I’ve been trying to identify a novel I read (likely in the 1970s or early 1980s, maybe a paperback romance or women’s fiction “saga” type book). I remember a lot of plot details, but not the title or author.

Plot details I remember:

• The heroine’s name was Lucy (possibly Lucia)
• She grew up in New Jersey, in an Italian-American working-class family
• Her father worked as a mailman
• She met her future husband during World War II, when he was home on leave
• They were both very young and got married after he returned from the war
• The marriage eventually broke down because they were too young and immature
• They had at least one child
• The husband was also very young and somewhat emotionally immature (WWII veteran)
• He used to call her something like “Lucia mia”
• There was also a glamorous/model cousin in New York City involved in the story

Structure of the book:

• The story spans decades
• The couple separates after early marriage
• They reunite much later in life (I think in their 50s)
• It is very emotional and romantic, but also somewhat realistic/tragic rather than fantasy romance

Physical book details:

• I believe it was a paperback with an illustrated cover
• The cover may have had multiple scenes (couple, baby, and background life elements shown together — not minimalist modern style)

One more important clue:

I believe this was written by a female author, and I also remember reading another book by the same author that had a similar “young couple separated for decades and reunited later” structure, but it was NOT set in an Italian-American family or NJ setting.

Possible time period:

• Likely written in the 1970s or early 1980s
• Possibly part of the mass-market romance / women’s fiction paperback era

If anyone recognizes even part of this (title, author, or similar books from that era), I’d really appreciate the help. This one has been impossible to track down.