Page 50 of Rich Forever: Zo & Remy

The ceremony began. For a moment, I looked out at the room, and if I didn’t think that black and gold could be done so beautifully, I was wrong. Storm’s parents were front row alongside ours. National elites had come from Italy. I saw the Don of New York in the crowd. It was Mafia royalty on one side, Bajan elegance on the other.

We were the perfect mix. After vows, we jumped the broom, and then it was time for the reception.

Our first dance was to “No Letting Go” by Wayne Wonder. Our second, “I Can’t Stop Loving You” by Kem.

Somewhere between dances and countless cups of Rum Punch, my assistant Alivia stumbled over to us.

“Zo, why the HELL didn’t you tell me you had a brother this fine? I’ve already been in the feds, but I might make an exception and let him arrest me.”

We laughed so hard Zo almost spilled his drink.

“Liv, go on before I tell him what you said. You might not make it home.”

“For real?” she asked, excited instead of scared.

I shook my head. That girl would never learn.

Then she hugged me. “I love you, Rem. Thank you for everything.”

And I knew she meant it. Liv and I had been through hell and back together. When I finally reconnected with her, she had taken her second chance and run with it. She rebuilt her whole life, earned two degrees, and is now helping run my charity. That was my girl.

“Tell Mommy goodnight, likkle round head,” Xion interrupted as he leaned our daughter toward me. He had been calling my daughter that since she was born. What I quickly learned was that everyone in the Caribbean had a nickname, even if you didn’t want one. They called my twins Roy and Sam, and I have no clue why.

I kissed her cheek, Zo did the same, and Xion walked her toward his parents. The kid-friendly function was over, and all the children were leaving with their grandpas.

Alivia stared at Xion as if he were a sculpture she admired. Like she wasn’t supposed to touch it but was absolutely about to.

He caught her staring, and his eyes scanned her body. Then he leaned down and whispered something in her ear. She nodded like he’d given her instructions.

Then she leaned over the table, swaying to the Soca beat with the world’s worst accent. “I’m a Bajan woman now. Just call me Cheryl.” We hollered.

Xion took her to the dance floor, and she danced on him like she’d been Caribbean her whole life.

Storm and Kennedy approached with a handful of shots.

“Come on, brother,” Kenn said to Zo. “Ain’t no sitting down tonight.”

Storm handed me more shots than I could count.

My eyes drifted over the crowd and landed on Trouble. He threw his hands up like, “Don’t blame me for nothing tonight.”I burst out laughing.

We all fell into laughter once we found Judah and Ivy in the crowd. She had him against the wall, giving the nastiest “dutty wine,” and he had his pocket square out of his jacket, waving it and screaming “BOP, BOP, BOP!”

Storm shoved another shot in my hand. They dragged us from our seats.

“This is a PARTY!” Storm shouted.

I grabbed Zo’s hand. We danced to some song I’d never heard before, swung and dipped across the dance floor, laughing like teenage lovers.

Year seven is associated with wool and copper.

Right now, and as it has always been, our love was copper. It was strong, durable, unbreakable, but most of all… it was forever.

Zo

Rum Punch had the whole room floating, but nothing had me more drunk than watching the woman I’d already called my wife for seven years glow like she was walking into my life for the first damn time. I stood back and watched her. She had been smiling all night and dancing to the music playing over the speakers in the middle of my mother, my cousins, and my aunts.

Xion brushed past me with Alivia glued to him like she’d been born at Bayview Hospital. “Mannn, Zohan, close ya mouth. Ya look like ya fall in love all over again.” He said. His accent was thicker, now that he was drunk.