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Epilogue
One Year Later
While I laughed at Nico dancing with his fraternity brothers in the center of the lavishly decorated hall, my cell beeped, and I stared at my phone in disbelief.
Thought about you today. Hope that you chose a different path.
I returned my attention to my new husband, who was now talking to my brother. They both were dapper in their dark gray tuxedos and fresh haircuts.
I did and today is my wedding day to that special man I told you about.
Talk about timing. That really makes me smile. Congratulations.
I thought about Bakari’s beautiful smile that could light whatever room he entered.
I can picture those dimples. I hope you chose differently, too.
I’m with the same woman from last year. Happy to say that I’m going to visit my family in a couple of weeks and plan to visit my brother and his wife. Time to confront my feelings so I can finally move on. Continue being happy, Nikki, “not short for Nicole.” Wishing you a long, happy, and healthy marriage.
Wishing you the best. Take care, Mr. Youngblood.
“Who are you texting? Everyone you care about is here.” Kendra peeked over my shoulder. She’d just joined me at the bridal table after taking individual pictures with the photographer. “Is that who I think it is?”
“It is.” I held the cell against my chest. Hearing from Bakari was the icing on one of the happiest days of my life. Over the past year, I’d often wondered how he was doing and whether he’d ever confronted his feelings about his brother’s wife. That admission still blew my mind.
“You keeping secrets again? How long you’ve been communicating?” She raised an indignant brow as she sipped on her virgin cocktail. “Texting a former lover during your reception has to be a bad omen or some shit.”
“Girl, I’m not going to let your superstitious behind jinx my marriage.” I adjusted my rose gold and diamond crown slightly. Kendra nodded her approval. “I’m just as surprised as you that he textedandon my wedding day. It’s been a year since we’ve seen or communicated with each other, and he was just checking on me. He said he’s still with the same woman, sounds happy, and wished me a good marriage.” I’d never told Kendra that Bakari had professed love for his sister-in-law. That was his secret to tell, although I knew he and Kendra would never cross paths.
We both looked at the dance floor, where my husband and brother were heading back to the bridal table. Kendra whispered, “Did you ever tell Nico about your island fling?”
“No. That wild time with another man is going to my grave. I also never asked him about his ex.” After Nico found out why I ended our relationship, he was hurt and angry that I kept something so monumental from him. He didn’t understand why I would want to go through that type of ordeal alone. That his commitment would always be in sickness and in health. After a lot of explaining, Nico realized the impact of my mother’s death on me. He pulled me into his strong, forgiving, familiar embrace and told me we could move forward. There was no reason for us to belabor the past or discuss anyone we dated while we were broken up. Soon we moved in together, and by the new year, we were engaged again. We decided to wait at least a year of marriage before starting our family. And the best news of all, I’d remained cancer-free.
“I get now why couples wait to go on a honeymoon. I’m so exhausted. I want to go home and crash in our bed. Whose idea was it to leave the day after the wedding?” Nico complained as he kissed me before sitting down next to me.
“Yours.” We were leaving tomorrow afternoon for a week in Dubai and spending the night at this hotel where our reception was held. “Remember you said that we could rest on the long flight?” I rubbed the back of his curly head lovingly, gazing into his brown eyes, so in love.
“Next time, don’t listen to me.” Nico slipped in his tongue when he kissed me again. God, how I loved the sweetness and sexiness of his kisses.
“Enough of those public displays of affection,” Kendra tapped the table on my other side. “You have a lifetime of that. Right now, we need to eat. The hostess is waiting for you to say it’s okay for the guests to eat.”
“Why are you always hungry?” Nico teased as he picked up my hand. “And tell Masie we’re ready to eat.”
“I’m eating for two, remember?” Kendra popped up happily from the bridal party table to tell our hostess to announce that guests could now be served. At four months pregnant, my best friend looked radiant in her blue Maid of Honor dress. She waved at her new man, Jalil, who sat at a table nearby. Kendra met him when she came home to visit me last Labor Day weekend. She moved back to Cinnicinatti a month ago to live with her boyfriend and the father of her baby. The four of us had become fast couple friends, and my life couldn’t have been better. I owe a lot of the changes in my life to my experience with Bakari.
I looked at my beaming, handsome husband, who couldn’t be prouder to make me mine in front of our family, friends, and God. And I felt the same. Our love had only gone stronger over the past year. We had an unshakeable bond and loved each other with every fiber. The type of love my parents shared. The type of love I’d always wanted. “I hope you’re not too tired to dance with your wife?”
He touched his forehead to mine. “That’s right, you are my wife now. I’ve waited so long to be your husband.”
Blissfully happy that we had a lifetime together, I curved my hands to his face. “Not longer than I have to be your wife. I love you more than you can ever imagine.”
“And I think I can conjure some energy for my beautiful bride.” Nico stood back up and held his hand out to me. “May I have this dance, Mrs. Nikki Spencer?”
“Always.”
Soon we were dancing the night away in each other’s arms. Certain that no matter what happens in the future, we will have our forever after.
**If you want to see if Bakari finds his forever after, keep reading for the Forbidden excerpt**
