“Boy, what I tell you earlier?” He asked firmly, and this time I straightened up. No matter how old I got, I knewthatvoice. Bailey handed me the microphone, and I took a few deep breaths before I began.
“Bailey Reneé Henson, you are the love of my life. When I proposed to you I said I prepared for you, and I did the work to make sure I was worthy of your trust. I meant that, and I promise every day I will continue to do the work so I can always be worthy of you. You came into my life when I had thought love wasn’t in the cards for me, and I promise I heard God say to me the moment I felt myself falling head over heels for you, ‘so youthink you know what I want for your life better than me?’ You are my angel on earth and heaven sent. I promise to always work to be the man you fell in love with, so that you can continue to wear my last name with pride and honor. I promise I won’t have you out here looking goofy as you like to say. I promise to be the best father to our children, and be the man you can always trust to lead and protect our family. You are it for me, Bailey, and love isn’t a strong enough word to describe how deep I feel for you but it’s a great start. I love you, with every cell in my body, and I can’t wait to spend my life with you.” I finished, and Bailey reached up to wipe my face.
“Titan and Bailey, you personify that love has no time constraints and when you know, you know. That is why it is my great honor that I now pronounce you husband and wife. Titan you maynowkiss your bride.”
Before my dad could finish, I had Bailey in my arms, and my tongue was deep throating her mouth. I grabbed one of her ass cheeks and I heard her brother Dante’s voice.
“Come on, man. That’s my sister.”
“She already pregnant, so hush.” I heard my sister admonish him.
But I didn’t give a damn who had a problem with me showingmywife public affection onourday. They lucky they didn’t know what I had planned for her ass tonight. I may have to pay a biohazard fee because there was going to be a lot of body fluid and secretions on every surface of our hotel room tonight.
When I heard her moan after I grabbed both of her ass cheeks, I finally broke our kiss. When I bit her bottom lip I could see in her eyes that at some point, we were going to sneak away into one of the empty rooms here for a quickie or we were going to leave early. I was hoping for the latter.
“I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Browning!” My dad shouted and I gave Bailey one more kiss as I stared into her eyes.
“I love you, Mr. Browning.” She smiled with tears in her eyes.
“I love you more, Mrs. Browning.” I smiled at her and kissed her new wedding band before turning us toward the small crowd and grabbed her hand so we could jump the broom.
“Ready?” she asked excitedly.
“I’m always ready with you by my side.” I kissed her once more and together we jumped.
I felt that was symbolic because for Bailey Browning, I will always jump if it meant seeing that beautiful smile on her face each day I opened my eyes.
This was forever and I would fight every day to make sure this bond stayed that way. My parents didn’t name me Titan for nothing and from the moment I met Bailey, I knew I was going to be the Titan of her heart…
Epilogue
18 YEARS LATER..
“Mommy and Dad about to cry again.” I heard Titan Jr. tease from the backseat of our rented SUV as Titan parked in the crowd of trucks and moving vehicles, who were here for move in day at Howard University.
“Shut up, TJ. You were crying too this morning at the hotel,” Torian, our second oldest, yelled back and I smiled. Torian was my ride or die and was always ready to hold someone’s feet to the fire.
“I was not!” TJ yelled back.
“Yes, you were. I thought I was going to have to call Uncle Devin to come see if you were ok because you were in the bathroom so long sobbing.” Tyrese, our youngest triplet, piped in, and I had to hold back my laughter. He was always an instigator.
“You all were crying.” Tamia, our baby girl, said, turning her head to look at them in the backseat, and they all got quiet. She was our boss baby, and she definitely knew it. She was two years younger than the triplets, but she was always there to keep the boys in check, and I loved it.
After a few moments of silence, they all talked about something else, and I looked over at Titan who had been quiet ashe drove into the madness of cars and trucks while clutching my hand like he needed me to help keep him grounded.
“You ok baby?” I asked, running my thumb over the back of his large hand.
“No,” he whispered, and I gave him a sympathetic smile. Him and I have been an emotional wreck. We’ve been in D.C for two weeks helping the boys prepare to be away from home. I had no doubt they would be fine because I had faith in the values and discipline we instilled in them since they were able to walk. What also helped was that me and Giada kept our promise about our kids being best friends, and they were now going to college together.
Her twin boys have just finished their first year at Howard and have been waiting on pins and needles for the triplets to join them on campus. They were all in the same dorm, and thanks to Titan’s donation, they were across the hall from each other.
“There goes Auntie G and Uncle Dev!” Torian yelled when he saw Devin’s blacked out Suburban at the curb, and I laughed because Giada was mean mugging and flipping off anyone who was getting rude with her, when they tried to park in the space in front of Devin that she was holding for us. Titan saw it too and laughed and tooted his horn.
Devin and Giada waved at us, and Giada pretended to be a traffic cop as she pointed to the space she reserved for us. As soon as we parked, the kids were out of the SUV and running to be with their friends. I rolled my window down and held my hand up, so they knew we were going to be a moment, and they nodded in understanding.
I turned to face my husband who was aging like the finest wine I ever tasted. This man was still as fine as the day I met him, but he looked stressed, and he was barely keeping it together.
“Baby, they will be ok; you know that right? And they know that the moment they call us in need we are coming. I’m going to miss them too, baby. Giada and Devin just closed on a condo not too far from here. Maybe we can do that too?” I asked.
