AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The commotion brought her mother to the door. “Alise, if there’s another stalker out here, he’s going to have a big problem with me and my bible today.”
I could envision her trying to beat someone to death with it, but she’d have to get in line to protect her daughter.
“Mom, he asked me to marry him.” Alise ran up onto the porch, showing her mother the ring. Her mother hugged her tightly, bestowing me with a watery smile over her daughter’s shoulder.
Not done with the running yet, Alise raced back over to me, jumping into my arms where she belonged. I held her, and we stood there in the driveway, kissing like I was a soldier that had just come home from battle.
Metaphorically, I was just that. My mind had battled for so long with what the woman I was to settle down with should look like, what her background was supposed to be, that it felt good to finally come home to the one that was meant to be for me, the one who shattered all of the boundaries that were once placed upon me. It took a while to learn and accept that no race was all good or all bad. Van was proof of the former. Alise was proof of the latter. She and I were proof that when good hearts combined, no race, skin color, or the world could stand in our way.
Epilogue
Alise
Merging Eternity
We decided to have our wedding at the club six months later. There was where it all began, and it felt right to commemorate our union here. In the center of the stage was a black makeshift canopy covered in golden flowers that didn’t clash with the white and black marbled décor of Elite. The tables were decorated with black cloth and a golden flower arrangement. Jayne had added little golden rocks on each table. Tameka’s caterers created a seafood feast fit for a king and queen. We had everything we wanted, nothing more, nothing less.
Bruiser and I exchanged our vows before the preacher of my mother’s choosing. I sang my nuptials to him in a melody created just for him. He swiped a tear away from the corner of his eye, then vowed to love me forever. Several sniffles could be heard from the crowd during our vows. Not forgetting about the other person standing with us
, he also crouched down and vowed to always love, honor, and protect our unborn child. We sealed the deal with an earth-shattering kiss that made our growing baby do a summersault inside of me.
The day was made even more special because my mother was there, sitting in the audience, clutching her pearls. She was not happy about my wedding being inside of a club, but she went with it to be there for me. That's all I ever asked, for her to be there for me.
Bruiser’s parents were there too. He was glad to see his father with a pep in his step. His father hugged me just as tight as he had Bruiser, and so did his mother.
I had to remind them I was with child and that they were not only squeezing me but also the baby. “The cuddling a little too hard is a family trait, I see.”
We got a good chuckle out of that. His mother and I had grown close as we planned the wedding together. Hormonal by my second month, I cried just a little when she said she liked me because I reminded her a lot of herself; we were strong women.
It was a family affair with the parents when I learned about Bruiser’s past in the brotherhood a day after he proposed. His father explained his side of things and offered for me to meet the man on the other side of the tragedy. It wasn’t necessary because it didn’t change the way I felt about Bruiser. Pain and life taking unexpected turns sometimes caused people to do things they’d later regret. No one knew that more than me after the kidnapping.
My heart went out to the man Bruiser was when he lost his father for a while and coped the only way he knew how; by finding those he could commiserate with. My heart belonged to the man he was today, the kind who would go to the ends of the earth to defend me, his black wife. He had a good heart now for all people. When he explained why what happened with his father took him down that road—his family had been torn apart unjustly—I chose to understand where he came from and where it led him. That we understood each other was all that mattered. I did suggest he find a therapist next time life snatched a loved one away, though.
Racists were not the answer to anything.
Speaking of hearts divided, Jayne was still trying to get her groove on with Xander as my maid of honor. Tameka and Kemara were my matrons of honor. Jeb was Bruiser’s best man, Xander and Channing his groomsmen. They all looked so handsome, but no one, and I mean, no one looked more handsome than my new husband.
When the ceremony ended, we saw everyone home then boarded a private jet to Dubai. This was something we both wanted to do, and well, with the success of our businesses, we decided to treat ourselves to one last indulgence. When our little one entered the world, most of our time and attention would go to the baby. We promised to never forget to thoroughly love the other whenever we could.
And so, we were off. To make love. To make memories. To love each other, forevermore.
THE END
