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During the entire car ride, the two couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Being with Kenneth allowed Tanya to remember the love, and why she compromised for him. At that time, she was getting a chance to grow old with a good love, and not leaving it all to chance by traveling the world alone, in search of a fantasy that may never come.
“What do you wanna do when we get home?” Tanya asked, rubbing his hairy chin.
“You know.” Kenneth sneered.
“Do you have your clothes with you?”
“Nope. I’ll find something over there to wear.”
“Oh, so you’re going to wear something from my side of the closet? You know you’ve moved a lot of your stuff out.”
“I have a few clothes left. The rehearsal isn’t a formal occasion.” He grinned.
“Ok.”
“YOU should have moved most of your stuff out by now baby.”
“Honey...” She gawked.
“I’m serious. I talked to a realtor the other day, and she can help us put your townhome on the market. Can’t do that with your stuff all in the way. Gotta make it look neat and presentable.” He explained. “Her words not mine.”
“How does she know I have a lot of stuff? Honey did you tell her my home was a mess?!”
“No. She saw it for herself.” He said quickly.
“WHAT!?! Kenneth Jamal Thompson! You had another woman in my home without telling me!”
“She’s a realtor.” He replied innocently.
“You and a realtor snooping around my home, getting ready to sell it?! Technically that’s MY home. I’ll put it on the market when I’m ready!” Tanya fussed.
“Not snooping baby.” He replied calmly. “And I was just helping you out. She’s gay anyway. Well, she looks gay.”
Tanya’s mood changed from loving to livid. She didn’t want to give up her townhome in the first place. And then to have her fiancé’ go behind her back with a realtor was a “no-go” in her book. An uncomfortable silence fell between them at the final red light. No kisses or looks of passion exchanged between the two.
“How does someone ‘look’ gay Kenneth?!?! Who is this woman?” She asked, breaking the silence as the light turned green.
“Shelly Fowler. I have her card in the console over there. You can look her up.” Kenneth pointed to the console.
Tanya didn’t look for the card. She folded her arms making sighs of aggravation. Kenneth got the hint and pulled over to park at a nearby church. He turned off the ignition and unfolded her arms to hold her hand.
“Baby, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I was just trying to help. I want you in OUR home. Not going back and forth between houses. I think you’re holding on to that place for some reason. You moving in is more than a simple address change. It’s a symbol that we are one.”
She wasn’t impressed by the speech nor the revelation of his worries about why she planned to keep the townhome after they married.
“I know you’re independent, and like having your own stuff. But, what’s mine is yours and vice versa. As soon as we’re married you can put your name on the deed baby. Is that what you’re worried about? Keeping your own home because you think I’d leave you with nowhere to go? What is it baby?” Kenneth asked in a sincere tone.
“I’m not afraid of that. I just need you to communicate with me.” Tanya said, softening demeanor.
She lied. Giving up Paris for love was one thing, but her townhome too? That was too much to give up too soon.
“Look, this wedding is getting me all crazy. Let’s worry about selling houses and deeds after I’m your wife, so we both can enjoy this moment.” Tanya moved closer to him.
Kenneth nodded, then kissed her fervidly. The fire reignited as he lifted her shirt to rub her breasts. Tanya stopped him.
“Wait honey.” She laughed. “We’re in a church parking lot. Let’s get home first.”
“Ok. Baby. But just know...” He said with sex in his eyes.
“I know honey.” She interrupted. “I already know.”
Kenneth couldn’t get the key in the door fast enough. As soon as they walked in, heavy kissing started, followed by ripping off clothes. He laid Tanya on the sofa, and she moaned while he ran his tongue over her stomach.
“That’s what I’ve been waiting to hear. Damn, I can’t wait to make you my wife!” He said, raising his eyes to meet hers.
“Well, I can’t wait to BE your wife. Now take me to the bedroom.” She requested. “It’ll be our last time making love in this house. I want it to be special.”
“You know what, you’re right.” Kenneth arose, looking around. “I’ll make it special for you baby.”
Making love in her townhome for the last time caused her mood to descend into a sentimental space. But, she didn’t want to destroy the deep passion. He led her upstairs and pushed a pile of clothes from the queen-sized bed on the floor.
“See baby, we have a king size at the other house. Not much room here.” He nitpicked.
That bed was her favorite. A chic bennet upholstered panel, fit just for her.
“Honey, just make love to me.” She rolled her eyes. “No more analyzing.”
He snickered, resuming kisses down to her thighs. With all the stress of Shauna’s wedding talk, she desired sensuous intimacy with the husband-to-be. A reminder of what she’ll be gaining by getting married, and a chance to release frustrations.
As Kenneth thrust his hips in between her legs, she closed her eyes and imagined getting that treatment every morning. They woke up next to each other most mornings, an everyday regimen of making love to him before they started the day was something to look forward to. Although highly independent, Tanya loved that Kenneth took pride in taking care of her in all areas of their relationship.
They made love, took a break, and made love again. Both exhausted, he laid on top of her with his head on her chest. Their breaths were in sync however, Tanya noticed that their heartbeats weren’t. The informal beats troubled her. She’d always imagined that at some point their heartbeats would be on the same page.
Her mind then drifted to walking on the streets of Paris. Being a huge “Sex in the City” fan, her favorite episode was Carrie moving to France to be with her lover. As Kenneth spoke of how good it felt being inside of her that vision of strolling through the City of Lights drowned out his commentary.
“Honey, what was wrong with moving to Paris?” She asked, interrupting the love-making recap. “What’s wrong with us picking up and entering a new life? Together. In a new location.”
“Baby, we already talked about this. We can’t be too far away from our family and friends. How are we going to raise the kids in a foreign country? We don’t know how growing up in Paris will affect them.” He replied, keeping his head on her chest.
“Honey, it’ll be a while before we have kids. Why not live in Paris for about two years then come back and start a family. It’s possible you know.” Tanya suggested.
“That’s too much moving. What are we going to do with the house?”
“Rent it out. Sell it. We may not even want to be in Alabama after coming back. Honey, the possibilities for us are endless.” She replied, hopeful.
“Rent it out.” Kenneth scoffed, lifting his head. “Hell no, we can’t be landlords to Alabama tenants living in Paris.”
“Well, baby we can sell it. Take the money, move to Paris. You can start your own landscaping business there. We’ll be able to travel to see our family during the holidays. And they can visit us. Give them a little taste of new surroundings.” She rubbed his face.
“My parents and friends won’t go for that.” He said.
“Do you even think about how...” She stopped and sat up in bed.
“How what? How I don’t wanna move to Paris? We have a life here. We are starting a new life together, here in Birmingham. Let’s not pretend like we need a big change.”
Tanya gave up on trying to convince him. She looked away to channel the imagination of the Paris stroll. It was a lost cause to get him to agree. He laid down next to her, eventually falling asleep. Those amazing thoughts helped her relax, eventually falling asleep next to him.
A few hours later, Kenneth’s phone alarm went off.
Tanya jolted, shaking his back. “Honey we have to get into the shower. Quick! Shauna will be calling soon. I just know it.”
“Mmmmm I don’t want to move.” He groaned.
“My parents sent me a text. They’re all checked in at the hotel, and will meet us at the rehearsal.”
“That’s good. I feel like everything will work out fine today and tomorrow.”
“Me too honey.” She replied, pushing out a smile.
The thoughts of him shutting down her idea loomed. Tanya began to see a side of Kenneth that she wasn’t expecting. His unwillingness to listen and compromise when it came to planning their lives together. They’ve had those conversations before, however, she pushed aside what she wanted all in the name of love. As the wedding was less than 24 hours away, a culmination happened, and it didn’t look pretty.
Luckily, they were able to finish the remaining errands, in a rush, before heading to the wedding rehearsal.
While there, her bridal mood toggled between mediocre to “I’m happy to be a bride”. Practicing for the big day added more pressure due to Shauna’s micromanagement over the coordinator. However, a quick liquor session with her friend Keena aided in mellowing out to deal with Sgt. Shauna.
Standing at the altar with her cousin taking the place of Kenneth, gave a new vision of her life. Paris-living wasn’t an option, but being with the man who adored her every breath, signaled that she’d made the right decision. Justifying that their out of sync heartbeats, and the annoyance of Kenneth’s uncompromising ways was just a case of cold feet.
By the rehearsal dinner, Tanya was in full-blown bridal mode.
“We just want to thank you all for sharing this special day with us.” Kenneth started his speech. “This amazing woman caught my eye the first time I met her, and I’m so blessed that she’s going to be my wife tomorrow. It was hard for me to find a woman to love forever. There was a time when I felt like it wouldn’t happen for me, but here she is folks! My lady. And soon, she’ll be Mrs. Kenneth Jamal Thompson.”
Everyone clapped, spewing “Awes” at the heartfelt words. As the noise settled, he nudged Tanya to express her sentiments.
She turned to face her fiancé’. “Kenneth, you’ve been so good to me. You’re my hero, my heart, my protector, my happiness. I love you soooo much, and tomorrow will be a day that will change my life forever!”
“Don’t make us cry!” Shauna chimed in, breaking Tanya’s speech.
Kenneth wasn’t appeased by the Matron of Honor’s interruption, however, he laughed it off to salvage the moment.
“Um, well, okay.” She continued, turning away from him. “He’s the best and I’m anxious to be his wife. I’m glad everyone could take time out of their busy schedules to come to see us become one. I never knew I could love someone this much. Thanks for being our support system as we enter this new chapter. We hope you enjoy our day as much as we do.” Tanya concluded, raising her glass.
The music started while the food arrived, Kenneth and his wife-to-be made their rounds to individually greet everyone awaiting to give personal well wishes.
“Ken, this is my only daughter. I have two knucklehead sons who jacked up three marriages between them. Break the curse son.” Tanya’s father, Moses, laughed.
“Oh Moses stop that!” Her mother said, hitting his shoulder. “You know Ryann and Lewis didn’t want to be married in the first place.”
“Yea, for a while I thought the ‘Never getting married thing’ cursed all of our kids. Then Tanya met you. And I’m glad. Take care of my baby girl.” Moses patted Kenneth on the shoulder.
“He will daddy! No doubt about that. My honey has taken care of me since day one.”
“Just look at those two. Reminds me of when we first married.” Her mother, Tamara, gushed.
“Yea it does. But you were a few pounds heavier.”
“Daddy! Be nice!”
“Oh, Tanya it’s fine. I learned a long time ago when to tune your father out. You’ll pick up on that trick too after the newlywed phase.” Tamara said before taking a sip of champagne.
“I’m so glad the lovely couple made it to the wedding rehearsal on time.” Shauna entered the conversation. “I was worried that you guys would be late.”
“Shauna I’ll keep my baby on task from now on. You are relieved of your duties.” Kenneth joked.
“Why thank you Ken. It has been a hard task for the last 15 years, and I’ll gladly hand that duty over to you.” She replied.
“Just get my baby to the church on time. You know, since I can’t see her before she meets me at the altar.” He added.
Shauna jokingly rolled her eyes then walked away to sit with her husband. She motioned to Tanya to join her.
“Why can’t she just give us a minute?” Kenneth whispered, annoyed. “I hope this isn’t a preview of how it’s going to be once we’re married.”
“I’ll be back shortly. You know how she is with this wedding thing.” She replied.
“Is everything alright?” Tamara asked, poking into their conversation.
“Everything’s fine mama. You know how Shauna is, always controlling everybody.”
“I told you that a long time ago.” Her mother mumbled, giving a strange look in Shauna’s direction.
“She’s overbearing. A blessing and a curse.” Tanya kissed Kenneth on the lips. “I’ll be right back. Keep my folks company.”
As she walked away, Kenneth gave his fiancé a love tap on the butt.
“Hey! That don’t belong to you yet!” Moses joked.
“I wanted to get you by yourself to tell you about tonight.” Shauna said as her friend reached the table. “The party bus will be...”
“Hold it.” Tanya stopped. “Does Rod need to be part of this conversation?”
“Say no more.” Rod said getting up from the table. “I need to holler at my boy Ken anyway.”
Shauna gave a stern look then continued.
“The party bus will be at your house at 10. You think you can get these people out by 8:30 so we can leave and get ready?”
“For a party, hell yea. I’ll have them out by 8:15” Tanya replied, keeping her voice low.
“Good!” She winked. “And don’t send my husband away. We don’t keep secrets.”
The blushing bride-to-be took a deep breath to prevent getting an attitude with her best friend. That breath didn’t work, luckily Kenneth walked over. A touch on the waist, from him, was all she needed to get back centered.
“Hey baby, our food is here, let’s eat.” He said softly in her ear.
“Right on time.” She replied.
The catering company prepared his favorite meal. Smothered chicken, baked potato, green beans, and chocolate cake for dessert. Tanya prepared the same dinner for him at least once a week. It wasn’t her favorite, but the smile it gave Kenneth was worth the redundant dinners.
At 8:05 pm, they gave final goodbyes and hinted to stragglers that it was time to go. Tanya grew exhausted from telling the same love stories, answering pestering questions about having babies, and listening to Kenneth’s yammering how she’s moving at a snail’s pace to sell her home. It was indeed time to party with her girls.
“I’m not ready to leave you baby.” Kenneth whined as he stood with Tanya in the parking lot.
She responded with a long, sweet kiss on his lips.
“Shauna, what’s the plan for my lady this evening?”
“Nothing you need to know!” She replied, carrying bags to the car.
“But it’s okay for YOUR man to know.” Tanya mumbled to herself.
“You okay?” Kenneth mouthed, noticing her frown.
“Yep. Everything is perfect honey.”
“Now get your final kisses in while I get my stuff together.” Shauna walked by again to go say goodbye to her husband.
“Honey, just think, this time tomorrow night we’ll be making love as husband and wife.” Tanya smiled. “And on Valentine’s Day.”
“Baby, I can’t wait until they announce you as Mrs. Thompson. I’ve been wanting you to have that name for a long time.”
The look he gave while speaking those words were so endearing. A tear of joy fell from Tanya’s eye.
“Baby what’s wrong?” Kenneth asked, catching the tear.
“Nothing honey. Absolutely nothing. I just love you so much.”
In a way, Tanya lied. Something was wrong. She just couldn’t put her finger on it. Inside, her mind told her to stop and think. Although she suppressed the yearning for that life she’d dreamt of to enjoy marriage, something pulled at her. It wasn’t a small symptom of cold feet, nor the heartfelt words of her fiancé’.
“I love you too baby.” Kenneth said, then gave her a peck on the forehead. “I’m going to love you forever!”
I’M GOING TO LOVE YOU FOREVER! The gnawing feeling stopped once those words rang in her ears.
“Alright Tanya! It’s 8:15! You know what time it is!” Shauna said, breaking up the moment.
Kenneth shook his head at the pushy friend.
“She doesn’t get out much does she?” He asked.
“Leave my friend alone. She’s been working on this party for a month. And you KNOW how she loves to plan.” Tanya laughed.
“You sure I can’t sneak you away for another ‘session’ and just drop you off before its time for Y’all to leave?” He asked, with the puppy dog eyes.
“No honey.” She replied, shaking her head. “Because if that happens I’m not leaving you until the morning.”
“Damn! Alright come here and kiss me like it’s the last time.” He pulled her closer to him.
The way their lips intertwined, one would think he was going off to war. Tanya caressed the back of his head as passerby’s raved at their expression of love.
Unfortunately, the matron of honor waited impatiently in the car, literally counting the seconds for them to finish. They needed that kiss. It symbolized the ending one phase of their relationship, and moving into the next. The tail end of the kiss completed with lingering pecks. The last peck leading to another. Kenneth drew back and bit his bottom lip, to admire Tanya’s beautiful face.
“Hurry up and get down that aisle to me. Okay.” He said in a sexy voice.
“Yes I will. I love you to the moon honey.”
“I love you too baby.”
They both felt Shauna’s stares burning a hole in the windshield. Nothing would tear them from taking that time to themselves. Plus, Tanya had a major epiphany during their kiss. It was the last gesture to convince herself that she was all in. She had to get it out before leaving Kenneth.
“Honey, look. I know we haven’t been seeing eye to eye on certain things. And honestly, I don’t care about all of that now. While we’re on our honeymoon, let’s email the realtor and set up a meeting...TOGETHER. And we’ll go over everything we need to do to put my house on the market.” She explained.
That piece of news put a big smile on Kenneth’s face.
“Ok baby, we can do that. I promise, you won’t regret it. And I meant everything I said about it being OUR home. Whatever I need to do to guarantee that, I’ll do it. I want you to feel secure in our marriage. Trust me. I got us baby.” He said sincerely.
“I trust you. And....Let’s say after a good six months of enjoying each other, we can start working on baby number one.”
His joyful expression said it all.
“But ummm. We’re going to get some good practice in on the honeymoon so bring your A-game Mr. Thompson.” Tanya added. “I’ll call you tonight before I leave. Love you!”
She attempted to walk away but Kenneth pulled her back for one more moment to stare into her eyes.
“Baby, you make me so happy.”
“Even when I annoy you?” She smirked.
”Yes!” He replied quickly.
“I gotta go honey. You better not have too much fun tonight. I need you coherent tomorrow.” She instructed. “You have a woman to marry.”
“I know baby. I know.” He nodded and laughed at his future wife’s demand.
Before finally departing, they didn’t kiss. Only exchanged enduring glares into each other’s eyes.
Kenneth watched her walk away to make sure she got into the car safely. Tanya stopped and blew a kiss at him. He smiled, then waved goodbye. Shauna waved as well, then started the engine. As the car pulled off, he stood still watching it fade into the night.
Looking off into the dark road, the delight in Kenneth’s face dimmed. Thoughts of knowing what Tanya gave up for him didn’t sit well. Although excited about her finally agreeing to sell her home and start a family; that wasn’t the woman he knew talking. He wondered what changed her mind, and if she would change it back as time went on. In her attempt to show good faith in their new chapter, she unknowingly transferred the uneasiness to him.
Kenneth wiped his face hard to shake those ill feelings, then returned inside to meet up with his friends for the bachelor party.
“Awe that was the last time kissing Ken as a single woman.” Shauna taunted.
“Yea.” Tanya sighed. “The next time I’m going to kiss him will be at the altar.”
“So what were you two talking about anyway?” She pried.
“We’re meeting with this realtor he found, to sell my house.” Tanya replied.
“What?!!? I thought you didn’t want to do that.”
“I know what I said. But I’m doing this for us. I can’t keep thinking about MY wants. I’m in a partnership now.”
“Funny. Earlier today you were singing a TOTALLY different song. I guess you never know when that bug will hit ya. Changes everything for the better. I’m proud of you Tanya.”
“Thanks bestie. And we’re going to work on a starting a family.”
Tanya wanted to add more, but realized what she agreed to, and there was no turning back.
Shauna didn’t say a word. Although confused by the sudden change of heart, she was excited about her friend being completely on board, instead of somberly ranting about the downside of marrying Kenneth.
A few hours later, the party bus arrived just as Tanya finished getting dressed. The rest of the crew, consisting of bridesmaids and friends, were downstairs drinking.
I wouldn’t mind canceling this thing and spending the night with Kenneth. Tanya thought, easing her way downstairs in six-inch heels.
“What are you thinking about girl?” Her friend, Keena, yelled from the bottom of the staircase.
“Nothing. Just concentrating on not breaking an ankle. Let’s go celebrate my last night of freedom!” She replied, motivating herself to party.
Shauna handed her a double of tequila. “You’re a little late on the celebration. We’re two shots in, you need to catch up.”
Drinking the shot, Tanya cringed while the tequila made its way down her throat.
“Oh my GOD! It’s been a minute since I’ve had that! No lime?”
“No ma’am. You’re taking shots like a pro tonight. No chaser. No lime. No salt.” Keena poured another shot. “Now shoot this, and let’s go!”
Listening to the girls cheer her on, Tanya gulped the second double shot.
“Whew! That was worse than the first one!”
The ladies boarded the party bus, happy to get the night going. They made Tanya sit in the back so she wouldn’t suspect where they were headed.
“Ah! I forgot to text my honey!” She said, scrambling to find her phone.
She sent Kenneth a quick message, to let him know she leaving, then quickly put the phone away.
“Were you just texting your man?” Keena laughed. “Tonight is about celebrating you coming out of the single life. You’ll have all day tomorrow to be with him.”
“I know Keena. I told him that I’d text when I left. But for the rest of the night, Its all about my girls!”
“Time for another shot!” Shauna shouted, walking towards the back of the bus with a bottle in hand. “We need to make sure we get you nice and tipsy. Keena, hand me a bottle of water please.”
“You’re going to have soooo much fun tonight.” Shauna said, pouring tequila in a plastic cup. “Make sure you drink water throughout the night too. We have a lot to do in the morning.”
After a fifth tequila shot on the bus, the night became a blur to Tanya. They stopped at a local bar for drinks, bachelorette shout outs from the DJ, dancing on the bar, and random guys buying rounds. Next, they stopped at a popular club, hosting male strippers from Los Angeles. Of course, Shauna made arrangements to have Tanya called to the stage for a dance.
For 20 minutes, oily, muscular men surrounded her, giving all their attention. She knew Kenneth would hate it, but Tanya definitely enjoyed the view. Plus, Rod had a big night planned for the guys, which definitely involved strippers. The last club had a VIP section reserved just for them. They dressed her in a tiara and sash so everyone in the building knew she was a soon-to-be “Mrs.”
By 3AM, Tanya tapped out! She slept on the back seat of the party bus while her friends recounted the events of the night.
“Tanya, are you ok?” Keena shouted to the back. “I know you enjoyed yourself. Especially with those strippers!”
She didn’t move.
“She’s fine. Tanya needs all the rest she can get, so we can get up in the morning.” Shauna said.
“Wow, you really have her on a tight schedule.” Keena said, opening a water bottle.
“Of course, I need to make sure my girl goes down that aisle to...” Her phone buzzing interrupted the conversation.
Rod sent a text displaying a puzzling message.
“What’s wrong Shauna?” Keena asked.
“Well.” She sighed. “Looks like the guys’ night ended earlier than expected.”
“What? How?”
“Rod text me earlier, guess my phone wasn’t getting good reception until now, but he said Ken ended the bachelor party early. Not sure what that was all about.”
“Well you know Ken is like an old man. The excitement of big booty strippers was probably too much for him.”
“Ugh! I don’t wanna know what my husband experienced at that party. However, if it involved strippers, I’m glad it ended early. This is his only pass to see another woman’s ass cheeks!”
“So you don’t like your man around strippers?”
“Hell no!” Shauna replied disgustedly. “We had to do some REAL negotiating to get these parties planned. He didn’t want me around male exotic dancers, and I didn’t want him throwing money at some big booty freaks. But, since Ken and Tanya are close friends, we lifted that ‘law’ just this one time.”
“Law!?!?” Kenna shouted. “Why do you two have laws?”
“You wouldn’t understand Keena. It’s a marriage thing. You single women run around from man to man, even while in relationships. When you’re married, you respect each other.”
Offended by the comment, Keena ended the conversation with a shrug. Shauna always threw her marriage up in the single girls’ faces. As if she had embarked on something that was untouchable to them.
“You sure Tanya will be ok in the morning?” One of the bridesmaids asked, joining them.
Shauna ignored the question, keeping her eyes glued to the phone. She waited for more details from Rod on the botched bachelor party.
The party bus pulled up to Tanya’s home. Some of the girls who were ok to drive went on their way, while the rest gathered their things to spend the night. Shauna and Keena helped their best friend off the bus, and into bed.
“Awe look, our girl is getting married tomorrow.” Shauna gazed at her sleeping BFF.
“Yes girl, I just knew she’d be the last one in the crew to get married, but she ended up being the third.” Keena smiled. “Now I need to get some sleep, I’ll be in the guest room if you need me.”
“Okay, I’ll stay in here to make sure she wakes up on time. Goodnig... Well, morning!”
The next morning, Tanya woke up before everyone. Quietly tiptoeing downstairs to get her phone, she anticipated a voicemail from her man. But to her surprise, Kenneth didn’t reach out. Thinking he may have had a little too much to drink and overslept, she decided to call. She sat at the kitchen table and restlessly waited for him to pick up. After six rings, the phone went to voicemail.
“Hey honey. Just checking on you...guess you’re still sleeping. Hope you had a good time, and....I want to tell you that I love you, and I can’t wait to meet you at the altar. See you soon. Love you.”
Tanya smiled at her phone, ending the call. However, it was strange that he didn’t check in. Panicked concerns prompted her to dial again. Another voicemail.
“Honey! Call me back! I’m worried about you. I need to hear your voice. Love you...Bye”
Twenty minutes later, Shauna walked into the kitchen, phone in hand and rubbing her eyes.
“Hey girl! Thought you’d still be sleep.” She said, taking a seat across from her best friend.
“Nope. I’m ready for today. My head hurts a little.” Tanya giggled. “You look like hell.”
“Shut up. I spent the night making sure you enjoyed yourself. That was one hell of a job! And you DID enjoy yourself for the record. Do you want to see the pictures?” Shauna waved the phone.
“Absolutely not! I don’t even wanna know right now. Save those for after my honeymoon.”
“Fine. I just called the venue and it’s open. The decorators are on their way to finish up. So, everything seems to be on schedule.”
“Great! Shauna, you ARE the best matron of honor ever!”
“I know. And hey, I’m just returning the favor. You were a wonderful maid of honor for me. Didn’t have to worry about a thing.”
“Right, you didn’t have to, but you still did. And you worried ME!”
Shauna gave a smug look getting up from the table.
“We can chill for another hour. Keena’s about to go pick up your dress. She woke me up asking questions, so I gave her something to do.”
“Questions about what?” Tanya asked, staring at her phone.
“Just stuff.” She replied. “And you owe Ms. Lucy a nice gift. She was up at 6am to finish that extra beading you wanted.”
“I’ll be sure to send her something.”
“Have you talked to Ken?”
“No. I tried calling, but I keep getting his voicemail. Has Rod called?”
“Maybe.” She said, retrieving an aspirin bottle from the cabinet.
“Maybe? Your phone is right there.”
“Its been on silent since last night. I’ll catch up with him once we head to the venue. I’m sure he’s fine.”
“That’s weird Shauna. Usually, you can’t go two seconds without talking to your husband.”
“Here, take these.” Shauna handed her two aspirins and a glass of water.
“Hey ladies! I’m going to pick up the dress. Do I need to grab anything else?” Keena strutted into the kitchen wearing a big pair of shades.
“No, I’m fine.” Tanya replied with her head down.
“You don’t look like a woman ready to get married.” Keena said. “Shauna, did Rod finish telling you what happened?”
“Keena just go! We have to get ready to leave, and you know time will fly!” Shauna demanded.
Luckily, Tanya’s mind was on Kenneth and didn’t hear what Keena asked.
“I’m going to take a shower. You need anything?” Shauna asked.
“No. I’m going to sit here and wait for these meds to kick in.”
“Okay.” She replied, walking closer to her. “Hey, you’re getting married today. And everything will be just perfect. K?”
Tanya lifted her head to push out a small smile. “I know. Thanks.”
The rest of the ladies awoke and headed home to get themselves together for the day.
An hour later, Keena returned with the newly-beaded gown.
“Ok Tanya, time to get ready!” Shauna said.
“Alright.” Tanya said in a somber tone; still upset that she hadn’t heard from Kenneth.
She headed upstairs with her phone, thinking about the words he spoke to her the night before. Those words immediately brought a smile to her face.
“I’m heading to the venue.” Keena said laying the dress flat on the sofa. “Y’all good?”
“Yea. Thanks Keena!” Shauna responded.
“What’s wrong with our girl?”
“Kenneth. He hasn’t called. But he’s prob sobering up still.”
“How? You said he ended the party early last night.” Keena said confused. “He should be good.”
“Girl, I don’t know. I can’t think about him right now. He has a best man to take care of him today. MY focus, is getting Tanya ready.”
“If you say so.” She sighed. “I’m out”
I’M GOING TO LOVE YOU FOREVER!
As the phrase from Kenneth danced in Tanya’s head, she closed her eyes, allowing the hot water beat down on her face. Flashes of the wedding appeared in her mind. Then another flash of their first night as husband and wife. All the while pondering about why he hadn’t called her.
After the hot shower, she didn’t have a second thought of checking her phone.
As Tanya returned to the bedroom, she found a dark purple “I’m the bride” tracksuit on the bed. Shauna and the bridesmaids had matching outfits made, highlighting their roles in the wedding. Smiling at her surprise apparel, she started getting ready.
“Shauna, is hair and makeup coming here? I can’t remember what you told me.” Tanya shouted.
“They are already at the venue getting a few of the ladies ready. So you need to hurry up.” She yelled back.
“Yes, PLEASE hurry up. I need to see my baby in her dress already!” Tanya’s mother Tamara said, suddenly appearing in the bedroom doorway.
“Mama! Hi!” She said, giving her mom a big hug. “I thought you and dad were going to meet us there.”
“We were, but I just had to see my baby girl. So I made your dad ride with your brothers so I could come over here.”
“Lewis and Ryann are here? They didn’t RSVP.”
“You know those two. They don’t plan for anything. Just get up and go.”
“That’s true.” Tanya shook her head. “Gotta love my flighty brothers.”
“Awe my baby’s getting married.” Tamara hugged her daughter again. “I’m so happy for you baby!”
Tanya couldn’t hold in the tears of joy. Flashes of being married to Kenneth and her mother’s presence overwhelmed her with happiness.
“Mom, dad said last night that he didn’t think I would get married. Did you feel that way too?” She asked while getting dressed.
“Sweetie, while other girls were playing dress up in wedding attire, you were playing around in my old business suits. Even as a teenager you weren’t worried about prom dates or finding the right boyfriend. You wanted to crunch numbers, research the best colleges, and you spent your leisure time with your brothers picking their brains about their travels abroad. That made me happy. Instead of getting caught up with boys, you were getting caught up in becoming a well-rounded young woman.” Tamara replied. “But I always knew you would find the right man to make you happy.”
Tanya marinated on her mother’s explanation.
“Didn’t really think of it that way. I was doing what felt normal to me.”
“Your dad and I didn’t want to pressure you into marriage sweetheart. We always wanted you to be happy, no matter what choice you made in life. Yes, it’s wonderful to give your daughter away, but if that wasn’t your path, we weren’t going to force it. Now we’ve sat back and watched you make certain sacrifices for love Tanya. To be honest, it worried me a little. But you’re happy, Kenneth’s a good man, and that’s all that matters to us.”
“Thanks, mama. I appreciate that. I think things will work out the way they’re supposed to. You never know, Kenneth may get a major job offer outside of this country town. Just gotta be patient and hopeful.”
“Anything is possible sweetie.” Tamara shrugged with a smile.
After another twenty minutes of hugging and crying, Tanya and the crew rushed out the front door, and off to the venue. On the way, she finally took a look at her phone and found a text message from Kenneth.
Hi, I’m fine. Love U 2.
She thought the message was a bit bland, but assumed he woke up late and running behind. Instead of analyzing the message behind the message, Tanya smiled and engaged with her mother and Shauna.
They arrived at 11:15am. The wedding was scheduled to start at 2pm. The photographer greeted them at the door, capturing the first candid moments entering the venue with her mother and best friend.
The glamorous decorations were complete and by 12:30pm, the groomsmen arrived. Shauna went out into the hallway with the wedding coordinator, Valerie, to follow up on the progress.
“The groom’s parents are here. We are still waiting on the ring bearer, but don’t panic, he’s en route. Kenneth was here earlier, but he left his ring and cuff links so he’ll be back soon.” Valerie informed.
“Ken better hurry back! Tanya’s father is here and her mother came in with us. All the bridesmaids are done with hair and make-up except for Keena, she’s in the chair now with make-up. I’m about to get started with hair.” Shauna briefed.
“Good. I’ll come back and check in with you in a few minutes.” She replied, tapping her clipboard.
“Thanks!”
As Shauna was about to return to the ladies, Rod walked up.
“Shauna, wait!”
“Hey baby! I missed you.” She said, walking towards him. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m doing alright babe.” He said, kissing his wife on the cheek.
“Why did Ken leave to get the ring and some cuff links? Why didn’t he just send someone?” She asked in distress.
“What ring?” Rod asked, puzzled. “His best man, Terrance, got it from him last night before we left the rehearsal dinner.”
“What?! The coordinator just said he was here earlier, but told her he left them. Did you see him?”
“Nah. By the time I came, the guys told me I had just missed him.” He reached for his phone. “I’ll call him now.”
Shauna stood in front of him, waiting to hear the real story.
“Voicemail.” Rod scoffed.
“Voicemail?!” She shrieked. “Call him again!”
“Babe, go in there and stay with Tanya. I’ll track him down. I promise.”
“You let me know the minute you talk to him. Something doesn’t feel right.”
Shauna re-entered the room trying her best to cover up the worry running through her mind.
By 12:57pm, Tanya was fully dressed in her mermaid-beaded gown, while the cameras flashed on the happy bride and bridesmaids. They drank champagne, celebrating the last few moments of her single life.
Unfortunately, Kenneth hadn’t returned. Shauna snuck out of the room to find the wedding coordinator for an update. She found her in the hall speaking with Rod and Terrance.
“So, what’s the update?” Shauna whispered, walking up to them. “Where’s Ken?”
“He’s still not here. And Terrance just told me that he had the ring the whole time.” Valerie replied. “I don’t know what happened. Does Tanya know anything?”
“No!” Shauna said in a loud whisper. “And she doesn’t need to know.”
“I’m mean does she know where Kenneth could be. Has she talked to him?” The coordinator clarified.
“No. He hasn’t checked in. And Tanya hasn’t asked about him. She’s happy, and I need to keep her that way.” Shauna said looking over her shoulder.
Valerie stepped away to find anyone who had answers.
“What the hell is wrong with him!?!?! Ken knew he shouldn’t have left.” Shauna sighed. “I’m hoping there wasn’t an accident.”
“I haven’t heard of any accidents in the area.” Terrance added, rubbing his face.
“You can’t know for sure Terrance!” Shauna snapped.
“Calm down babe. He can’t be too far away.” Rod said, attempting to calm his wife.
The coordinator returned, frantically tapping the clipboard. “Okay. I talked to Kenneth’s parents, they are trying to reach him now.”
“Great. His own parents don’t know where he is. I’m going to make sure Tanya’s still in a good mood. Please let me know of any updates as soon as possible.” Shauna said leaving them. “FIND HIM!”
“I will babe.” Rod sighed.
1:15pm. Tanya drunk more champagne out of the gold-trimmed glass specially made for her. Unknowing about the chaos going on outside of the room.
“Shauna, come drink with me. Take a load off. Valerie is handling everything, so you don’t have to be on the job anymore.” Tanya waved the champagne bottle at her.
Taking her friend’s advice, she poured herself a glass.
“Tanya, slow down on that sweetie.” Tamara said grabbing her purse. “I’m going to go check on your father. Do you need anything?”
“No mama.” She replied, ignoring her mother’s suggestion.
1:45pm. The champagne relaxed Shauna and she concluded that Kenneth found his way back to the venue. Tanya noticed little whispers between the bridesmaids, but didn’t think to ask. Her mind was on marrying Kenneth, not caring about anything else. The makeup artist sat her down to do a few touch ups on her lipstick, since most of it ended up on the champagne glass.
By 1:57, the entire bridal party started to ask questions. Tanya wasn’t bothered. She’d never attended a wedding that started on time anyway. Pouring another glass of champagne, she enjoyed the view of the flower-filled courtyard through the window. The photographer took that opportunity to capture more candid shots.
Shauna almost lost track of time until her husband came to the door motioning to meet him outside. She hurried out the door, leaving the other bridesmaids wondering. Rod held his phone to his ear, while Tamara and the wedding coordinator were having a deep conversation.
“What’s going on?” Shauna asked. “Ken’s here right?”
“He’s um...” Valerie hesitated. “He’s....not going to make it.”
“Was there an accident? Is he alright?” She panicked. “What’s going on Rod!?”
Right when the wedding coordinator prepared herself to answer, Kenneth’s mother joined them, sobbing alongside his father.