Of course, she said yes, yes, yes, she wanted to marry him! And she didn't even care about the ring! Bobby wanted to do it quickly, before he got too busy. So they decided to go to City Hall. Rose thought about Nonna, Sister Phil, and the nuns at St. Mary's High School. In the eyes of the Catholic Church she wouldn't really be married if she only had a civil ceremony. She and Bobby would be living in sin. But Bobby wasn't a Catholic, and the church would say she had to have a dispensation, which would take time, and Bobby was ready to marry her now. She closed her eyes and told herself God would understand. Her dreams were coming true. And nothing was going to get in her way.

ROSE DIDN'T TELL Lu what was happening until the night before the big event.

“Please don't do this right now,” Lu begged. “Just wait a little while.”

She and Rose were in Rose's bedroom, and Rose had just pulled an armful of dresses out of her closet. “I'm marrying Bobby tomorrow,” she said firmly. “We've already made all the plans.”

“Unmake them!”

Rose gritted her teeth. “Mother, I asked you to come in here to help me pick out something to wear to my wedding. I thought you'd want to be a part of the happiest day of my life. Don't spoil this for me.”

“I just don't see why it has to happen so fast. Bobby's only been at work for a couple of weeks. He just got out of the hospital a month ago.”

“I told you, he wants me to go with him on the road.”

“Go with him! Sleep with him! Just don't marry him. Not yet. Give him a chance to think.”

But Rose couldn't do that. She didn't want to give Bobby time to think. And if it occurred to her that the reason was that she didn't want him to get over being scared because then he might change his mind, she pushed that thought aside.

“Bobby knows what he wants,” she said to her mother. “Do you think I should wear a hat?”

Lu tried another line of attack. “I think you should be married in a white wedding dress with a veil, and a bouquet, and a million bridesmaids. Don't you want a church wedding? Just wait until after The Lady is open, and if you and Bobby still want to get married, I'll pull strings and get St. Patrick's Cathedral for you.”

It was tempting. Rose had always wanted a big wedding; she and Nonna had talked about it from the time she was a little girl. She knew exactly how she would look—her gown would have a full skirt with a tiny waist and a cathedral train, and her veil would be made of real lace, and …She shook her head. A big wedding would be too much—Bobby might have second thoughts.