“You sneaky ass woman,” he murmured, pulling me into his embrace. “You really did this for me?”
“Yes. And it was hard as hell keeping it from you, so you better like it.”
His mom hugged him first, tears in her eyes, then me. His father clapped him on the back. Omni did her usual hug-and-joke combo.
Music rose, drinks flowed, and appetizers came around. People pulled him in every direction, offering congratulations, stories, jokes, and toasts. And every time his eyes found me across the room, he smiled and shook his head.
We sat down for dinner, twenty of us gathered around a long, candlelit table that made Ignite feel more like somebody’s cozy living room than a restaurant. I’d been planning this dinner and stressing over the menu, and now that everyone was settled, plates steaming, glasses full, and conversations bouncing around, my heart felt too big for my chest.
I tapped my glass lightly.
“Alright y’all… let me say something before we eat.”
The room grew quiet. All those faces—his parents, his sister, some of his teammates, our friends—faced me, waiting for my speech. DaVinci looked up at me as if I was the only thing he saw, and that nearly overwhelmed me.
I stood.
“I promise I’m not going to talk long, because I’m hungry and I worked way too hard putting this menu together for y’all to let my food get cold.”
A few laughs broke the tension. Good. I needed that.
“But tonight… this means a lot to me. And I wanted to say something while we’re all here. I put this whole thing together because I felt like my man deserved to be celebrated the right way. And not just for what he did on the court for all those years… but for who he is when no one’s looking, who he is to all of us.”
I paused, feeling the weight of my words settle over the table.
“Before I knew DaVinci personally, I was a fan. And I don’t mean a little fan. I’m talking… jerseys in the closet I wore for every game, knowing his stats like I was trying to coach the team, arguing with strangers online like I was getting paid for it.”
More laughter. Even he put his hand over his face.
“But what I didn’t know back then was that the man everybody saw—the talent, the precision, the discipline—that wasn’t even the best part of him. The world loved the athlete. But I got to meet the human. The son. The brother. The man who shows up when it counts. The one who listens even when he doesn’t agree. The one who loves loud and protects harder.”
My voice dipped, softer.
“And somewhere between jacking him up, a little stalking, late nights, stolen moments, and him getting on my damn nerves… I realized I was falling for a man who didn’t just want to love me but wanted to build a life with me.”
He blinked slow, inhaling hard. I felt that look.
“So yes… tonight is to celebrate his career. His accomplishments. His legacy. All of that. But it’s also to celebrate the man who made me feel safe enough to open my heart again. The man who made me his priority. The man who made me his peace.”
I glanced down at him and smiled.
“And speaking of that… we do have an announcement.”
The table leaned in.
I reached for his hand.
“We weren’t planning it. We weren’t thinking about it. It wasn’t a long engagement or a big romantic production. But this morning, after court… we went downstairs…”
I held up my hand, and Omni gasped so loud the whole table jumped.
“…and we got married.”
Chaos. Loud cheering. Hands flying. His mother crying. Chairs scraping. Teammates yelling “Aww hell nah!” in the most joyful way possible.
I squeezed his hand tighter.
“So tonight… yes, we’re celebrating his retirement, his future, but also celebrating that I get to call this man my husband.”
