Once her parents reached me, her father shook my hand while her mother hugged me, and then, for the first time all damn day, I took Islah’s hand into mine, and we stepped in front of the preacher.
As the preacher talked, I zoned out, staring at her. She looked like a goddess as she smiled back at me.
I was so into her that Keith had to tap me, and I had to ask the preacher to repeat himself when he asked me if I took Islah as my wife.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I was lost staring at her. I do… You know I do, mamas.”
The preacher looked at Islah and asked if she took me to be her husband.
“I do!” she said with a huge smile.
The preacher then looked at me for my vows, and I cleared my throat.
“Islah, my mamas. I never get tired of telling you that I love you. I have gone through life feeling like that nigga, but knowing my life was missing something, and it was you. You, Amir, and our child… I have grown so much because of you. I think differently because of you. I love so much harder because of you. I picked this spot on this damn slab of concrete because this foundation is the foundation of our next home.”
Islah’s mouth dropped, and I continued. “I wanted to get married here with our closest people around, with God over top of us cause our foundation will forever be this strong. I have spent days on the road for you. It’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. I love you, my wife.”
Islah opened her mouth to speak and cried for a few seconds. Kenya helped her not mess up her makeup. She finally took a deep breath and grabbed my hands.
“Love, my heart. You came into my life when I was healing and helped me see how strong I was, but at the same time, what it was like to be cared for by a real man. You were gentle with me, you loved on me, and in my darkest time…you saved me. You showed me that the things I wanted in life were never too much, just with the wrong person, and I am so thankful that you are my person. In this life and the next, I will be by your side because you were by mine; right or wrong, you did your big one for me. I love you, my husband.”
Amir handed us our rings, and we placed them on each other’s fingers.
“I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Love Mayer. You may kiss your bride,” the preacher said.
I took Islah into my arms, bent her back while grabbing a handful of her ass, and kissed her like our people and Amir weren’t around.
Everybody clapped and cheered for us as I stood her back up, and we walked up the aisle and got into the truck, and the driver pulled off.
“What the hell?” Islah yelled out. “How the hell did you put this together?”
“I made a lot of calls and got ya girls to help. I hope you weren’t mad at me today.”
“Oh, I was,” she said, laughing. “I thought you were mad at me, but in the end, it was all worth it.”
We went back to the Airbnb, and I had something for us to change into. I went into one room to change while she went into the other. I got dressed in front of the mirror. As I looked at myself, my wedding ring caught the light and danced in it.
I smiled. A nigga was a married man now.
I walked out of the room at the same time as Islah, and she stood there staring at me.
“Once again,” I said, walking up to her. “You are breathtaking, mamas.”
She kissed me as she wrapped her arms around my neck.
“I can’t believe we finally did it,” she expressed.
I nodded. “Man, I thought everything was going to go wrong today for some reason, but I am so glad that it didn’t. I couldn’t wait any longer to make you my wife.”
“Good,” she said. “I didn’t want to wait, and then the house that you are building?—”
“We are building,” I said, cutting her off. “I don’t care if you want to live in the city or out here. I want you to be comfortable and relaxed.”
I looked down at her growing belly and rubbed it.
“Before you know it, our lil’ one will be here.”
Islah smiled harder.
