CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED AND NINETY NINE – WHICH CUSTOMS TO KEEP

Feeling slightly bolstered, Jasmine returned to the living room with a fresh pot of coffee. To her surprise, the atmosphere seemed to have shifted in her absence. Her mother and Maria were bent over a tablet, looking at something together and talking animatedly. "Jasmine, dear," her mother called, "come look at this. Maria was showing me some pictures of traditional Italian engagement parties, and they're just beautiful. I think we could incorporate some of these elements." Maria nodded enthusiastically. "And Elizabeth was telling me about some lovely American customs. I had no idea about the engagement photo shoot tradition! We must do that." Jasmine felt a wave of relief wash over her. As she sat back down, the planning began anew, but this time with a spirit of cooperation rather than competition. They began to find creative ways to blend their ideas, creating a vision for the party that honored both families' traditions. By the time the Cesaro women left that evening, they had