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Luca was indeed a complex character.
                  The rest of dinner time was spent on small talk and then Valeria helped Angela with the washing up. The men smoked their cigarettes and cigars in the living room with the television switched to the Italian news channel.
     
     

 
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 3
Matrimony
     
     
     
    Over the next three days, Valeria kept herself securely in the house. She wouldn't risk Luca dropping in when she was on her own again. Rather, she kept herself busy by cooking, cleaning, and literally locking herself in. Luca had made her housebound. She had shopped with Angela for the post-wedding food. Her wedding dress fit perfectly, and she was happy with the adjustments. The incident with Luca was never spoken about, and Valeria was thankful he hadn't bothered her again. She couldn't blame the others completely for not believing her, given their long friendship with Luca, but it still hurt not to have their full support.
                  The day of the wedding was nerve-racking for Valeria. Luca had driven Roberto and Marco to the church whilst another friend of theirs had driven Valeria and Angela to the church. Originally, it was Luca who was allocated her driver, but without discussing it with her, Roberto had obviously asked someone else to do it. Perhaps he was thinking how awkward it would be for her, and she was mildly touched by the gesture.
                  Other close family members, including Roberto's two brothers and their wives, as well as a few friends, met at St Monica's Church in Moonee Ponds. It was a classically beautiful church with many steps leading up towards the entrance. Valeria felt numb as she took small steps outside the church, waiting for the wedding march to start playing. It was a beautiful autumn morning, and looking around her, she could smell pine-scented air and see flocks of birds overhead. Her breathing became rapid. As Valeria waited for Marco to walk her down the aisle, she felt frazzled and wanted to turn back. She wondered what she was doing marrying a man she didn't love. What was she thinking? Was her life in Italy that bad that she needed to escape so desperately? Valeria ignored her thoughts. She noticed the family members and friends sitting on only one side of the church. She cringed when she spotted Luca who winked at her from the middle pew of the church. She wondered why they had still invited him after what he did to her, but then again, they all felt it was a colossal misunderstanding. He had obviously charmed his way back into their good graces.
    After the vows and signing of the documents, Roberto and Valeria strolled out of the church. They stood outside and were greeted by family and friends. She felt completely alone without her family present. Not that they could afford to come, but then again, it wasn't like it was a real marriage. It was a marriage of convenience. Yet, Valeria couldn't help but feel a strong sense of abandonment by her parents. Valeria briefly recalled a memory when she had felt neglected by her father back in Italy. Images flashed through her mind that were best left buried but always surfaced under stressful circumstances such as this one. She was fourteen, only 4 years ago when her father was having a house built as contractors were laying tiles on the roof. Valeria was watching the workers and running through the field. Little did she realise there was a plank of wood with a protruding nail on the ground. As she ran, the nail penetrated her foot and she cried out in pain. No-one noticed so she refused to tell her father about the incident. Sometime later, Valeria winced with pain at the lunch table. Her mother was absent for the day. She struggled to eat lunch with her family as her foot swelled up, aggravating the pain. When Valeria could no longer tolerate the pain, she told her father about the nail. He was angry she hadn't told him sooner and sent her to the doctor by