Page 16 of Surrender

“Very close. Most times she acts like my kid, always running my pockets.”

Kachelle smiled softly. It slowly faded as she looked down at the table.

“Do you think your family will like me?” she asked.

“It’s my hope that they give you a chance. I know that the family you marry into is just as important as the person you marry. I don’t know how long it will take them to come around, but I’ll never allow anybody to disrespect you or talk out the side of their neck to you. You’re an extension of me. To disrespect you is to disrespect me, and I don’t take kindly to that.”

She nodded. “I appreciate that.”

“What about you? You think your people will come around? I mean, Pops was giving a hell of a mean mug during the ceremony.”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. My family has never been in support of this. I know they only want the best for me, but I’m hurt. I had to go through this whole thing feeling so alone. That’s not how I pictured getting married, you know? I imagined meeting the man of my dreams, falling in love, having this elaborate proposal, and then getting married. I imagined my mother and sister dress shopping with me. I imagined them helping me get ready on my big day. My makeup artist had to help me with my dress. My father wouldn’t even walk me down the aisle.”

She buried her face in her hands. I could tell she was fighting back tears. The shit did something to me. I hated to see women cry. Reaching over, I pulled her hands away.

“Come here,” I said.

She hesitated for a moment before she slid over and rested against me. Cupping her chin, I forced her eyes to meet mine.

“I’m sorry you didn’t have the support you imagined. When we chose this path, we knew it wouldn’t be easily accepted, but I’m sure you hoped, like me, that they would come around.”

She nodded. “I did. There’s no do-over after this. This was it. These are the memories I’ll have for the rest of my life for my wedding day.”

I sighed. “I know. But again, this is the path we chose. We have to make the best of it. You know what I’ll remember about this day?”

“What?”

“How beautiful you looked walking down the aisle to me. I’ll remember the excitement I felt in holding you in my arms for the first time. I’ll remember the way your lips tasted the first time I kissed you.”

She blushed and smiled. I leaned in and pecked her lips.

“At the end of the day, we came here for each other, nothing else. It could have been us, the minister, and the furniture, and the ceremony would have still gone on. That was what we committed to. We don’t need anybody else’s approval to be together. We’re gonna go into this thing with open hearts, and I’m gonna make you fall in love with me.”

She giggled. “You’re confident, huh?”

“Very confident.”

My grip on her chin tightened slightly, and I pulled her in for another kiss. This time, it was soft and sensual… passionate. Her lips parted, and she slipped her tongue into my mouth. I could see now that kissing her was going to be my favorite pass time.

The reception was underway. The space was buzzing with conversation, but the tension could still be felt in the stares of our parents. Kachelle and I were having a ball by ourselves. We spent most of our time getting to know each other while we ate. We’d just finished dessert when I noticed my sister carrying her chair as she made her way over to us.

“Oh lord,” I mumbled as she rounded the table.

She placed her chair next to mine and stood between me and Kachelle.

“Yes, Jessa,” I said, looking up at her.

“Move over.”

“Why?”

“Because I wanna talk to my sister-in-law. Now move your big-headed ass over.”

She mushed my forehead head and shooed me, causing Kachelle to giggle.

“You see how she does me?” I asked, reluctantly moving. “Be nice, Jess.”

She kissed her teeth. “I am nice.”