Epilogue
Six Months Later
“Mommy! Boo fower!” Scottlyn exclaimed, pointing to the Tiffany blue flowers lining the hall.
“Yes, that’s a blue flower, baby. Very good, Scottie Pie,” I said, kissing her cheek.
We were currently on our way back from the restroom at the reception hall after witnessing Neveah and Laurent take their vows. They ended up pushing the date back to August since there was so much going on around the time they wanted to have the wedding.
After that tragic day in February, it took me almost three months to get back to myself.
Truce had been amazing to me and a great support system, just as I was to him.
After telling me that he was the one who killed Damien, I immediately suggested we both get counseling to cope and deal with our emotions.
A lot had happened since that Thanksgiving when I first met the incredibly handsome, empathetic, charismatic, sexy-ass builder, and I knew therapy was needed for us both.
I had to forego physical therapy to get my legs back to working again after those dirty bitches tried to break my knees.
I hoped that wherever those bitches were, they suffered greatly for what they did to me.
Nine months ago, I thought my life was completely over. I saw no hope for my future and wanted it to end. That was until Truce Shiloh Stone entered my world. He swept me off my feet in a matter of weeks, and I had been falling more and more in love with him each passing day.
We attended Damien’s funeral, and Truce had put him away nicely. I knew he still had regrets about having to kill his own brother, but with therapy, he was starting to come to terms with it.
I reentered the ballroom area, and Jas immediately took Scottlyn from my arms.
“You’d swear you hadn’t seen her in ages,” I said, laughing.
“I just love her so much. Didn’t I tell you, you had her for me?”
“And didn’t I tell you to get your own baby?”
“Yeah, but that’s not happening anytime soon since the chosen father wanted to get chosen by these thot bitches in the streets.”
“You still ain’t gon’ forgive Dre? He has been jumping through hoops for you to forgive him. It was only one time, Sissy.”
“Not enough damn hoops, and you only get one time to show me I’m not enough for you.”
“I hear you, Sis.”
“Baby! Come here for a second!” Truce yelled from across the room.
I walked over to the table he was standing by and noticed a group of three couples sitting there. Truce pulled me to him and kissed my head.
“Bae, this is my cousin, Dominic Hill, Uncle Vince's oldest son. D, this is Jela, my soon-to-be wife.”
“Dope to meet you, Jela. I was wondering who had this nigga being antisocial lately. Now I see the reason.”
It was damn ridiculous how fine almost every nigga in his family was, even the ones sitting at the table, draped in fine linen and diamonds. I wasn’t exaggerating either.
I smiled widely. “Nice to meet you, Dominic.”
“And these are my people: Karon and his wife, Skylynn. Gabriel and his wife, Lessyn. And this my lil’ jump-off until she stops acting funny, Payton,” Dominic introduced the couples.
Payton punched him in the leg, then looked at us. “Truce, it’s hard to believe you all are cousins sometimes. This nigga acts nothing like you!” she exclaimed, rolling her eyes at him.
My eyes zeroed in on Lessyn. Her name and face looked so familiar until recognition finally hit me. “Oh my God. Oh my God! You’re the dancer, Lessyn Taylor?”
She gave a bashful smile. “That’ll be me.”
“Oh my God! I follow you on TikTok. You have the dance company called Miamor’s. I’m such a huge fan. Sorry, I’m fangirling right now,” I said, placing my face in my palms as they all laughed.
“That’s what’s up. Jela happens to be a magnificent dancer. I mean, she shuts shit down when she gets in her zone,” Truce boasted.
“Really? I happen to be looking for a co-choreographer to help me with a dance group I put together.”
“What are you saying, ma'am? Don’t make me have a heart attack,” I told her, placing my palm over my chest to try to settle my racing heart.
“Please don’t have a heart attack. I don’t think Truce would ever forgive me.” She giggled. “But I’m saying put your number in my phone and your TikTok info. If you’re in Detroit, call me so we can link.”
I didn’t hesitate to put my number and TikTok handle in her phone and hand it back to her.
“I can be in Detroit whenever you need me to be,” I told her.
“We appreciate you, Mrs. Taylor,” Truce said.
“Don’t mention it.” She winked at me, and we bid them adieu as Truce pulled me over to the deejay booth.
“Baby, why didn’t you tell me you knew Lessyn Taylor? I’m so geeked right now!”
“I don’t know know her. I may have met them a few times when I lived in Detroit. The guys and I would play poker, but I only spoke to her a handful of times.”
“That’s crazy. I can’t believe I met my TikTok crush.” I beamed.
“Should I be worried?”
We both laughed.
“Not in the slightest. But if I did swing that way, she would definitely be my girlfriend.”
Truce swatted me on the ass as I giggled. He signaled to the deejay for the mic, and the man behind the makeshift booth handed it over.
“Can I have everyone’s attention, please?” he asked as the music lowered. “I know we already gave our speeches or whatnot, but I just wanted to congratulate my beautiful cousin and best friend again on their nuptials. I pray that you both have the best journey to forever and a day.
“Now that that’s out of the way, I need you all not to say shit about what I’m about to do because y’all owe me.”
Everyone laughed as Truce turned to me. “Jela, our journey hasn’t been an easy one, and even though the road has been challenging, it was easy to fall in love with you. Your spirit, your heart, your selflessness, and your overall beauty had me doing shit I didn’t think I’d ever do.”
He paused for a moment and stared at me with a smile. When his eyes became glossy, I placed my palm on his face as tears came to my eyes too.
“I don’t want to bore you with how much I’m deeply in love with you. I’m not a man of many words because I love to show rather than tell. You and Scottlyn are my world, so it’s only right that I give y’all heaven since I’m so close to it…”
He hiked up his slacks and got down on one knee.
The tears I tried holding slid down my cheeks.
I knew he was going to propose. I saw the ring two weeks ago when I was looking for my dance shoes, and it fell from the top shelf of our closet.
I didn’t peek inside the box like I desperately wanted to, but I knew it was coming and had been sucking his dick for two weeks straight to motivate him.
Today was the day.
“Jela Janiya Jackson, will you please be my heaven on earth, my forever, my lifetime and a day?”
“My Tru Bear—yes, yes, I will!” I yelled.
He slipped the big-ass rock on my finger, and I kissed his lips and wrapped my arms around his neck.
He lifted me off my feet, and applause rang around the room.
The deejay played Jagged Edge's “Let’s Get Married Remix,” and everyone gathered on the dance floor and started a soul train line. Life couldn’t get any better than this.
“Step up,” Truce said, holding my hands to guide me to wherever this mysterious surprise was.
I couldn’t stop the smile that was plastered on my face.
It had been two weeks since Laurent and Neveah’s wedding, and two days since Truce gathered me and Scottie for a road trip.
I had no clue where we were going. I was just happy to be with him.
“You ready?” he asked once I stepped up onto whatever he asked me to.
“Yes!” I yelled, excited.
Truce chuckled. “A’ight.” He removed the blindfold and my eyes adjusted to the bright sun beaming over none other than the Grand Canyon.
“Baby…” My hands covered my mouth as tears formed in my eyes. It was one of the most beautiful sceneries I’d ever seen.
“You remembered,” I said, sniffling.
“And I always will. Unless I get dementia or some shit.” I giggled then kissed his lips.
“Oooh, preyeee, Mommy!” Scottlyn exclaimed, pointing ahead of us.
“It is pretty, baby.” I took her from Truce’s arms and kissed her cheek. I then looked up at him, leaned my head back, and puckered my lips. “I love you.”
He smiled down at me, and I could see the love in his eyes. “I love you more, baby.”
I didn’t think love was ever in the cards for me until this man walked into my life. He looked at me like I was his heaven, even when I was going through my hell. He saw beyond the broken and battered woman I had become and breathed new life into me.
Damien may have broken me, but Truce put me back together and loved me the right way. As I danced my way down the line with my soon-to-be husband, I couldn’t think of a better way to end my story than with a happily ever after.
The End.