The second her arms wrapped around my neck, I knew that this wasn’t going to be some simple peck on the lips. This kiss was going to be grown and sexy.
I palmed her ass in front of everyone, our lips touched, and we tongue kissed like the lovers that we were. I’m talking, I was slipping my tongue down her throat like there weren’t any kids in here. This was just the clean version of what was getting ready to take place at our reception tonight. I was about to get on that brown and show my ass.
I was officially a married man all over again. I had to turn up with my wife tonight for that. The wedding was the calm. This is where we had to be classy because it was a serious moment. We were saying our vows, making God the forefront of our marriage.
As far as the reception…. Wasn’t shit going to be calm about that. Miami wasn’t ready for this shit. They weren’t ready for how we were about to celebrate this love. This still spinning love.
Chapter 16
Toni Perkins
AND THEN… WE TURNED UP!
“And don’t get up there saying nothing crazy, either,” Steel yelled out to Khari from the head table that him and I were sitting.
It was reception time, and from the moment we walked in, doing our grand entrance into the reception, it was a total turn up. As beautiful as my wedding gown was, and even with everyone swooning over it, telling me how beautiful I looked in my dress, I still ended up changing out of it, putting on my second dress that was specifically for the reception. It was just as beautiful. The train just wasn’t as long. I needed something that I could move around in, especially when it was time for me to get on the dance floor.
So far, Steel and I have had our first dance, where I pretty much cried throughout the entire thing because as we were slow dancing with each other, he was whispering things in my ear, where I was the only one in the room that could hear him. The reassurance that he gave me was so beautiful. As we danced, his hands had been glued to my ass, with his lips to my ear, constantly kissing my neck, sticking his tongue in my ear, telling me how beautiful I looked today, and going on and on about howmuch he loved the pictures that I had Karina dropping off to him earlier.
I was glad once our dance was over because if he kept on, I was going to have to excuse the both of us because I was in desperate need of busting a nut or two.
Once our first dance ended, it was my turn to slow dance with my mother. She was the solid parent in my life that stayed and raised me. She did what my father didn’t have the balls to do, and for that, I would always love her to the very death of me. We danced to one of my favorite songs by Ashanti, which was called mother. We both cried during the dance because I’m sure just like me, she was thinking about all the many things that we’ve been through together, which landed us to this beautiful moment right here.
Because my mom knew what it felt like to raise kids on her own, and have to struggle a little bit, she’s always preached to Temperance and I to not follow in her footsteps. She was hard on us as kids, telling us to get our education, marry a good man, and then start having babies.
When Temp got pregnant with Brooklyn, my mom was pissed with her. Pissed because she did the very thing that my mom didn’t want us doing. Temperance was just that rebellious child that did whatever she wanted, and unfortunately, it landed her in the position that she was in. I found myself thinking about my sister a lot today. Earlier, when I was getting my make-up done, my artist had to stop twice because I broke down twice, thinking about my sister. Temp and I spoke a few times yesterday, and I told her ass not to call today because I knew that she would put me in my feelings. Her ass called me first thing this morning, doing what she wanted to do as usual, and it saddened me because I would do anything in the world to have my sister at my wedding.
I swear to God, if that girl came home, and she was still on her bullshit, I would personally have to beat her ass because I couldn’t let her hurt us like this again. I knew she would come home and be fine though. She realized all the things that she missed out on. This year has been the hardest year for her. Between Brooklyn being a senior in high school, with all these events coming up to me becoming a mommy, and getting married, my sister was going through it. She never wanted to experience being on the outside, looking in again, so I knew that she would come home, and get on her shit, so that she never had to step foot inside a prison building again.
“I got you. I’m not going to say anything crazy,” Khari said, standing on stage with a mic in one hand, and he was holding a glass of champagne in another one.
I love the bond that Steel had with his god brother, Khari. The two of them were like night, and day, but they loved each other so much.
“Hey everybody. I hope everyone is enjoying themselves tonight. I’m not shy, but speaking in a room full of people has never really been my thing. When Steel told me a few months ago that I was going to have to give a speech at the reception, I told him straight up that I wasn’t doing it, and that he was going to have to get someone else to fill in for me,” Khari started, making all of us laugh.
It’s crazy because knowing Khari, and knowing that he was the playful type, always fuckin with someone, and always talking shit, you wouldn’t think that he would be nervous to speak in front of a lot of people. His voice was even shaking a little bit, proving to us just how nervous he was.
“I’ll make it quick though because I know that everybody is ready to turn up with the bride, and the groom. Toni, I just want you to know that you married a real, solid dude. I’m not just telling you this because that’s my boy, and I’m trying to vouchfor him. I’m telling you this from the bottom of my heart. You got a man that really, really loves you. Ima tell you when I knew that he loved you. If anyone in here knows Steel, then you’ll know that he’s overprotective over two things, and that’s his kids, and the place where he lays his head. When ya’ll first started dating, I remember I hit him up one time, and he told me that he was out with Zayne and Toni. I knew from right there that my brother was turning in his playa’s card,” Khari went on, getting us all to laugh again.
“That’s just the kind of dude that Zion is. He don’t let anybody get too close to his kids, and I’ve always respected him for that. When he loves, the man loves hard, and he wants to cuff whatever it is that he loves, hiding it from the rest of the world. Since we were little boys, he’s always known that he wanted to be a husband, and a father. He wanted to be great with those titles too. These past few months, you’ve shown me, and other single men out there that it’s cool to settle down with one woman and let her love you. Toni, in front of everyone, I gotta let you know that I love the way you love my boy. Steel and I took a flight a few months ago, and he had you on speaker. I remember hearing you telling him to close his eyes, so that you could pray over him. I’ve been around the two of you for a while, and I’ve picked up on little things. You love him just as much as he loves you, and to me, that’s beautiful. I wish your union years and years of love, and I’m glad that I was able to be around, and witness this beautiful love story,” Khari finished, and he raised his glass in the air.
His words were so beautiful, and honestly, I was super proud of him. To know that he’d been so nervous, but went up there, and had melted all of us with his words.
After him, a few people from our bridal parties went up. I was fighting back so many tears once Karina went up. My blood cousin, the one that knew me inside and out. The one that knewthat I always wanted to be a mom, and have children, since I was a little girl. There was once a time in my life when I felt like I wasn’t going to get this happily ever after, so I allowed work to take over, ridding my dreams of this fairytale. Steel came along, and he changed all of that, and that was Karina’s overall message.
Everyone had spoken, and just when the turn up was getting ready to start, I saw Zayne standing up front, asking Karina if he could get the mic, so that he could say something. Mind you, all the kids were getting ready to get the boot, and head to the back, so that they could have their own fun back there. Before that happened, my little man wanted to get some words off his chest, and Karina gave him the mic, letting him know that he could say whatever he wanted. Looking so handsome in his tux that matched his father’s, he turned to face us, with a smile on his face.
“Hey dad. Hey Toni,” his little voice didn’t hold an ounce of fear in front of all these people.
I melted at him calling us out, waving my hand to him, mouthing to him that I loved him. Steel sat next to me with his arm draped across the back of the chair, looking at his son with such pride and admiration.
“Toni, I just want to tell you thank you again for coming into our lives. I —”
He couldn’t even get it out because he started crying. Seeing my baby get so emotional like that, he had me fighting back tears of my own, until one eventually freely fell from my eye.
“I used to tell my dad that I wanted to have a mom. My mom is no longer here. I never got the chance to meet her, so for so long, it was just me, and my dad. I was happy with it being the two of us, but I wanted to have a mom as well. I know that you’ll never take the place of my mom, but I thank you for being the closest thing to it. I’m lucky to have you. Thank you for mylittle sister too. I love you Toni, and dad,” Zayne’s words shook the entire time that he spoke, and when he finished, everyone started clapping their hands and standing up out of their seats for him.
So many women around the room, including myself, were holding tissues in our hands, drying our eyes from his words.
