Everybody echoed it.
“To Solè and Roman!”
The DJ laughed. “Aight. Last one. Best man, Bryce.”
Bryce walked up confidently, but his eyes didn’t go to Roman at first.
They went to Mel immediately.
Mel blinked like,oh?
The crowd started murmuring. Chase leaned toward Jacory, whispering something, and Jacory’s grin widened like he had a front-row seat to mess.
Bryce cleared his throat. “I had a whole speech planned, but I’m not gon’ lie . . . I’m distracted,” he said.
The room erupted.
Mel’s eyebrows shot up. “Boy?—”
Bryce smiled without looking away from her. “Mellonie.”
The way he said her name had the entire room leaning in.
Roman muttered to me, “I see it blooming. He need someone to get him in line.”
I tried not to laugh. “She does, too.”
Bryce finally glanced at Roman. “My cousin, Roman—he’s been a big brother, a provider, and a protector since he was a kid. When those babies needed him, he stepped up. He ain’t complain. He ain’t fold. He just did what had to be done.”
Reagan and Reece looked proud.
Bryce continued. “When Roman loves, he’s not just saying words. He is putting actions behind it every time, like clockwork.”
Bryce looked back at me. “Solè, . . . you are the perfect person for him. Because you don’t just love him; you see him. You see the weight he carries, and you don’t ask him to put it down alone.”
My eyes burned again.
Bryce looked at Mel one more time, voice softer, almost like it was meant just for her. “And, Mellonie, . . . you did your job. You held her down. You got her here.”
Mel swallowed hard, blinking fast.
Bryce nodded like he was confirming something to himself. Then he spoke clearly again.
“To Roman and Solè. May y’all love be steady, safe, loud when it needs to be, and protected always.”
He raised his glass, and everybody stood and cheered.
Roman kissed my cheek and whispered, “We’re surrounded by love.”
I squeezed his hand. “We really are.”
And in the middle of the noise, the music, and the laughter, I realized something. Roman didn’t just plan a wedding. He built a moment that felt like forever.
The room was quiet in that after-everything kind of way. Our shoes were kicked off by the door, pins scattered across the dresser, and my dress was folded with care, handled like Roman understood it carried more than fabric, even after the day had finally loosened its grip on us.
He pulled me close, his skin warm and steady. His forehead rested against mine as if he was anchoring us both to the moment.
“Hey,” he murmured. “You okay, wife?”
