Halle

  That’s fine with me. After the flight and everything, I’m ready to just have a relaxing night in. Give me some wine and some girl time, and I’m a happy camper.

  The men, on the other hand, have rented a fucking boat. Luciano is captain again, this time of a booze cruise. We watch as they pile into a couple of cabs and they take off down the road, heading to the harbor. I made Mateo promise me he wouldn’t drink too much, lest he falls off the boat. I don’t know if he has sea legs or not and I don’t want him to find out the hard way.

  “Does Luciano even know how to drive a boat?” I ask Ruby as we walk back into the house.

  She shrugs, smiling. “I don’t know, but there’s nothing that man can’t do.”

  “That’s true.”

  “I’m really glad to properly meet you again,” she says to me, leaning in closer. “Luciano tells me all the time that we’d get along really well.”

  “That’s what Mateo is saying.”

  “Here, let me get you a drink and you can tell me all about your tattoos. They’re gorgeous.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” I call out after her as she walks into the kitchen. “You’re the bride!”

  “She’s been doing that all weekend,” Ines says to me. “Better to just sit back and relax.” Suddenly a baby starts crying from one of the rooms. She sighs. “That’s Alice. So much for relaxing.” She gets up and disappears into the bedroom.

  I sit down on an armchair and look at everyone else. Chloe Ann followed Ruby into the kitchen, and I’m pretty sure she’s grilling her about sports reporting, while Thalia, Teresa, and Elena are having a conversation about Portugal. David Roberto is asleep in his crib, oblivious to all the yapping.

  I’m really, really happy for Thalia and Alejo. They wanted a baby for so long, and there were so many disappointments when they went the IVF route. The cost, the pain, the weight of the unknown. I saw what it did to them, time and time again.

  When they finally got the news they were approved to adopt David Roberto, I was there. It was like a love explosion in the room, and their love for this boy started on that day and has only multiplied since then. I’ve never seen them so happy, nor have I seen them so in love. In love with their child, their family, each other.

  All that to say, I know Thalia will take it easy with the drinking tonight. She’s always been the level-headed one, and I don’t think it’s because she’s so much older than me. Things change when you become a parent, even I’ve grown up a smidge since I started having Chloe Ann in my life. And I thought I’d never grow up.

  “Here you go,” Ruby says, handing me my glass of red. “It’s local. From Madeira. They only make, like, twenty cases a year or something ridiculous like that.”

  “Thank you,” I say to her, raising my glass.

  She raises hers. “You’re welcome. Thank you so much for coming. I know it was such a last-minute thing, no warning.”

  “If it helps, I’m pretty spontaneous too.”

  “Our whole relationship has been spontaneous,” she says. “This made sense. We thought, why not do it now while it’s the off-season, you know? That way everyone from the team could make it down, including Marco, since he gets busy as soon as the season starts too.” She pauses. “To be honest, I’m surprised my father and stepmom showed up. They weren’t a fan of me moving here, but I guess they got used to it.”

  “I hear that. My parents are divorced too, and my father never came to the wedding. My mom did, but only to spite him.”

  “Sounds like you’re used to family complications.”

  “Oh yes. And of course none of them approved of me and Mateo to begin with. You know, because he was married at the time.” I pause, wondering how she will take that. I don’t normally tell people that, women especially, off the bat, because they judge me. But I’ve already decided that Ruby is more empathetic than anything else.

  She smiles. “I was dating Luciano’s brother when I first fell in love with him,” she says softly.

  Then it dawns on me. “Oh,” I say slowly. My eyes go big. “Oh! You’re her. You’re…”

  “The girl that screwed him over all those years ago?” She fills in. She sighs. “Yeah, that’s me. In the flesh.”

  “Sorry, it’s just this all makes perfect sense now. Wow. You really did a number on him.”

  Ruby takes a sip of her wine, staying silent.

  Oh shit. I’ve said the wrong thing.

  “Not that…” I attempt to say. “I mean, our stories are similar, they really are. Our love didn’t come easy to us did it?”

  She swallows. “It came easy it just…took me awhile to grow up and do the right thing. All I know is that I’m the luckiest bitch alive. When I had that chance with Luciano again, I knew I had to do everything in my power to make it right, to hold onto him for as long as I could. It’s just too bad life wasn’t on our side at the time.”

  “But you’re here now. You’re getting married. And you love him, right?”

  She nods, her eyes filling with tears. “I love him more than I can even say. I don’t even know how I’m going to get through my vows tomorrow without crying. I can’t even talk to you about him without crying. He means everything to me. Everything. He’s my heart and my home and I...”

  I put my arm around her, giving her a squeeze. “Hey, it’s okay to cry. Weddings are emotional business. And you made it, you know? Does it really matter how a love story went as long as you get your happily ever after? I know that’s what I tell myself all the time when it comes to Mateo. We went through shit together. We really did. We did things the hard way and we weren’t always in the right, and we definitely weren’t perfect. But by being messy and chaotic and flawed, we were allowed to be real. And, in the end, that’s what matters. If you’re real. If your love is real. What you and Luciano seem to have, it’s lasted all this time, through all the different periods of your life. It doesn’t get more real than that.”

  Ruby is full on crying now.

  “Thank you,” she sobs, throwing her arms around me. “You really are as cool as everyone else says.”

  I hug her back and smile. Cool, huh? I’ll take it.

  After a moment I pull back, inspecting her face. “You going to be okay.”

  She wipes her tears away and nods. “I don’t even cry that often.”

  “I’ll give you a pass,” I tell her. Then I peer at her lips. “Hey, so what lipstick is that?”

  Her eyes brighten and she straightens up. “Oh! It’s amazing, Lisa Eldridge Velvet Ribbon! Let me go get it.”

  She hands me her glass of wine and then takes off for her bedroom.

  Chloe Ann sidles up to me. “Made her cry, huh?”

  I grin at her. “Wasn’t trying to.”

  “Did you cry at your wedding? I can’t remember.”

  I nod. “Oh yes. Big time. You did too.”

  “Oh I did not.”

  “Yes you did. You were tired and cranky and wanted to go home.”

  “That doesn’t count, Vera.”

  I shrug. “You still did it.”

  Ruby comes back out of her room, lipstick in hand, her emotions back under control. She puts the lipstick on me, then does the same to Chloe Ann. Then she does the same to the rest of the ladies.

  Then the drinking games begin.

  Mateo

  Vera and I wake up hungover.

  Even though she says the girls did nothing but sit around the house, when we got back from our party, the place was absolutely littered with wine and champagne bottles. Vera, Ruby’s Finnish friend Elena, Marco’s wife Ines, and Benedito’s wife Teresa were all up, dancing around and being hilariously belligerent, drinking straight from the bottle.

  Luckily, the rest of the women had some sense. Ruby barely had anything to drink since she didn’t want a hangover on her wedding, and Thalia stayed true to her role as mama hen and stayed relatively sober to take care of David Roberto, Chloe Ann, and baby Alice. They were all fast asleep when we ca
me home.

  Of course, I was no angel either. When the boat docked back in the harbor before it got dark, we stayed there for another few hours, drinking more and more. Lying here, my head pounding, my mouth feeling stuffed with cotton balls, my heart goes out to Luciano. I can only hope he had the sense to pull back, unlike the rest of us. I remember Alejo trying to get him drunk, but I’m not sure he succeeded.

  “Oh my god,” Vera says, slowly rolling over beside me in the bed in the guest cottage. “I’m dying.”

  “Me too,” I tell her. “Me too.”

  “How are we going to survive this wedding?” she moans, covering her face with her hands. “Why did I do that to myself?”

  “Well, my Estrella,” I tell her, carefully turning over as to not disturb the fine balance in my brain. “The two of us haven’t partied in a long time. And with good reason. I am too old for this shit.”

  “I think I am too.”

  I laugh, even though it pains me. “You’re thirty-one. You’ve just gotten over the cusp where a hangover will follow you around all day and for less effort. Enjoy this while you can.”

  She just moans in response.

  Eventually I get up, use the toilet, then stagger into the kitchen where I find Alejo and Thalia already up, eating Nutella and toast, drinking coffee.

  “Coffee,” I mumble like a zombie, heading over to the French Press. I pour myself a cup and then lean back against the counter and look them over.

  The two of them look wide-awake and ridiculously good-looking.

  “What is going on?” I say, my accusatory glare focused on Alejo. “I know how much you drank. You drank more than I did. Why do you look like you’ve aged backward?”

  Alejo shrugs, giving me a shit-eating grin. “I don’t know, Mateo. Maybe because I’m twenty-seven and you’re old as hell.”

  “You forget, I’m your coach. I could punish you for such things.”

  “It’s annoying, isn’t it?” Thalia says with a roll of her eyes. “I have one glass of wine now and I pay for it all day. This man, he drinks like a fish and he turns into Superman.”

  Alejo is still grinning. “Hey, I can’t help the way I am.”

  “I only had one glass last night and I still feel a bit groggy,” she says with a yawn. “David Roberto was up most of the night too. Thank god he’s sleeping now. He didn’t disturb you?”

  “Not even a little,” I tell her, taking a satisfying sip of my coffee. Ah. Maybe this is the answer. “Then again, I was passed out.”

  “And how is Vera?” she asks, smirking over her mug.

  “Awful!” Vera yells, suddenly appearing in the doorway. “She’s awful, thanks for asking.”

  My wife does look a little like death warmed over, so is it strange that she also looks incredibly hot, in just her disheveled sleepshirt, no bra, nipples poking through. Shit, I think this is turning me on. Must focus on something else.

  Ah yes, my awful headache. That will do.

  Thalia laughs. “I told you not to drink the champagne after the red wine, didn’t I? Don’t you know that nothing good comes of it?”

  I smile. Thalia is one of my favorite people, a woman I really respect and admire. Vera respects and admires her too, so it’s amusing to me when Thalia takes on the mother role with her. She’s closer in age to me than she is to Vera, or even her husband, and she plays the part well.

  Vera makes a face at her and then stumbles over to the coffee. “This will be the real test,” she says, pouring the last of it in a mug. “If I can drink this, then I know I’ll survive the day. If I’m too sick for coffee, all hope is lost.”

  She takes a sip and we all wait for her verdict.

  She manages a small smile, eyes squinty with pleasure. “It’s good.”

  “Good,” Thalia says, getting up. “Because we need to start getting ready for the day.”

  “The ceremony isn’t until three,” Vera says.

  “I know, but we’re like defacto bridesmaids here. We have to help her. Don’t remember all the work that went into the day of your wedding?”

  Vera nods. “Got it. Let me just shower and see what happens after that.”

  Things are a little easier for Alejo and I. We’re not the groomsmen since Luciano decided it was easier not to have any, but I’m sure he’s going to need us to help with something. At least whatever it is won’t be as complicated as getting a bride ready.

  The day progresses fairly quickly, at any rate. We don’t get changed into our best just yet, but we make ourselves look presentable, then head over next door to the farmhouse to have a big lunch with everyone in the dining room. There’s a lot of us, and not a ton of room, but we all find our own spots throughout the house. Chloe Ann is more than happy to be away from the adults, and as soon as she’s done, she practically begs to hang out in the barn until it’s time to get ready.

  As she runs off, I give Luciano a warning look. “If my daughter wants a horse after this, it’s all going to be your fault.”

  Luciano just grins at me. He’s been grinning for nearly twenty-four hours now. The man can’t wait to get married.

  I give his shoulder a squeeze, deciding to forgive him if Chloe Ann gets obsessed with horses now. Maybe.

  After lunch, things start to get serious. The officiant shows up, as well as the wedding photographer and the caterers. A DJ sets up underneath the tent, the florist makes her arrangements along the chairs and the aisle set-up in the field out front.

  Alejo and I drift from place to place, sipping cocktails from the bar, helping Luciano when we can, though Marco seems to be running the show, and that’s fine with us.

  Then things get real.

  We take our places in the white chairs in the field, overlooking the makeshift altar of haybales and carefully arranged flowers. In the distance, the fields turn into the sea, sparkling cobalt blue.

  The sun is shining, it’s hot as sin, the sky is clear but there’s a soft breeze that keeps me from ruining my suit jacket in sweat.

  I hold onto Vera’s hand on one side of me and Chloe Ann’s on the other, giving them both a squeeze, momentarily overwhelmed over how lucky I am to have these two in my life. They both look gorgeous too, Vera with her hair piled high on her head, in a modest blue dress that brings out her curves and her eyes, my daughter in a simple black dress. It takes me aback to look at her like this, that she’s becoming a woman, no longer my baby girl. But my god, am I proud of her.

  Then everyone turns to look as Luciano walks down the aisle alongside the officiant, a rather-grim looking elderly man. No surprise, Luciano looks debonair, his beard neatly trimmed (thank god, because it was bordering on mountain man for a while), his tuxedo sharp. He smiles and nods at everyone as he goes, then raises his hands in the air, letting out a whoop before going to his place at the altar.

  Everyone laughs. It’s hard not to around him.

  Then we wait.

  And wait.

  The music starts to fill the air.

  I look at Luciano’s face. He’s staring straight down the aisle like a man possessed, a sense of awe and wonderment slowly overtaking his expression.

  I twist in my seat along with everyone else, looking behind me.

  Ruby walks down the aisle in a white wedding dress, holding red roses that match her lips. Behind her, Elena carries the train, while Ruby’s arm is locked around her father’s. She tries to look at everyone as she passes by, but she can’t take her eyes away from Luciano.

  And he certainly can’t take his eyes off her.

  “Oh my god,” Vera whispers to me, sniffing. “Look at how in love they are.”

  I squeeze her hand, loving it when she gets so sentimental. It doesn’t happen that often.

  Honestly, I feel it too. I don’t really pay attention to what the officiant is saying. He keeps switching from Portuguese to English and back again, and he speaks slowly. I keep looking over at Alejo to see if he’s keeping up and he looks as confused as I do.

  B
ut it doesn’t matter when it comes time for the vows, because that’s the most important part. That’s what comes from the soul, and both Luciano and Ruby make very heartfelt, bold claims for each other.

  Luciano says, his voice cracking with emotion as he speaks, “Ruby, I promise to always be your friend, your lover, and, most importantly, your family, from this day until our very last days. For the two of us, home isn’t a place. It is a person. And we are finally home.”

  I think we all feel the sincerity and love pouring from his heart to hers.

  I’m not afraid of my emotions, maybe because in Spain it’s not a big deal for a man to cry, but even so, I try my hardest to keep it together. I don’t want to end up like Vera who is sobbing quietly beside me, or even my daughter, who looks a bit misty-eyed.

  Then they exchange rings, Luciano’s hand trembling as he slips the wedding band on Ruby’s finger, a single tear spilling from her eye as she look at him with so much adoration and love, that I know these two are in it for the long-haul.

  “You may kiss the bride,” the officiant announces, finally smiling.

  Luciano breaks into the biggest ear-to-ear grin, grabbing Ruby’s face in his hands. “Hello, my wife,” he says to her.

  “Hello, my husband,” she answers sweetly.

  He kisses her, long and hard enough that I’m tempted to cover Chloe Ann’s eyes. Everyone laughs.

  Then Luciano and Ruby turn around to face us and he raises their hands in the air, doing a little dance like he does whenever he scores a goal.

  We laugh some more, getting to our feet, cheering, yelling, clapping. Luciano and Ruby run down the aisle past us, dancing as they go like a bunch of goofs, having the time of their lives.

  Then they very dramatically get on the back of a fucking horse, Ruby gathering the ends of her dress in one hand, her other hand going around Luciano’s waist, and off they go, smiling, hollering, literally galloping off into the sun.

  “Wow,” Chloe Ann says, watching them disappear behind a ridge. “I need to fall in love so I can do that at my wedding.”