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Her hair was pulled up in a bun, and the gold sequin maxi dress glittered with shimmer and hugged every curve on her body, making her look like the star she was. Her golden pumps set her look off, and I was pleased at how the color contrasted with her barely-there makeup with gold accents. Her look went well with Kemara’s long and slightly loose-fitting pink maxi dress, and Jayne’s mermaid, lace midriff black gown.
“You look beautiful, Alise, while your girl has me in here looking like a clown,” I fussed, crossing my arms and pouting. I had yet to start getting dressed because I was still stuck on my makeup.
“Tameka, you look absolutely stunning. Trust me, it’s just your nerves. But I did talk to Shaniqua, and she said she’ll come back to redo your face,” Alise said, and I was sure then that everyone knew about me griping.
“Good. We have plenty of time to remove the makeup and redo it,” Kemara said with so much relief in her tone.
The door flung open and in walked Jayne. “I hear you’re up in here being a bridezilla!”
“I’m not a bridezilla!” I said as I looked into the mirror in front of me and started wiping off one hour worth of makeup with a facial wipe. “I just know what I want. Any other day this look would have been perfectly fine, but today it has to be on point.”
“I hear you, sis,” Jayne said as she applied more gloss to her lips.
“I’ll go get Shaniqua, so she can come back and redo your makeup since she’s finished with Jayne,” Alise said.
“Thank you,” said Kemara.
Within minutes, Shaniqua came back into the room with a little tension in her demeaner. All I wanted was for her to do the same thing she showed me last week, and I told her that much.
An hour later, I looked into the mirror, and tears welled up in my eyes.
“Thank you!” I said as I hugged her neck. “This is exactly what I wanted.”
“You’re welcome, Tameka. I’m glad you like it,” Shaniqua said, relieved.
“I do, and I’m sorry for getting so emotional earlier.”
Jayne coughed and disguised the word “bridezilla” in with her cough. Alise and Kemara giggled with her.
“Girl, I work with brides all the time, and trust me, it gets worse than this,” Shaniqua said to Jayne. “She’s nowhere near a real bridezilla.”
Shaniqua, Alise and Jayne left out so Kemara could finish helping me get dressed. My nerves were wadded up in a bundle, but somehow having my sister there was soothing to me.
Mom peeked her head into the room once I was dressed, and awe was written all over her face. “Oh, Tameka! You look absolutely stunning.”
“Thanks, Mom.” I smiled at my mother who looked stunning in her knee-length pink dress that had a long, beaded jacket to match.
“Are you nervous?” she asked.
“A little, but I should be used to this by now right?”
“This is a big leap that I suppose no one gets used to, Tameka.” She put her hands up to her mouth as if she were trying to hold back her tears. “Oh, you look so stunning, baby. I hope you feel beautiful, and that you’re happy,” Mom said.
“Mom, we’re not even going to get into how she’s been acting,” Kemara chimed in.
Mom laughed. “I know my child.”
“I do feel beautiful, now that my makeup is right,” I said, including Mom and Kemara in my smile.
I opted for an old-fashioned look that leaned more toward regal and classy than modern and glamorous. The lace dress I wore hugged my body and flared out just below my knees to give a beautiful mermaid look. An antique-style bowknot draped the middle of my stomach, and my arms were covered in a lace design that matched the silver broach and crown Mom had given me. Yes, indeed, I felt beautiful in this moment.
“Is Dad ready?” I asked.
Mom took my hand and guided me out of the dressing room. “Yes, he’s out by the door waiting for you. That’s why I came to get you. The wedding director was too scared to come in here and tell you it’s time to start.”
When we reached the door where Dad was standing, he took my hand from Mom and held it in his. “Ready?” he asked.
“Yes, Daddy,” I said near the brink of tears. Seeing him all dressed up in his black suit for my second chance at love made me emotional. We’d done this walk before, but this time it felt different, more meaningful.
