by Briann Danae
Turning Erica around to the full-length mirror behind them, Erica was almost afraid to look. She had prayed for this day for as long as she could remember. Even as a young girl, she’d marry her Barbie dolls off and they’d live happily ever after. Never did she imagine her happily ever after dreams to become reality, but they had and she was on the verge of freaking out. Squeezing her eyes tight, she whispered, “I just need to see him.”
Seeing her grandbaby in distress, Ms. Jackie took over and asked Neicey to give them a minute. She too had been praying for this day and, now that it had arrived, there was no way in hell she was going to let it be ruined. Not even by the bride herself.
“What’s wrong, Erica?”
She swallowed hard and peeled her eyes open. “I just need to see Meechi. Can you get him for me? Can I see him?”
Her soft voice and the hopeful look in her eyes had everyone shook. She’s so nervous, Kamryn, said in her head before letting Ms. Jackie know she’d grab her brother. Had anyone else in the room fetched him, they’d surely exaggerate Erica’s need to be in his presence. Down the hall, Meechi had just slid on his black suit jacket, and his entire crew started clapping and patting him on the shoulder.
“My muthafucking nigga about to get married!” Sen cheered, unable to mask his excitement.
In his cool manner, Meechi nodded with a grin. “Damn right. Ya’ll good? The coordinator said we got about fourteen minutes exactly,” he chuckled. “I ain’t trying to be late to my own shit.”
“You won’t, we’ll make sure of that,” BM spoke, looking like a younger version of himself. As G as he was, the scene before him brought a fresh round of tears to gloss his eyes. Never a man with too much pride, he let his emotions show.
“Pops!” Meechi called out. “You straight?”
“Proud of you, is all. Yo mama up there throwing a damn party right now,” he chuckled, making Meechi smirk.
Meechi was still going to consider this day one of the best in his life, other than when his kids were brought into the world, but it wouldn’t have hurt if Kamille could witness her son’s special day. He visited her earlier in the week and just sat and talked to her for over an hour. Though it could never amount to speaking with her in the flesh, he didn’t mind popping a seat in the grass and catching his ol’ lady up.
“I’m already knowing. I’m proud of you, too. Neda good?” he questioned, speaking on his girlfriend, Neda. BM grinned, and Meechi could tell he was trying to hide all thirty-two. “Yeah, she out front waiting like we all are.”
Kamryn’s knocks halted Meechi’s next few words, and he looked toward the door. Since he was closer, Donell opened it and Kamryn stepped inside.
“Man, you look grown as hell,” Sen spat, with a suck of his teeth.
“I am grown.” She smiled, before walking pass him to her big brother. Eyes beaming, she did show all thirty-two and Meechi asked her what was up.
“She wants to see you,” she said in a hushed tone.
Chuckling, Meechi shook his head while walking toward the door. “She can’t, but come on. Let me see what my wife wants.”
With smooth strides, a few head nods, shoulder pats and hugs were given as he strolled confidently down the hall and made a quick right to where the ladies’ room was located. Behind him, Kamryn was trying to keep up.
“Well, don’t you look every bit of grown as hell,” Ms. Jackie said when he approached the door. Leaning in, he gave her a hug and kissed her cheek.
“Preciate’ that. My wife in there?”
Hearing Meechi’s deep baritone, Erica hustled over to the door, only for Neicey and Anika to block her.
“We gone crack this door so ya’ll can talk, but don’t make me yank you back. You know the rules,” Neicey told her, and Erica sighed.
“E!” Meechi called out, snaking his hand through the crack. She hurriedly grabbed it and instantly released a heavy breath.
“I wish I could see you.”
Meechi chuckled. “You will in bout nine minutes. What’s wrong?”
“I just needed to feel you. I’m so nervous,” she openly admitted, not caring who heard her. “I know I took you through some shit, and I just wanted to apologize before we get up here and you change your mind.”
“Baby,” Meechi choked out, trying to hold it together. One of them needed to hold it together and, as her man, he was going to do just that. “Listen to me. Forget everything that happened in our past, alright? I love your ass, so don’t even think a little nervousness is about to make me up and run. You know a nigga wasn’t even built to be pussy.”
She chuckled with a sniffle, and he continued. “It’s cool to be nervous, baby. I’m nervous, too. Nervous then a mufucka,” he laughed, trying to mask it. “But, we good, alright? Step closer and we’ll close our eyes, so I can give you a kiss.”
“See, now. You two mufuckas here,” Neicey laughed, lightening up the hold she had on her.
“Don’t sneak and look at me, or I’ma know,” Erica told him.
“Both ya’ll close ya’ll damn eyes,” Ms. Jackie demanded.
Leaning in, Meechi didn’t need any light to guide him to her plush lips. The urge not to push the door open and snatch her into his arms was so strong, he had to place his hands in his pockets. What was meant to be a simple peck on the lips almost turned into a whole lot of tongue action, but Kamryn cleared her throat.
“Um, yeah… we have about five minutes, if that,” she announced, and Meechi broke their lip-lock because he knew Erica wouldn’t. She had slipped her hand in the crack of the door and was clinging on to his suit jacket for dear life.
“E,” he laughed, “You gotta let me go.”
“Okay, okay,” she huffed, stepping away from the door.
“I’ll see you in less than five minutes Mrs. Sutton. With your sexy ass. Don’t make me wait.”
The sexual gruff in his tone made Erica’s stomach flip. “I won’t. I love you.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too, Daddy! Mommy looks like a princess,” Daiya squealed, coming through the crack of the door. Bending down, Meechi kissed her on the cheek and told her pretty she was.
“Mommy’s the queen. You’re the princess, remember?”
Daiya grinned. “Right! And you’re the King and baby brother is the prince.”
Meechi smiled, and all plans of waiting until Lil Meechi was at least three to knock Erica up again were thrown out of his mind.
“You got it, baby girl.”
“Meechi, let’s go. We are pushing it,” their director instructed, walking over to him.
“We can push it back. Everything stops for my wife and you should already know that.” his tone was steady but authoritative. If the wedding was pushed back an hour, mufuckas were just going to have to wait for an hour. He didn’t play when it came to Erica and never would, wedding day or not.
“Got it.” She smiled. “Now, let’s go.”
***
The tunes playing softly throughout the massive sanctuary couldn’t be heard over Meechi’s loud thoughts. Fist to mouth, he hurriedly rubbed the corners of his eyes. He wanted to bawl like a newborn, seeing Erica so flawlessly step into the entryway and command his attention. Clearing his throat for what seemed the hundredth time was of no use. Behind her veil, her gorgeous face was contorted, but she didn’t drop not a tear, yet. Having had no father present all her life, she held her head high as she made her way down the aisle. The thought of having no father give her away saddened her at first, but she chalked it up as it just being life. And, it was.
Again, Meechi cleared his throat and Sen leaned in. “Hold it together, nigga. She right there.”
He stepped back before Meechi could shove his ass. He didn’t care where she was at; he needed her in his face, across from him while he professed his love right then. Taking a step forward, Erica’s eyes bulged.
“Meechi,” she croaked out, as he walked to her, ignoring everyone around them.
“I
ain’t ever let you walk alone before, and I won’t now.”
Those tears said to hell with trying to keep a fresh face and slid down Erica’s cheeks, as Meechi grabbed her hand. Stepping upon the podium, he made sure she was straight before standing in his rightful place.
Erica’s sniffles echoed throughout the vicinity, and none of her bridesmaids had a dry eye. Now smiling, Meechi removed her veil and, had he not already proposed and been ready to recite his vows, he would have gotten on bended knee to ask for her hand in marriage. Placing his lips at hers, Erica accepted and Neicey cleared her throat. She knew her girl was about to do the most.
“Sorry,” she chuckled, letting Meechi grab her hands.
Lost in her grey eyes, Meechi had not a clue what the minister was saying up until it was time for him to recite his vows. Not wanting to release her hand, he didn’t even write them down. He was never a person who didn’t speak from the heart, and today would be no different.
“You so damn beautiful,” he hissed, as a tear fell from his eye. Swiping her thumb across his cheek, Eric let her palm lay flat against it, encouraging him, giving him the strength she always had.
“So are you,” she whispered, making the minister and those who heard her chuckle.
“E,” he started and shook his head, trying to hold it together. “You know I love you. That goes without saying but, if that’s not enough, let me explain why. The moment I laid eyes on you, on the cameras in the back of Big Lou’s gas station, I knew you were something special. My something special. You had this feisty little attitude and that’s where our daughter gets it from, but it’s what made me want you more. Your reservations to let me love you made me go that much harder to capture, cherish, mend, and become the caretaker of your heart. There was never a doubt, well shit, that one time when you tried to jet on a nigga,” he said, making the audience and bridal party laugh. That memory was one he’d never want to live again.
Licking his lips, he smiled and continued. “As a man, I can proudly say you helped me grow. Not just into the man you needed me to be, but the man our kids need. I want to thank you for instilling in me everything I had gone without before you changed my life. You’ve taught me so much, baby. How to love, to forgive, to be a fighter, a provider and, for that, you deserve much more than this world could ever offer. I don’t know why you stopped by that day or why our paths crossed the way they did, and you told me to never question what God has already mapped out and I’m not, so thank you for choosing me. Thank you for being a strong woman and putting up with me because I know it wasn’t always easy. I never want you to go a day not knowing how I feel about you. Never go a day not knowing that you’re the best partner, mother, best friend, and companion a nigga could ever have. I love you, Erica. And don’t you ever forget that.”
When he finished, had there been a dry eye in the room, he’d give them a stack. True words spoken from a man so deeply in love, it had Neicey and Sen staring intently at each other. Though Meechi had always expressed his love for Erica, that right there was enough to make Sen’s grown ass cry.
“I love you,” he mouthed to Neicey, who smiled while wiping her eyes. She couldn’t wait until this day was over. She had cried so much on the last few months, the next person to make her shed tears was going to catch a fade.
“You may now kiss your bride.”
Smirking sexily with a bite of his lip, Meechi pulled Erica into his embrace and tongued her down so nastily, he almost forgot where they were. As they shared their first kiss as a married couple, their friends and family clapped, whistled, and cheered them on. Once their lip locking session ended, Erica wiped the corners of her mouth and smiled.
No words could express the joyous feeling they were overcome with of finally tying the knot. Grabbing a hold of her hand, they walked down the steps. Erica couldn’t wait to share their first dance and toss her bouquet to the women attending the reception. If ever given a chance, all women deserved to feel the love coursing through her veins. It was one she’d value and appreciate for the rest of her life.
***
“Mm, mm,” Sen said, clearing his throat and tapping his champagne flute filled with something dark. He was good and tipsy, but not to the point where he couldn’t stand as the best man and show love. The crowd quieted down, and Sen began his speech.
“Most of ya’ll in here know me and I don’t know how but, shit, what’s up. I’m Sensay, the best man of this handsome mufucka right here,” he said, tilting his head toward Meechi, who shook his head. “I’m the loud mouth cousin who claims to get on everyone’s nerves, but they love a nigga. Before I start rambling and shit, I just want to congratulate ya’ll two on a dope connection. See, I knew Erica was the one for Meechi when he wanted to sit in the house all day and talk on the phone. Ladies, if the nigga you sitting by ain’t doing that with you, cancel his ass.”
The crowd laughed, and Erica shook her head. Sen was about to have people walking up out of there single as hell, or looking for a new date to take home.
“On the real though, I’m proud of you. And I think every man in here can agree when I say, you set the bar higher than a mufucka for the rest of us. Niggas don’t even like heights, but they willing to jump and reach this level, straight up. E, you look beautiful. I thought I was gone be the finest one in the room, but you got me beat. Got Daiya walking around here looking like your twin, asking me where her ring at. Ya’ll gone have to ship her little ass off.”
“Aye, chill out on my baby,” Meechi laughed, searching the crowd for his baby girl. She was sitting by BM and Neda, who was holding a sleeping Lil Meechi.
Sen grinned before continuing. “Real shit though, E. Thank you for looking after my cousin for all these years. You’ve done a damn good job and, though I’m a little salty that this nigga really about to be off the scene, I can’t say that I blame him. When you know you got something good at home, there ain’t no need to be in the streets. You gon’ be a great wife, shawty. Congrats!”
Saluting him, Meechi gave him an appreciative head nod for the kind words, and Erica smiled. She was scared he was going to get up there and bring up old shit but, thankfully, he had enough sense. Watching him speak so freely and mature had Neicey in her seat, squeezing her thighs together. Having done a walk through off the reception hall they were at, she knew for sure they could sneak off and get a quickie in. Sen was standing there looking like he wanted to get tied down, and Neicey was horny as hell.
“Lick your lips at me one more time, and I’ma climb under this table and suck the shit out of your pussy,” he whispered in her ear after taking his seat.
Neicey’s eyes fluttered and she tossed a hand over her mouth to hold her laugh in. Moving her hand down his leg, she felt him lengthen in his pant. “I know a place we can go, so you don’t have to get your pants dirty.”
Sen looked her way and leaned in. “As bad as I want to slide this dick up in you, I’ma make you wait.” Neicey pouted and snatched her hand away from his lap, but he grabbed it back. “You been fucking a nigga too good here lately, like I’ma go somewhere. What you trying to get out of me, woman?”
She laughed and grabbed his face. “Nothing I don’t already have. Did I tell you how fine you look today?”
“Nope, but it’s all good. I know someone who likes it,” he smirked, making Neicey roll her eyes. Tossing his arm over her shoulder, he scooted himself closer to her and bit her neck. Neicey squirmed and, to mask the sting, he kissed the spot softly.
“Can’t none of these bitches ever take your spot, quit pouting. You got my mufuckin heart, girl.”
“I better,” she sassed, turning her face towards his. “Give me a kiss.”
Smirking, Sen quickly offered her his lips while he slid his hand up her dress. “If you can hold this nut until they finish their first dance, I’ll cop you another studio.”
Neicey’s eyes went wild. Erica and Meechi had just stepped on the dance floor, and she knew there was no way in hell she’d be able to
hold off from cumming for that long. The way Sen’s lanky fingers were stroking her lips and swelling her pearl had her ready to explode already.
“That’s not fair,” she whined, trying not to close her eyes.
Sen shrugged and kept his eyes on the dance floor. “Life ain’t fair. Spread your legs and stop playing with me.”
Doing as she was told, Neicey hoped like hell Meechi had picked a short song for their first dance, but she should have known better, with his romantic ass. When the melodic tunes of Case’s Happily Ever After began to play, Neicey huffed. She loved that damn song, and knew there was no way she’d last the duration of four minutes. On the dance floor, Meechi was singing low in Erica’s ear, making her fall deeper in love with him if it were possible.
“I will be your man. Your protector, your best friend. ‘Till my humble life is ended. Then time begins again,” he crooned lowly, rubbing her back.
She giggled as he hit the wrong note but didn’t even care. “I become your wife and, now, you wanna sing to me?”
“Hell yeah. You got me ready to do whatever you want,” he laughed, kissing her cheek.
Swaying in his arms, Erica had never in life felt more at peace. Meechi was it for her. She didn’t care what it took from this moment forth; she’d do whatever to keep their marriage strong. Hearing her sniffle, Meechi pulled back and looked in her eyes, just as the bridge of the song began.
“I ain’t ever going nowhere, baby. Stop crying,” he cooed, wiping her face.
“This just seems so unreal. Is that why you picked this song? It’s our happily ever after?”
Meechi nodded. “It is. So much shit has happened in our life, but we stayed strong E. We were meant to go through the shit we went through. Look around us. All the love in this room, we did that. Our daughter is looking at you with so much admiration, it makes a nigga wanna cry,” he choked, seeing Daiya standing up with stars in her eyes as she watched her parents embrace one another.