Israel

by Celeste Granger

  “No,” Cairo sniped, pulling the phone close to her chest, and covering it with both hands covetously.

  “Girl, she and Israel have been texting nonstop like school kids,” Charity playfully huffed.

  “I haven’t seen him,” Cairo whined.

  “Since when, girl?” Charity quizzed.

  “A little over a week,” Cairo answered.

  “Aw,” Aya hummed. “That is a long time, especially when you’re in love.”

  “But I bet he made that last visit worth your while, didn’t he,” Charity taunted.

  Cairo pursed her lips together and averted, making eye contact with the girls. But the smile that eased across her lips defied what she hadn’t said.

  “Ahnn,” Aya chimed, breaking out into a little shimmy.

  Cairo laughed out loud and then shimmied with her.

  “Ya’ll nasty,” Charity giggled.

  “Mmhmm,” Cairo mused.

  Even the makeup artist was laughing, and when Cairo broke out into the worm, everyone howled with laughter. It was the funniest thing. Once the laughter died down, the makeup artist put the finishing touches on Cairo’s look.

  “Thank you,” Cairo smiled as she observed the artists’ work in the mirror. She had done a great job, keeping the look natural, which is what Cairo wanted. Cairo’s brow furrowed. She felt a weird sensation in her belly. Please, not today, she bargained with her body. She felt it again but tried to dismiss it when there was a knock on the bridal suite door.

  “I’ll get it,” Aya said as she padded across the room.

  “Who is it?” She asked, peering through the peephole.

  “Delivery ma’am,” the bellhop announced.

  Aya lowered herself from her tiptoes and opened the door.

  “Good afternoon, ma’am. I have a delivery for a Dr. Cairo Davis.”

  “I’m Dr. Davis,” Cairo replied from across the room.

  “Is a signature required,” Aya asked.

  “No, ma’am,” the bellhop smiled. “Here you are.”

  “Thank you,” Aya replied, accepting the delivery. “Charity, would you grab my purse so I can give this young man a tip?”

  “Oh, that won’t be necessary,” the bellhop replied. “I’ve already been compensated. Have a good day.”

  “Cairo, you’ve got presents,” Aya sang as she sashayed over to where Cairo was sitting.

  “I wonder from who?” Cairo mused as Aya sat down three boxes.

  “If I had to guess, I would say Israel,” Charity commented.

  “Let’s see,” Cairo smiled.

  Cairo opened the largest box first as she had a pretty good idea of what it was by the box’s shape.

  “Pink roses,” she sighed. “My favorite.”

  “I’ll get a vase to put them in,” Charity volunteered.

  “Is there a card,” Aya inquired. Cairo looked in the box and found a card tied by a ribbon to the two dozen pink flowers.

  “There’s no name on the card,” Cairo mused as she opened the envelope and pulled out the embossed stationery. She read the card silently until Aya called her out.

  “Who is it from?”

  “Israel,” Cairo swooned.

  “Is the message PG or rated X?” Aya teased.

  Cairo giggled. “R,” she smiled.

  “Eww, then read silently, girl, read silently.”

  Charity returned with a vase and set about untying the flowers and placing them in the glass container as Cairo silently read her note.

  Babe, I wanted to give you a little something to entice your senses because you entice all of mine. Hope you enjoy.

  With all my love, your future husband.

  “Aww, that’s so sweet, Cairo sang as she set the card down and opened the second box.

  “I love these,” Cairo smiled as she uncovered chocolate covered strawberries. “You ladies are gonna have to help me eat them.”

  “And that leaves one final box,” Charity mused, “the smallest box.”

  “Big things come in small packages. Isn’t that the saying,” Aya asked?

  “It is,” Charity giggled.

  The smallest box was wrapped in matte black paper and tied with a beautiful salmon pink bow. Carefully, Cairo eased the paper off and then lifted the lid on the enclosed box.

  “Oh my,” she gasped as her eyes fixed on the two-carat pear-shaped diamond earrings the box contained.

  “Wow,” Charity quipped. “Those are gorgeous.”

  “Swoon-worthy,” Aya chimed. “Girl, go ahead and put them on while I dig into these luscious strawberries.”

  “Help yourself,” Cairo encouraged as she removed the brilliant diamond earrings from the box, one at a time and inserted them into her pierced ears. The smell of the strawberry wafted into her nose as she lifted her frame from the chair and crossed the room to look in the mirror.

  “Gorgeous,” she sighed. And then she gasped as her belly rumbled again. Cairo refused to let old things ruin her big day. Please be cooperative. I don’t need this right now; she scolded her quaking stomach. Cairo closed her eyes and tried desperately to channel her energy and focus on something positive.

  “We better pull it together, girls,” Charity said. “We’ve got about an hour to finish getting ready.”

  “Oh wow, okay,” Cairo uttered, the reality of what Charity said setline in. In an hour, she would be walking down the aisle to marry the man that changed her life for the better. How exciting and exhilarating and petrifying and absolutely nerve-wracking at the same time. She fluttered her hands in front of her trying to settle her surging nerves.

  “We’re here to help,” Charity smiled, taking Cairo by the hands, and reassuring her.

  “Whew, okay,” Cairo breathed, pursing her pouty lips, and blowing air through them. “We can do this, right?”

  “Girl, we’ve got you,” Charity reminded.

  Just then, Charity’s brow furrowed, and her eyes grew wide as she visibly saw all the color leave Cairo’s face.

  “Cairo, are you – “

  Charity didn’t get a chance to finish her thought as Cairo’s eyes bulged, and her cheeks puffed out. She held her lips tightly as she scampered out of the room. Charity and then Aya gave chase, wondering what the problem was. Cairo barely made it to the restroom before she felt a horrific surge course through her belly. She managed to drop to her knees and lift the lid on the toilet before everything in her belly spilled out into the commode. Aya and Charity were right there by her side, trying to help as much as they could. Aya stepped behind Cairo, pulling her hair back as she heaved into the commode again. Grabbing a washcloth from the shelf, Aya ran warm water on the towel and then wrung it out. Cairo braced her elbow on the seat, waiting to see if there was more nausea to come.

  “Did you eat something that didn’t agree with you,” Charity asked as she placed the folded warm cloth on Cairo’s forehead.

  “Not that I can think of,” Cairo groaned, tasting the bitter aftertaste in her mouth. That was enough to cause another round of sickness as she bent over the porcelain bowl again. A wary look was shared between Aya and Charity.

  “Oh my God,” Cairo hummed. “I can’t believe this.”

  “Maybe your nerves got the best of you,” Aya suggested. “This is a big day and being nervous is completely natural.”

  “I know I was,” Charity agreed.

  “Let me go and call down for crackers and white soda,” Aya said as she released Cairo’s hair and stepped out of the lavatory. Cairo made sure to flush the toilet a second time to clear the basin.

  “Are you ready to try and stand, sis,” Charity asked.

  “I think so,” Cairo replied, trying to offer a smile.

  Charity extended a hand to help Cairo to her feet.

  “I think I’ll feel better once I brush my teeth,” Cairo mused.

  “That should help.”

  Charity left Cairo in the restroom to freshen up. As she entered the dressing room space, Aya was just hangi
ng up the phone.

  “Room service is sending the crackers and soda right up,” Aya reported.

  “I hope she’s okay,” Charity sighed.

  “Me, too,” Aya agreed. “But if we don’t want this wedding delayed, then we better get dressed so we can help Cairo when she’s finished.”

  By the time Cairo emerged from the restroom, her matrons of honor were almost finished putting on their dresses. Their hair and makeup had been done earlier, and the dresses and shoes were the final touches.

  “Any better, Cairo,” Aya asked as the bride to be entered the room.

  “Yes, I do feel better, thank God,” Cairo smiled. This time, the smile actually reached her eyes.

  Just then, Cairo’s phone buzzed. Making her way across the room, she reached onto the dresser and picked it up. When she saw the name attached to the text message, Cairo’s smile lingered. Swiping the screen, Cairo read the message:

  Just think, in an hour, you’re going to be my wife. My wife. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of saying that.

  And Cairo didn’t think she’d ever get tired of hearing it.

  Chapter Twenty

  The site of the Davis-Ali wedding was the illustrious Tsakopoulos Library Galleria, a five-story atrium boasting five stories of seamless glass with a wraparound balcony surrounding the ceremonial space. Two hundred of Cairo and Israel’s closest friends and family were seated in the atrium, awaiting the arrival of the bride. Yet, the guests didn’t mind the wait. They were serenaded with a pre-wedding concert by a one hundred voice choir singing songs of love from Lost Without You, by Bebe and Cece Winans to The Color of Love by Boyz II Men. Glass pedestals holding dozens upon dozens of pink roses donned several positions in the atrium, peppering the space with fragrant points of color. An arch of pink roses designated the ceremonial space. Aya and Charity, dressed in black floor-length gowns, stood to the left of the arc. Basel and O’Shea, in matching black tuxedos, stood to the right of the arc. Israel, in a white on white custom tux and the officiant, stood under the arc, ready to receive Cairo.

  When Cairo stepped out of the bridal suite, her brother Yusef and her father were there waiting for her.

  “Sis, you look amazing,” Yusef smiled.

  “Thank you, brother,” Cairo blushed. She did feel better. And any residual of not feeling well, Cairo determined in her mind that she was not going to let whatever was wrong get the best of her. She was going to push through.

  “Aw dad,” Cairo sighed, seeing the look on her father’s face. “If you cry, I’m going to cry, too.”

  Neil tried his best to contain how he felt. Yet seeing his only daughter, looking so beautiful, knowing that he was getting ready to turn over the responsibility of her to another man hit him at the base of his soul. The responsibility of caring for and loving a child, especially a daughter to a father, was one of the highest duty’s a man would ever have. Cairo had been his for so long. And although he trusted Israel would take on that mantel of responsibility well, still, it was a hard post to relinquish. It was a duty that would remain on his heart. But he didn’t want to make Cairo cry, so Neil reached in his tuxedo jacket pocket, pulled out his handkerchief, and dabbed his eyes to keep the tears from spilling onto his cheeks. Cairo choked back tears of her own.

  “Ready, beautiful,” Neil asked, extending his arm.

  “Yes, dad. I’m ready.”

  Cairo laced her arm around her father’s, and when Yusef stepped forward on the other side, Cairo laced her arm around his as well. The two most important men in her life would walk her down the aisle together. And then, she would stand next to the newest and most significant man in her life, Israel. Neil and Yusef proudly escorted Cairo down the hall that led to the atrium. She could hear the choir singing melodiously, filling the celebratory space with words of love. Cairo would be sharing her own words of love soon.

  Israel stood waiting and watching for Cairo to arrive. Everything was culminating at this moment. Israel thought back to the first moment he came upon Cairo, how, when she turned around to face him, he felt something he never felt before and something he couldn’t immediately identify. It took some time for Israel to recognize what that feeling was. It was the awakening of his heart and the pricking of his soul because Cairo was his soul’s match, designed for him. And as he stood, just moments from seeing her again, Israel felt the rising of that familiar feeling again. As soon as the first chord of I Believe in You and Me by Whitney Houston was played, the officiant asked the guests to stand on both sides of the aisle to receive her.

  And then she was there, standing at the end of the aisle, resplendent in her Thurin gown. The white of the fabric against Cairo’s ebony skin offered a striking contrast that lured the eye. Cairo’s shoulders were bare as the gown’s lace, embossed bodice hugged her torso, with the arms blossoming into dolman sleeves that met her hands. The silken white fabric that started at Cairo’s taut waistline flowed smoothly against her curves and then fell away near the hemline creating a perfected silhouette. And as Cairo was escorted down the aisle, the six-foot train extended her visual presence.

  From the moment Israel saw her, he felt like his heart would explode from his chest. The beat thundered through him, shaking him, and reminding him that the feeling he had was real. The feeling he currently experienced was real and that the overwhelming longing to love Cairo without condition was also real. Israel’s eyes found hers, locking Cairo’s eyes into a persistent gaze that reassured her that she would be his priority. She felt her knees weaken at the mere sight of him. There he stood waiting for her, and Cairo couldn’t wait to reach him. By the time Cairo reached the precipice where Israel was only a few feet away, she felt a flitting in her belly, a thumping in her heart and a quaking in her soul.

  “Who gives this woman to be wed,” the officiant asked as the music faded.

  Catherine stood from her seat on the first row and, along with her husband and son, said, “We do.”

  Catherine was teary-eyed as Neil slightly lifted Cairo’s veil, kissing her on the cheek.

  “Love you, daddy,” Cairo whispered as her father did his best to keep it together. Yusef kissed her as well and offered Cairo a playful wink that made her smile. And as her brother and father exited, Israel made his way to her. His steps were purposeful as he strolled towards her, never dropping his loving eyes from hers. When he touched Cairo’s hand, she felt the familiar warm shiver that moved through her and Cairo’s body tingled from the contact. They moved in sync, as Israel adjusted his gait to walk with her to stand in front of the officiant.

  “Welcome and guests, you may be seated. We are gathered here today to unite Dr. Cairo Davis and Mr. Israel Ali in holy matrimony. This notion of joining one unto the other is sacred, and also communal in the sense that those who have been invited to witness this union not only bear witness to the nuptials but agree that they will uphold and support this couple in honoring the vows they will share with each other and with us. So, if there is anyone here, who cannot willingly fulfill their responsibility to this couple, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

  The officiant gave pause and opportunity for any witnesses to speak before continuing.

  “As there are none, I understand Israel that you have written your vows. You may now speak those vows from your heart.”

  Israel inclined himself fully to Cairo, taking both of her hands in his own. Israel’s ability to capture Cairo’s heart with his gaze was unmatched. She looked into his eyes as he spoke.

  “It wasn’t difficult to find the words I wanted to share with you today, because I have shared them with you before. Cairo, I love you. It’s that plain and that simple. I love you.”

  She never tired of hearing those words from him because Cairo knew those words to be true.

  “That is my commitment to you. That is my vow to you that I love you, and because I do, there is nothing in this world or the next that I wouldn’t do for you. I will honor you, support you, hold you close, physically,
spiritually, emotionally, soulfully.”

  Israel paused, squeezing Cairo’s hands a bit tighter. He felt his words deep in his soul and, from the look in her eyes, knowing they registered with her the same.

  “I will be there when you need me and even when you don’t. I am responsible for you, and I take that responsibility seriously. I will secure you and protect you, shield you from anything that seeks to harm, hinder, or distract you. I will give you ease so that you don’t ever have to worry. I love you just as you are.”

  There was a murmur that moved through the guests. They, too, felt the power of the words Israel shared.

  “Cairo, I understand you have written your vows as well. You may now speak those vows from your heart.”

  “Israel, when I realized that what I felt for you was real, it scared me. I wanted to love you, but I was afraid to, and so I pulled away. I ran away from the thing I craved most. But you wouldn’t let me.”

  Catherine could no longer hold back the tears. She knew the years of pain and self-doubt her daughter went through. She knew the lows and disappointments, and they pained her nearly as much as they pained Cairo. To see her daughter moving past all that pain brought so much joy to Catherine’s heart, it literally spilled onto her flushed cheeks.

  “You wouldn’t let me cower in my pain or be devoured by my thoughts of what a man like you would expect from me. I came to you unfulfilled. I felt incomplete, incapable of completeness, crippled by the limiting view I had of myself.”

  Cairo’s words struck a chord in her soul that reverberated through her. The freedom she felt was unmatched. The solace she felt, knowing this man loved her without limit brought an abiding peace Cairo still hadn’t found the words to express. But when she looked into Israel’s eyes as she continued, she knew he heard her heart and not just the words she spoke.

  “Yet, you showed me that I was enough. You showed me that I was complete, not because of you joining yourself with me but that I was complete and whole just as I was. Babe, your listening ear, and honest words freed me from years of self-loathing and self-doubt that many would have never known plagued my spirit. You listened to me, and you loved me through my hurt.”