Epilogue
Six months later
“Introducing for the first time, ladies and gents, Mr. and Mrs. Anson Tyler!”
Mona and Anson shared a brief kiss behind the closed doors just before they opened and they walked into their reception holding hands. The live band played up-tempo music and their wedding party was lined up right at the entrance and clapping. Her two sisters were looking pretty in bright red dresses. And for the groomsmen, Hunter and Malik stood out strong in their all black tuxes.
“Soul train line,” Mona said, taking off dancing and pulling Anson behind her.
He resisted. “No, I don’t think that’s a soul train line—”
“It is now,” she said, letting his hand go as she turned and did small body rolls away from him.
Anson eyed her in her white strapless trumpet gown that fit her body like a glove and made her the most regal and beautiful bride he’d ever seen as she walked down the aisle to him. But in that moment, seeing her willing to be goofy and carefree, made him love her all the more. Shaking his head, he two-stepped down toward his bride, pausing just long enough to share a dap with Hunter and Malik.
All of the wedding attendees were on their feet and were enjoying seeing a true testament of Anson’s love for Mona as they playfully danced with each other. The upbeat music faded and soon the sound of their song—“For the Rest of My Life” by Robin Thicke—filled the air with the vocalist singing the words they both heard in a dream.
Anson pulled her close to him with his hand at her back as she lightly clutched the lapels of his tuxedo jacket and leaned back in his embrace to look up at him.
“We did it,” she said, licking her gloss-covered lips.
“Yes, we did,” Anson agreed.
“We’re going to do something else too,” Mona said coyly as she brought her hands up to his shoulders and then up around his neck to stroke the back of his head.
“What’s that?” he asked as they gently swayed back and forth to the music.
Mona pulled in closer to him and kissed the spot just below his ear. “According to my aunties we’re going to make a baby tonight,” she whispered to him.
He paused and leaned back to look down at her. “Wishful thinking?” he asked after a few seconds of studying her face.
“With my aunties?” she asked. “Oh no, that is knowing not wishing.”
Anson looked down at her and then his eyes searched the crowd for Winifred and Millicent. They were standing together at the very edge of the crowd of people watching them dance. There was no mistaking the happiness on their faces for their niece and their new nephew.
He smiled.
They smiled and waved back.
He looked down at Mona.
“Do you believe?” she asked with a slight arch of her eyebrow.
Anson nodded and laughed, pulling his wife back close to him and pressing kisses to her temple. “Damn right I do,” he promised.
The music shifted again and the dance floor filled with people as the band began to play the Jackson 5’s “(You Were Made) Especially For Me.” Anson and Mona reluctantly moved apart from each other as Hunter cut in and started dancing. Mona couldn’t do anything but give him the floor as he took over like he was trying to win a dance contest.
“Leave it up to you to steal the show,” she called to him over the music with a laugh.
In time her love for her new brother-in-law had grown and with that love came a lot of patience for moments like this.
The crowd opened up and circled them.
“I’ll stop if you make one of your fine ass sisters dance with me. Either one. I’m not picky,” Hunter said, revealing the real reason he cut in for a dance.
Mona knew exactly which one she should steer toward Hunter but she was determined to let fate run the show just as she had for the last year as he shamelessly flirted with both whenever he was in town. One of them would tame Hunter Tyler but neither she—nor the aunts—were telling.
Mona looked back to see her two sisters standing there together on the perimeter watching them. She turned again and searched for her husband. Anson was off to the side holding the hand of each of his aunts and dancing with both.
She looked back to Hunter and then to her sisters and then to Anson off a ways in the distance. She smiled so big and broad that she thought her cheeks would cover her eyes.
“The vision,” Mona mouthed. “This is the moment I saw in the vision when I touched Hunter. This is it.”
She didn’t need the reassurance but she had to admit that it was pretty damn nice seeing all of it come to fruition. To know that her gift was intact, her life complete, and her love meant to be.
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Copyright © 2014 by Niobia Bryant
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ISBN: 978-0-7582-8718-2
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Want, Need, Love Page 22