Chapter 21
TWENTY-ONE
ASHANNI
“You bitch! How you gon’ get married before me and Ferris?”
I giggled as Milana paced back and forth with the biggest smile on her face.
My mama was seated next to me and smiling too.
Asad didn’t waste any time. After he asked me in the shower, before he could pick up Jayceon, he went to my parents’ house and asked my daddy.
He said my dad gave him a rough time at first, saying we hadn’t even seen each other’s annoying sides yet.
After Asad broke down just how well he knew me, he said my daddy smiled and shook his hand, giving him permission to marry his baby girl.
When I went to their house while Asad and Jay were in Liberty, my dad’s face turned red as soon as I walked through the door.
Tears dropped down his cheeks, and he hugged me so tight.
I loved that man so much. My daddy was my everything and had always been.
I knew he felt like he was losing a piece of me, but I had to assure him that he hadn’t lost shit.
I was right down the street in Henderson Village, next to Noni.
After my mama hugged me and cried, the three of us went outside and smoked.
I was surprised Mama had joined us, because she didn’t do so often.
It was funny because he didn’t typically smoke on Sundays.
Once again, he needed to calm his nerves.
He didn’t like being overly emotional in front of us, so I could appreciate it when he let it show.
Milana sat next to me, and her face saddened. “Who’s gonna take Maui’s spot?”
I swallowed hard. We always talked about getting married and how the five of us would always include one another. Maui was supposed to be my maid of honor, and Milana and the twins would be my bridesmaids.
Turning to Milana, I said, “I’m still going to ask her. It’s short notice, so she might say no. It’s so soon after all the bullshit. This is fucked up, but I can’t put my life on hold until Maui can get hers together.”
A tear fell down my cheek, and my mama swiped it away. “You could always ask Jess or Angel,” she said.
I shook my head. “If she says no, then it will just be the three of them.”
My mama nodded and gently rubbed my back.
I knew in my heart that Maui would say no, so I didn’t get my hopes up.
I had to be okay with her not being there.
Technically, the only person that needed to be there was Asad.
Just as I was about to sink in my thoughts about Maui, the twins burst through the door of my house with their white coats still on.
“What the fuck, Shani?” Bali said.
I chuckled as Noni did her best to contain her smile. She failed miserably. They started jumping around with Milana and then pulled me up from the couch to jump around with them.
“Do you realize the wedding will be filled with couples? Milana and Ferris, Me and Carter Legend, Noni and Red Squared . . .”
Her voice trailed off, and I knew she was about to take me back to where I was before they burst in.
We all sat as my mama said, “Nope! Y’all get it together.
This is time to celebrate. My baby is getting married, and me, Lacey, Shana, Aspen, Jen, Chrissy, and the rest of my sisters-in-law, gon’ set that barn the fuck off!
Y’all hear me! The shit gon’ be laid as fuck! ”
I chuckled as my mama started music. Aunt Tiff came in, dancing as she walked through.
We laughed at her crazy ass. Before long, my house was filled with women.
Cassie and Mekayla brought the alcohol, and Jess and Tyeis brought the smoke.
They had clearly been fooling around with my daddy.
As they all turned up, and Aunt Jen and Aunt Chrissy showed up with food to celebrate, I sent Maui a text.
Hey. I hope this is the one time you respond to my message.
I love you so much, and I can’t get over you not being here.
I want to celebrate good news in my life, but it’s extremely hard to do so without you.
Asad and I decided to stop playing around and get married.
It’s happening next weekend. Aunt Syn and Jess are getting our dresses shipped overnight from a designer they know.
I need to know if you will still be my maid of honor.
We’ve always talked about this moment in our lives.
I didn’t know my moment would come so soon, but I’m so happy about it.
Asad brings peace to my life, and I know neither of us are going anywhere.
We may as well get married. We live together, and Jayceon calls me Mommy.
For a fool that wasn’t ready not so long ago, I would say this is more than exciting.
But I know I won’t feel complete if you aren’t there.
Please, Maui. I’m begging you to come and be a part of the celebration.
All bullshit aside. We all love you and need you, boo. Please.
I stood from the couch and went to the downstairs bathroom and burst into tears.
This shit couldn’t keep happening every time I thought about her.
I just missed her so much. We’d been inseparable since her birth, nine months after mine.
There was a soft knock on the door, so I tried to gather my emotions, patting my face dry with a paper towel from the countertop, then opened the door to see Yendi.
I fell into her open arms and accepted her soothing words.
“I know this is hard, moving on without someone you love. Believe me, I know. Things will eventually work out. How? I don’t know, but they always do.
In the meantime, we have a wedding to get ready for.
Y’all didn’t play around, baby, and I’m here for it! ”
I chuckled as she put her arm around me. Yendi used to be our librarian when we were in high school, and Maui and I had hooked her up with Jakari. They were now married with two kids. Everyone knew how close Maui and I were, so they all seemed to understand why this was so hard for me to get over.
We walked back to the front room, and my mama gave me a big smile, causing me to chuckle.
I started greeting everyone, thankful for my family showing up for me.
When Ace and my brothers walked through the door, I knew our party was crashed.
Uncle Storm, my daddy, and Uncle Marcus weren’t far behind.
Asad walked through the door with Jayceon, looking around with a confused look on his face. I chuckled as I watched him. He made his way to me and asked, “What’s going on, baby?”
“The word got out. Now you see why I built a big house?”
He chuckled and pulled me in his arms for a hug. “Well, one thing I had to do to make this official was buy a ring. I hope you like it. I know there is no such thing as too much when it comes to you, and I needed to make sure niggas see this shit from a distance.”
I giggled and swayed slightly, anxiously waiting for him to pull the ring from the bag in his pocket.
When he did, I held my hand out and closed my eyes.
I wanted to be wowed as soon as I saw it in its full glory.
Once he slid it on, I opened my eyes to see the most beautiful ring I’d ever seen in my life. “Asad!”
He knew red was my favorite color, and this nigga bought me a fucking ruby.
It was an emerald cut and was surrounded by diamonds.
I threw my arms around him and kissed him like no one was here.
Apparently, he was on the same wave as me, because his hands slid to my ass, and he lifted me.
I wrapped my legs around him and heard Uncle Storm say, “I see why they getting married now. The apple don’t fall far from the tree. They nasty demons just like yo’ ass.”
I grinned against Asad’s lips, and he lowered me to my feet. I held up my hand to show everyone what my excitement was about. When Milana saw it, she said, “Well, damn. I ain’t even mad at you for almost fucking that man in front of all of us.”
I fell out laughing and hugged her as I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket.
I quickly pulled away from her and retrieved it, seeing Maui’s name on the lock screen.
I went to the back room so I could have privacy while I read it.
I could see everyone watching me with a confused look on their faces, since they were all trying to get a closer look at my ring.
I took a deep breath and opened the text.
I’m so happy for you, Shani. You deserve all good things.
Asad is a good man, and he proved that to you in a short amount of time.
The timing is so soon. I’m dropping tears as I write this, but I think it’s too soon for Mythic to be around the family again.
I won’t be able to be there, Shani. This hurts so bad.
I’m so sorry. I was supposed to be your maid of honor.
I stopped reading and released a cry from my heart. She had to know this was destroying me from the inside out. Just when she was finally going to start coming around, SS had to fuck that up. I went back to her message to finish reading it.
I know you will make such a beautiful bride.
You are so gorgeous already. I’ll get Karima to FaceTime me so I can see it.
I love you so much, and I’m sorry I won’t be there to share in your joyful occasion.
Again, you will make a beautiful bride, and I know you will crush being a wife and mother, just like you crush everything else. *Kisses*
That was it. She wasn’t going to be here.
I felt like a zombie. Although I was trying to prepare myself for her to say no, her words still took me down.
I went to the bathroom and wiped my makeup off.
The shit was probably fucked up anyway. I put lip gloss on and walked back out barefaced with just my lashes and gloss on.
Milana and the twins immediately surrounded me and loved on me.
They already knew what had happened without me saying so.