Treasure opened it, and when Kwame stepped in, the whole mood shifted again.
He looked sharp as hell, his suit fitted clean, his presence calm but strong, and when his eyes landed on me, he paused for a second like he was really takin’ me in.
I straightened up without even thinkin’ about it.
He walked over slow, and when he got in front of me, he ain’t say nothin’ at first. He just looked at me, and then he pulled me into a hug.
“You look beautiful,” he said, his voice low.
That alone almost took me out, ’cause this was the same man who ain’t even like me at first, and now he was standin’ here tellin’ me this.
“Thank you,” I whispered, holdin’ onto him for a second.
He pulled back and looked at me again. “I’m proud of you,” he said. “You’ve been a good wife to my son, and you’re a good mother. I see you.”
I felt my eyes burn, and I blinked fast, tryna keep it together. “I love you,” I told him, my voice softer than I meant for it to be.
He nodded once, like he felt that too. “I love you too.”
We ain’t say much after that, but we ain’t need to.
When it was time, he held his arm out, and I took it, my hand restin’ against his while the music started outside.
The doors opened, and the first thing I saw was the aisle, lined in soft pink and white, flowers set up in a way that made everything look clean and elegant without doin’ too much.
Then I saw my husband…
Kay’Lo stood at the end, dressed in that soft pink tux, lookin’ so damn good it almost made me laugh, but I couldn’t even do that, ’cause the second our eyes locked, everything else faded out.
His face changed the closer I got, like he was really seein’ me, and I saw it in his eyes before anything else. He was already emotional.
By the time we reached him, I was fightin’ my own tears, and when Kwame placed my hand in his, I felt that connection hit me all over again.
Kay’Lo grabbed my hand tight, like he needed to feel me right here, and when he looked at me, his eyes was already glossy.
“Damn,” he said low, shakin’ his head. “Look at you.”
I laughed through it, already cryin’.
The pastor started speakin’, sayin’ all the words that was supposed to be said, but I ain’t gon’ lie, half of that shit went over my head ’cause all I could focus on was my man.
When it came time for vows, Kay’Lo went first.
He looked at me for a second, then shook his head like he was tryna get himself together.
“I ain’t even good with this type of stuff,” he said, makin’ a few people laugh, but his voice was already thick. “But I got you.”
He took a breath, then looked me dead in my eyes.
“I love you,” he said. “And I ain’t just sayin’ that. I mean that in every way I know how. We been through too much for me to stand here and act like this was easy, ’cause it wasn’t. You stuck with me through things that could’ve broke us, and even when we was messed up, you was still my wife.”
My tears was fallin’ now, and I ain’t even try to stop them.
“I’m always gon’ choose you,” he went on. “No matter what. I’m always gon’ be right here, lovin’ you, protectin’ you, and takin’ care of our family. You my everything.”
By the time he finished, he was cryin’, and I reached up and wiped his face without even thinkin’ about it.
When it was my turn, I took a breath and tried to steady myself.
