You and I

by Jacquelin Thomas

  Cherise felt beautiful.

  After church, they all headed to Amanda’s house for a traditional clan gathering.

  Cherise had already dropped off the cake she and Steven had baked before church. Steven’s parents were going to be joining them for dinner so that they could meet everyone.

  She made a quick call to her mother.

  “You all made it,” she heard Steven say, and knew that his parents had arrived.

  Cherise made her way through the dining room.

  She and Rebecca Chambers embraced. “It’s so good to see you, dear.”

  “It’s good to see you too,” Cherise replied.

  Amanda and Rebecca hit it off immediately.

  Dinner was served thirty minutes later.

  Cherise leaned over toward Steven and said, “Your parents are fitting in nicely.”

  “Remember, my mom comes from a large family, so she’s used to this.”

  Steven’s father was in conversation with William Ragland when Cherise caught the expression on Ivy’s face. She was still not thrilled with the idea of her mother having male companionship. From the look on Ray’s face, he wasn’t either.

  Cherise’s expression changed when her father walked in with a woman who looked young enough to be his daughter.

  Jazz glanced over at her and the two exchanged puzzled looks.

  He introduced her as his friend from North Carolina and said her name was Laura.

  Cherise noticed that her brother Julian didn’t even acknowledge their father. Instead, he excused himself from the table and headed outside to the patio. Laine waited a moment before getting up to follow him.

  “Is Julian okay?” Steven asked.

  She nodded. “He has some abandonment issues with my father, but he’s fine.”

  Despite the tense moments, the clan had a wonderful dinner and afterward gathered outside for a basket ball game.

  Cherise sat down with the women to cheer on their men.

  Jazz was the only girl playing and was on Matt’s team along with Steven and Ransom.

  “Your sister can ball,” Steven said when he sat down beside her. “I see why she’s coaching the basketball team for Long Beach University.”

  “She’s been approached by the Los Angeles Larks to coach their team.”

  Steven’s eyes rose in surprise. “Really?”

  “She’s had two interviews and I’m pretty sure she might be joining the coaching staff.”

  “That’s great,” he said.

  “Her team has gone undefeated for the two years that she’s been on staff and she’s the youngest head coach for a university in history, but then she graduated high school when she was sixteen and received a full ride from USC for basketball.”

  They headed back to Los Angeles shortly after seven with his parents following behind in their car.

  “My mom and dad really enjoyed themselves today,” Steven said.

  “How about you? Did you have a good time?”

  He gave her a sidelong glance. “I always have a great time with your family. It’s good that we all get along.”

  “I hope when your aunt comes home that we’ll be friends. I know how much she means to you, Steven. I don’t want to come between that.”

  He reached over and took her hand in his. “You don’t have anything to worry about. Aunt Eula Mae is one of the most caring women you will ever meet. She isn’t wishy-washy with her feelings either. She will either love you or dislike you—there is no in-between with her.”

  Chapter 14

  Steven let himself into Cherise’s town house with the set of keys she’d given him. “Honey, are you here?” He called out.

  “I’m in here.”

  He strolled through the dining room en route to the den, following the sound of her voice.

  She was sitting in the middle of her floor making notes in several folders. Steven knew she was updating her case files.

  He planted a kiss on Cherise’s cheek. “Hey, baby. How was your day?”

  “Great,” she murmured. “It was a good day. All of my girls were well-behaved and responsive during group this afternoon. I’m so proud of them.”

  He sat down on the sofa not too far from where she was sitting. “I have some wonderful news. Aunt Eula Mae and Uncle Jerome are here.”

  Cherise broke into a grin. “That’s wonderful. I know how much you’ve been looking forward to seeing them.”

  Steven stood up and walked over to the pantry in search of something to snack on. “They came in last night. I can’t wait to see them. My mom wants us to come over for dinner tomorrow night. It’s kind of a family celebration for Aunt Eula Mae and Uncle Jerome.”

  Cherise looked up at him. “You’re really excited, aren’t you? Your aunt really is the light of your life.”

  She folded her arms across her chest, then said, “Maybe I should be jealous…”

  Grinning, Steven shook his head. “Sweetheart, you have nothing to worry about. Yeah, I love my Aunt Eula Mae, but you—you are my lady. You are the light of my life.”

  With long, purposeful strides, Steven made his way to the refrigerator and retrieved an apple. He bit into it, chewing thoughtfully, “You’re sure you don’t mind? I know this is sort of last-minute—”

  Her arms folded across her ample bosom, Cherise inclined her head. “Now, why should I mind, Steven? I know how much you want to see your aunt and uncle. I’m not that selfish, you know.”

  Cherise prayed deep down that she and Eula Mae Stewart would become the best of friends. Steven was so close to his aunt that if she and Eula Mae didn’t get along, it could have a strong effect on their marriage.

  Her family was very accepting of others, so there was hardly ever drama when it came to choosing mates. She had no desire to be placed in the middle of Steven and his aunt.

  Now, Steven was getting on Cherise’s last nerve.

  One would think they were about to have dinner with the President of the United States by the way he was acting. It was just his aunt and uncle. This dinner was supposed to be drama-free.

  He checked his watch a third time and said. “Honey, if you don’t hurry up, we’re going to be late for dinner. You know traffic’s crazy this time of day.”

  On the floor, Cherise scrambled around the bed, looking under it. “I’m looking for my shoes. I don’t see them anywhere.”

  “I told you that you have too many pairs anyway,” he huffed.

  Cherise tried to keep her frustration at bay. “Steven, you’re not helping me by complaining. Why don’t you try helping me instead?”

  “Which ones are you looking for?”

  “The black ones.”

  Steven walked over to the closet and stepped inside. “And you have how many pairs of black shoes?”

  Cherise sighed in her irritation. “Steven, the ones with the ankle strap.”

  Steven asked, “You mean the ones sitting under the chair in here?”

  Still on all fours, Cherise peeked from the left side of the bed. “Yes, that’s them. I don’t remember putting them over there.”

  “You didn’t. You asked me to get them for you right before you took your shower.”

  Cherise released a soft sigh. “Then why didn’t you say that?”

  “Honey, I thought you’d decided to wear another pair. Every time I’ve walked out of this room and come back, you have on something different.” He chuckled. “You’re nervous, aren’t you?”

  Standing up, Cherise gave an irritable tug at her sleeve. “It’s not funny, Steven. I know it may sound stupid to you, but I really want to make a good impression on your aunt and uncle. I know how much they mean to you.”

  Leaning casually against the frame of the door, Steven’s mouth curved into a smile. “I remember the day you met my parents. I thought I was going to have to unglue you from the car.”

  “These people are very important to you, Steven. I want them to like me. Surely you can understand why I was so nervous.”
r />   “My parents are crazy about you. Just like I said they would be. Aunt Eula Mae and Uncle Jerome will love you too. You wait and see.”

  “I hope so.” Cherise grabbed her purse and headed out of the bedroom. “I’ll settle for them just liking me.”

  “Stop worrying yourself, sweetheart. I know they will.” He patted her on the behind.

  Twenty minutes later, they arrived at a large brick house. It was the home Steven had grown up in. Cherise loved the older Georgian-style two-story house. She was excited to finally meet Eula Mae. She’d seen pictures of her in Steven’s home and at his parents’, but it was nice to finally meet her in person.

  Steven opened the door, allowing her to walk in ahead of him. They were greeted by his mother.

  “Hi, kids. I was just about to call over there to see what was taking so long for you to get here. Eula Mae’s been dying to see you both.”

  Steven kissed his mother’s cheek. “Hello, Mama. How’re you feeling these days?”

  Rebecca gave Cherise a hug before responding. “I’m doing fine. I still tire kind of easy.” She grinned. “But I suspect it’s just old age creeping in.”

  “Are you taking vitamins?” Cherise asked.

  Rebecca shook her head. “No, I haven’t, but I’ve been thinking about getting me some. Some of those multivitamins.”

  Nodding, Cherise agreed. “I think you’ll be able to see a difference in the way you’re feeling if you start taking them.”

  “I’ll get me some tomorrow. Come on, you two, everybody’s in the den right now.”

  They followed her toward the back of the house. Steven immediately rushed over to embrace a slender woman of medium height. Cherise estimated her to be in her mid-forties. She smiled and moved closer.

  “Aunt Eula Mae, Uncle Jerome. I have someone very special that I want you both to meet.” Holding her hand, Steven pulled Cherise closer to him. “This is my fiancée, Cherise Ransom.”

  She opened her mouth to speak and almost choked on her words. “Mr. and Mrs. Stewart, it’s so nice to finally meet you.” Her heart was beating so fast, Cherise felt like the room was spinning.

  Steven slipped an arm around her.

  They settled down in the living room.

  Cherise wasn’t sure she’d ever seen Steven so happy. It was obvious that he loved his aunt as much as he loved his mother.

  Rebecca announced that dinner was ready and they all got up and headed to the dining room.

  “I told you that she was going to love you,” Steven whispered in her ear.

  Cherise relaxed, grateful that Eula Mae didn’t hate her.

  She enjoyed listening to Eula Mae and her husband discuss their lives in Ghana.

  “I loved Ghana, but I’m so glad to be back home,” Eula Mae said.

  “I’m glad you didn’t decide to move back to Phoenix,” Rebecca said. “It’s going to be nice to have you here in L.A.”

  “Cherise is from Phoenix as well,” Steven announced.

  She took a sip of her lemonade. “My mother is still there,” Cherise said. “I left when I was fifteen to come here to L.A.”

  “We thought about moving back there, but Eula Mae didn’t want to do it,” Jerome stated. “She wants to be here in California.”

  Cherise caught a glimpse of sadness in Eula Mae’s eyes and for a brief moment, it felt like déjà vu. It was as if she’d seen that look before, but she and Eula Mae had never met until now.

  Seeing Steven and his family like this reminded her of the clan dinners. Cherise felt like once they were married, they would all be one big happy family, and the thought pleased her immensely.

  Cherise offered to help with cleanup after dinner, but Rebecca turned her down.

  She and Steven sat down in the family room with Eula Mae and Jerome.

  They stayed until it was almost eleven o’clock.

  Cherise yawned, prompting Steven to say, “I guess we need to call it a night. My baby and I have early days tomorrow.”

  He got up and hugged his aunt and uncle once more. “I’m so glad you’re back.”

  Steven dropped Cherise off at her place before driving to his house.

  “Honey, I’ll see you tomorrow,” he told her. “If I didn’t have that breakfast meeting planned in the morning, I’d spend the night.”

  “I know, sweetie. I have a staff meeting at eight that I still need to prepare for.” Cherise yawned again. She was tired.

  As soon as she walked into her house, Cherise made her way upstairs and went straight to the shower. She was going to bed.

  Last night she hadn’t slept well over the anticipation of meeting Eula Mae. The evening had gone well, and now the anxious anticipation she’d felt earlier had dissipated.

  It was a dreary, dismal February first.

  Dark gray thunderclouds rolled over Los Angeles and stretched out across the ocean, but they didn’t put a damper on Cherise’s feelings. She was deliriously happy, and nothing could change that.

  She left her office after her group session to meet her sister and mother at the bridal shop. Arlene had flown in a couple of hours ago to help Cherise select a wedding gown.

  A loud thunderous noise passed through the air, and the heavens seemed to tremble with anger as the rain came down harder. Running to her car, Cherise wondered if somehow the weather was a bad omen. She quickly shrugged off the thought. Things were great between her and Steven.

  Completely drenched, she made it to her car and drove to the Bridal Boutique.

  Her mother and Jazz were already there.

  “Honey, I was about to get worried about you,” Arlene said, wiping the water from Cherise’s face. “I called you at work and they said you’d already left. I called your cell but didn’t get an answer.”

  “I didn’t hear my cell ring,” she responded. “It took me longer to get here because of the weather. Is Kaitlin here?”

  Jazz shook her head. “She had to leave because Travaile got sick at school. She’s going to take her to Daisi and then she’ll come back here.”

  A smiling sales associate walked over to them and said, “Are you ready, Miss Ransom? Kaitlin selected several gowns for you to try on. They’re already in the dressing room.”

  Smiling, Cherise nodded.

  She spent the next couple of hours trying on gown after gown. They were all beautiful, but none of them really spoke to her.

  Jazz knocked on the door and announced, “Kaitlin’s back.”

  Cherise held the last dress in front of her as she eyed her reflection. It had an Empire waist and featured a delicate chiffon overlay with a flyaway panel. Satin rosebuds in white with olive-green leaves adorned the front and back neckline.

  Cherise put it on. When she stepped out of the room, the sales associate zipped her up.

  “I love the way this one looks on me,” she whispered.

  “Steven is not going to believe that this exquisite woman floating down the aisle toward him is his soul mate. Cherise, you’re beautiful, girl, but looking at you in this dress…” Jazz’s eyes filled with tears. “There aren’t any words to describe…” She accepted the tissue the associate handed her and wiped her face.

  Cherise met her mother’s gaze.

  “This is the one,” Arlene said. “It’s perfect.”

  Joining them, Kaitlin agreed. “When this one arrived yesterday, I knew that it would be the one for you. Instead of a veil, I think you should have a satin ribbon woven through an upswept hairstyle. We can have rosebuds like the one on the gown sewn on the ribbon.”

  Cherise nodded in approval. “I’ve found my dress.”

  Kaitlin left for a moment, then returned carrying an olive green, Grecian-style dress. “What do you think of this for the bridesmaids? It’s flattering on any figure. I have another one that’s similar to this, except the bodice has gold beading across the front.”

  Cherise looked at her sister, who said, “I saw that one up front. I like it.”

  “I’ll get it so
that you can try it on,” the associate said.

  The dress was perfect for Jazz. She looked stunning.

  “Cherise, I’ll put these aside for you, but look around some more,” Kaitlin advised.

  “I’m perfectly happy with what we’ve found already,” she responded. “I guess Elle and the rest of my bridesmaids will need to come see the dress we picked out.”

  Kaitlin laughed. “I showed them a picture of it and they all loved the dress.”

  “Great,” Cherise said. “Now we just need to find a dress for my mother.”

  Kaitlin held up a beautiful ivory gown with gold sequins and said, “I put this one aside because I was thinking the color would really look good on you, Aunt Arlene.”

  Jazz located another dress. “This one is nice too,” she told Arlene. “You should try them both.”

  Their selections made, Cherise took her family to a nearby restaurant for lunch.

  “You are probably the easiest bride I’ve ever worked with,” Kaitlin said as she scanned her menu.

  “Once we decided on the theme, I guess the rest of it became easy.” Cherise laid down her menu. “I’ve been planning my wedding since I was ten years old. Only thing that’s changed is the theme.”

  Jazz took a long sip of her water. “I’m thrilled for you, Cherise, but right now the only thing I want to talk about is what we’re going to order.”

  Everyone burst into laughter.

  Chapter 15

  Cherise handed Bridgett a towel as the teenager stepped out of the pool. “You did great today. Anne tells me that you’re a quick learner.”

  Wiping off with the fluffy towel, Bridgett smiled. “I’m okay. She’s just a good teacher. I never thought I’d learn to swim.”

  Checking her watch, Cherise groaned. She needed to be on her way to pick up Steven’s aunt. They were having lunch together. Cherise had made the gesture so that it would give them a chance to get to know one another.

  “I have to leave, but I’ll see you before you go home, Bridgett.”

  “Okay, Miss Ransom.”

  Cherise rushed to her car and made her way to Steven’s parents’ home. “I’m so sorry I’m late.”