Contemporary/Women's/Romance
Date Published: 02-24-2026
Publisher: She Writes Press
In the heart of Chicago, forty-five-year-old Angie Sortino finds herself at a crossroads. Recently widowed, she discovers that her deceased husband, Vinnie, has left her penniless, and she is forced to take a job at Chicago City Hall as a cleaning woman until Vinnie’s City pension can be cleared up. Then her spirited twenty-two-year-old niece, Gina Paloni, and her best friend Kim Yang, approach her with a dream of starting a catering company targeting funeral parlors—and Angie sees a chance to reawaken her own culinary aspirations.
As the three women embark on this new venture, they face the challenges of the catering business, from securing clients to perfecting their menu. Angie and Gina’s love for the Chicago Cubs adds a playful twist to their journey, as they often find inspiration in the vibrant atmosphere of Wrigley Field. Gina’s youthful enthusiasm contrasts with Angie’s cautious nature, leading to hilarious mishaps, unexpected romantic encounters, and heartfelt moments.
Through late-night brainstorming sessions and spontaneous cooking experiments, Angie begins to find her voice, both in the kitchen and in her life. With the support of a respected funeral director, Gina and Kim, and an unexpected new love interest, Angie learns to embrace her worth and pursue happiness.
Chapter 1
All Italians had their funerals at Rago
Brothers on Western Avenue in the heart of Chicago’s Little Italy. It was one
of the city’s first full-service funeral homes and was built in 1917 by
first-generation Italian American brothers Louis and John Rago. They had
organized funerals for such infamous gangsters as Al Capone and his bodyguard
Frank Rio. Labor union leaders were known to have bronze caskets to the tune of
ten grand. It was here that thousands of mourners prayed for their loved ones,
resting their knees on one-hundred-year-old wrought iron prayer kneelers. Sun
shining through the stained-glass windows cast rainbows on visitors as they
moved around the outer lobby and the coffee room. Lush red carpeting lined the
floor in the main room, and a black baby grand piano greeted the mourners as
they chose their seats.
On this warm August day, a wave of people
dressed in black funeral attire lined up to gain access. Inside the funeral
home, Louie Rago, a tall, painfully thin funeral director, gently guided Angie
Sortino, the forty-five-year-old widow of the deceased, away from the casket
and line of mourners. He leaned in and whispered, “I thought you said hardly
anyone would come. There’s almost fifty people here. We’ll need to move
Vinnie’s casket to the Florentine Room. It’s a fire hazard to have this many
people in a small room.”
Angie had to stretch her neck to look up from
her five-foot-two-inch frame. “We were only married for ten years; some of
these people must have known him before then. Please don’t move him. I don’t
have the money for the larger room. As you know, I had to put his casket on
three different credit cards.” She dabbed her eyes with a tissue, her hand
shaking.
“I’m so sorry, Angie, the fire marshal almost
shut us down last week for overcrowding. We simply must move him.”
“If you must, you must.” I have no idea how
I’ll pay for this, or where all our money went, she thought as she gazed
over at the open casket that held her beloved husband. Vinnie’s hands were
crossed over each other, his Cubs 2016 World Series ring on his pinkie. It was
just a year ago that his high school friend, Ralph, had gifted it to him. Of
course, it was a replica, but Vinnie had treated it as if it were the real
deal.
As Angie walked toward the coffee area, her
twenty-year-old niece, Gina, approached. “Aunt Angie, I can’t tell you how
grateful I am for the chance to provide the food for Uncle Vinnie’s funeral;
it’s my very first catering event. I didn’t have much prep time, so I bought a
few premade items from Jewel and Costco, but don’t worry, no one will notice. I
added a few fancy garnishes to the plates. I had help making homemade cookies.”
Gina gave Angie a gentle hug. Angie glanced to Gina’s left and saw a young, fit
girl with long jet-black hair standing next to her. “You remember my friend Kim
from high school? We’re taking an entrepreneurial course at Richard J. Daley
College—the community college on Pulaski. She’s going to help me with the
business side of starting our catering business.”
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