Chapter 5

Luci's POV

I checked the mirror one last time to see if by some miracle the vision before me had changed but no luck. I let out a deep sigh as I rubbed my hands over the mound that used to be my abdomen. "I love you already, little one. But you aren't doing anything for Mommy's self-esteem right now."

I couldn't believe the drastic changes that had taken place in my body over the past two months, ever since I found out that I was pregnant. I mean, I knew the baby would grow and that my body would change to accommodate the new life growing inside me, but I didn't think I was going to look like I was nine months pregnant at four months along. Apparently, I wasn't the only one to be thinking that because Dr. Thomas wanted an ultrasound to check and see if there was more than one baby and strangers were asking me how soon I was due.

I checked the outfit I'd chosen for the occasion, although light blue wasn't a color most people would wear to a funeral home for a viewing, this was the only decent outfit I could fit into. It was an off the shoulder maternity dress that I'd bought for my college graduation later this year, but desperate times called for desperate measures and until I went shopping, this was the only thing available to me at the moment.

Of course, I wouldn't have needed it if Stephanie was available to take her grandmother to the funeral home in the first place. She was going to be there, but she had a job to do for Alexander so her attention wouldn't be focused on Grandma Mazur and we all knew what that would mean… utter chaos. Of course, Helen, Stephanie's mother, refused to allow her mother to go to the viewing unless someone was there to watch her. Edna had lost no time in getting to our apartment and pleading with me to go along.

I was doing well with my refusal until I'd seen the tear slip down her cheek as she talked about her love for Hugo and how she was going to miss him something fierce, and now she didn't even get to say a final goodbye to him. I'd caved. So now I was standing here in a state of near shock as I looked at myself in the mirror, thinking this couldn't possibly be me… but it was.

The clacking sound of heels on the floor brought my attention back to the moment and I grabbed my purse and turned toward the door in time to see Stephanie walk into the room.

She'd dressed in a pair of black dress slacks, a charcoal grey blouse that buttoned up with the tail left untucked, and a black silk vest. I knew the minute she saw me because her eyes went wide. It had been almost a month since we'd seen each other. Considering we lived in the same apartment, that was no easy feat, but she'd had a lot of work to do for Alexander this past month and my school work was taking up every spare moment I had.

"My gosh!"

I laughed at her expression and tone. "You should be on my end of things and see how it feels."

She shook her head. "Are you sure you should be taking Grandma to the viewing? I mean, you look like you're going to pop at any moment."

I rubbed my hand over my belly and grinned. "Looks are deceiving."

Stephanie smiled. "I'll say."

The clock on the family room wall chimed the time and I said, "We need to leave now if we're going to make it at a decent time,"

Stephanie chuckled. "Now you sound like Grandma."

I looked at her askance as I said, "Bite your tongue!"

We both broke out in laughter and then headed out the door, making sure to grab our winter coats on the way.

Vincenzo—or Vinny, as I always referred to him was standing beside the limo as we exited the apartment building. The instant we stepped outside he opened the back door and waited for me to climb in the car.

Stephanie squeezed my hand and said, "Thanks again for taking Grandma to the funeral home. And remember, don't let her get out of your sight."

I rolled my eyes and smiled wryly before saying, "Maybe I should rethink this whole thing."

Stephanie laughed once more and then said, "You already agreed. If you renege, she'll hunt you down."

I let out a deep sigh as I watched her walk over to her clunker of a car.

The clearing of a throat had me looking up at Vinny. There was a soft look on his face—one I hadn't seen in a long while—as he said, "We need to get going."

I allowed him to help me into the back seat of the limo and leaned back against the seat as he drove to the Plum residence.

The minute we pulled up to the curb, the front door opened and Grandma Mazur made a beeline for the car.

Vinny opened the door and assisted her into the backseat where she plopped down beside me.

Grandma Mazur grinned at me as she patted my hand. "Thanks again, Luci Lou. Helen's being a stickler about me not going to the funeral home alone, and since Stephanie has that thing she as to do for the old coot…"

I sat up in the seat and narrowed my eyes as I gazed at her. "You don't have anything planned except going to the funeral home and paying your respects to Hugo, right?"

Her eyes widened. "Why of course that's all we're doing. You sound like you don't trust me."

"Well, I've heard stories…"

She chuckled. "Exaggerations. That's all they were." Her eyes glazed over and she got a wistful smile on her face as she said, "I wouldn't mind getting one last feel of his package though. That man was built, if you catch my drift."

I lifted an eyebrow as I asked, "You do realize that package doesn't work anymore, right?"

She smacked her ruby red lips together and I noticed for the first time the outfit that she was wearing and frowned. Before I could think better of it, the words were out of my mouth as I asked her, "Is that what you're wearing?"

She looked down at herself and gave a half shrug. "What's wrong with it?"

"I've just never seen anyone wear a red sequined dress to a funeral home."

Her dentures moved around in her mouth as her eyes narrowed. "Hugo loved the color. Especially on me. This is what I wore on our last date. And man-oh-man did it give him quite the hard on!"

I gave a little gasp as I felt the heat in my cheeks.

The car came to a stop and Vinny opened the back door before helping us out of the vehicle, first me and then Grandma Mazur.

I caught a glimpse of something in her eyes as she came to stand beside me and my eyes narrowed on her once again. "Just remember, you promised to behave yourself if I came with you."

She giggled like a school girl and said, "One little feel won't hurt anyone."

I could feel my eyes widening as I leaned in close and whispered frantically, "No! Absolutely not! You can't go feeling up a dead guy!"

A pouting look came over her face as she said, "Just a quick feel and I'm out of there."

Shaking my head frantically, I made my voice as firm as possible as I said, "No! If I get even a hint that's what you are going to do, I'll drag you out of there by your purse strap."

We entered the building and the two men standing there gasped as a look of horror crossed their faces.

I groaned inwardly as I realized all those stories I'd heard about Stephanie's grandma were actually true. There was no other explanation for their response to seeing the elderly woman. And here I'd always thought they were exaggerations.

Grandma winked at the gentlemen as we made our way into the viewing room where Hugo was laid out.

The two men whisper frantically back and forth as they gestured with their hands.

We got into line to view the body and just as we were close to the coffin, an elderly woman called out to Grandma. "Yoohoo, Edna!"

There was a twinkle in Grandma Mazur's eyes as she said, "Carol, so nice to see you here."

Carol smiled as she came to a stop beside me and said, "I wouldn't miss this for the world. I think there's something wrong with the heater, though. It's really hot in here and they can't seem to pinpoint what the problem is." She winked at Grandma and continued, "I have a bottle of cold water if you want it."

A frown crossed my face as I wondered what's going on. These two old women were up to something, I just knew it.

Grandma fanned the air in front of her face, smirked, then said, "That would be so nice right now.

Everything seemed to happen at once. Cold water trickled down my legs and puddled on the floor as Carol shrieked, "Her water broke! Someone get help."

As people scrambled, Edna reached her hand inside the coffin and came back out with something clenched in her hand. She then put her hand inside of her purse and when she took it back out, the hand was empty. She hurriedly closed the purse and came over and took my arm as I was ushered into the vestibule.

After several tense moments, I was finally able to convince everyone that I was fine and was indeed not in labor and the water that they saw on the floor was from a bottle that I'd accidentally dropped. I'd apologized as I took hold of Mrs. Mazur's arm and headed us in the direction of the door. The minute we were outside, I pulled her to a stop and asked, "What the hell did you just do back there?"

She moved her dentures around in her mouth as she looked at me for several seconds and then said, "Hugo was always promising that when he died, his mood ring would belong to me. Then he ups and puts it in his will that he wants to be buried with the damn thing. Well, I just made sure he lived up to his promises."

Before I could say anything more, Vinny moved up beside me and I glance up to see that Stephanie had joined him. She gave me a look of concern and asked, "Is everything all right?"

I let out a sigh and groaned before answering. "Well, your grandma had her friend pour water down my legs to make everyone think I was in labor and then she took a ring off a dead guy, but other than that, everything is just peachy. How's things with you?"

At Stephanie's laughter, I rolled my eyes and headed for the limo with Vinny beside me. My legs were freezing from the wet water hitting the cold air and I couldn't wait to get in the car where Vinny had the heat on full blast.