Chapter 13
I woke up bright and early on Sunday morning and took a moment to process all that had happened the night before. I’d taken marriage off the table for me years ago, and I couldn’t believe Russell and I were engaged.
After I admired my ring, taking pictures of it from every possible angle, I quietly crept out of bed. Russell had gotten in just before the sun rose, so I let him sleep. I showered, dressed, and went to the main house to make breakfast for everyone.
Mama and Papa Rush went to church almost every Sunday but didn’t usually leave until around ten thirty, and it was only seven thirty. I had plenty of time to cook before they woke up to get ready.
Before washing my hands, I turned on my Sunday morning playlist and sent Violet and Sage, as well as Rowdy and Noelani, a text telling them to come over for breakfast in an hour. Everyone responded that they’d be here, and I got to work.
With so many people living at the main house, there was never a shortage of food, and the refrigerator was full. Groceries were delivered every other day because something seemed to run out daily.
I removed the bacon, sausage, eggs, milk, and cheese from the refrigerator and placed them on the counter. After getting the bread from the pantry and a few seasonings from the cabinet, I got started making French toast, bacon, sausage, and cheesy eggs.
The first to join me in the kitchen were Briar, RJ, and Bliss, following close behind them. The boys were only ten and already taller than me, and by the look on their faces, they were happy that breakfast was almost done.
They all greeted me with a hug, and of course, I had to pause for a moment to kiss Bliss’s chubby cheeks. As terrible as her twos were, I was surprised by how sweet she was as a three-year-old.
“How’s school?” I asked the boys.
“It’s almost summer,” Briar said.
“That’s not what I asked.”
“I know, but we’re ready for summer. Right, RJ?”
“For sure,” RJ responded.
“Well, breakfast is almost done. Have you two washed your faces and hands?”
“No. What about Bliss? She might need her Pull-Up changed.”
“I got her,” Mama Rush said when she appeared in the kitchen. “What are you doing here so early?”
“What’s it look like, Mama Rush? Making breakfast.”
She looked around the kitchen before asking, “For everyone?”
“Yes, ma’am, and everything is almost done.”
I’d taken off my ring and put it in the pocket of my shorts while I cooked because I didn’t want anyone to see it before I could surprise them.
“I certainly won’t complain. Let me take Bliss to the bathroom and wake Colten up. It smells delicious, and I’m ready to eat.”
I giggled as she disappeared with Bliss in tow. While they were gone, I put all the food in serving platters and bowls and placed them in the center of the table. I stacked plates, silverware, napkins, cups, and glasses on the counter for everyone to access.
The aroma of the food must have woken everyone else up and led them to the kitchen, because within minutes, the space was full. I stopped the music on my phone and called Russell, hoping he’d wake up, and I wouldn’t have to go and get him.
“Wassup, baby. Where you at?” he asked through a yawn.
“I made breakfast at the main house for everyone. Come eat.”
“You got me on speaker?”
“No. Why?”
“Because I’d rather eat your pussy, but I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Boy, bye.”
“What’s going on?”
“What are you doing here?”
“Did you cook all this?”
Questions came from my left and right, and rightfully so, because I didn’t think I’d ever cooked for everyone on The Compound.
“I was in a great mood when I woke up and felt like making breakfast for everyone,” I announced.
Thank-yous were heard around the kitchen as everyone began making their plates. Violet and Sage arrived, with Russell only a few steps behind them. He looked like he could use a few more hours of sleep. When his eyes connected with mine, he smiled and maneuvered through our family to get to me.
“Good morning, beautiful. What’s all this for?” He leaned in to kiss me before I responded.
I whispered, “I wanted to tell them about our engagement, and I figured this was a nice way to do it.”
He looked at my hand. “Where’s your ring?”
“It’s in my pocket. I’ll put it on before I sit down to see if anyone notices.”
He smiled before kissing me again. “Okay. What did you cook?”
“French toast. Sit down. I’ll make you a plate.”
He went to the spot he usually sat in when we all ate together. The kitchen was huge, and so was the wooden table with benches on either side. I slipped my ring on and made both our plates before sitting next to him.
“This was definitely unexpected, but feel free to do it more often,” Rue said.
Daisy shook her head as she looked at me suspiciously.
“Nah. Something is up. Ain’t no way you made all this food out of the kindness of your heart,” she said.
I gasped, slapping my left hand over my mouth.
“What do you mean?” I asked coyly.
Blossom was the first to notice. Her mouth was full, but she stood and pointed at me with one hand, while waving the other.
“What is that ring? Are y’all engaged?” she questioned with food still in her mouth.
“Engaged? Oh my God. You’re engaged?” Rue squealed.
The cat was out of the bag, and controlled chaos broke out. The food was forgotten temporarily as everyone made a fuss over us. Mama Rush and my sisters shed a few tears of joy. Papa Rush and Rocky patted Russell on the back, and they whispered among themselves.
“Did we miss something?” Rowdy said as he and Noelani entered the kitchen with their son, Rowan, who was a little over a year old.
I held my left hand up and wiggled my fingers. Noelani’s eyes widened, and she gasped as she rushed over to me for a hug.
“You finally locked her down? That’s wassup, Bruh. Congratulations!” Rowdy said, approaching Russell with Rowan on his arm.
We finally settled down to eat again, making room for Rowdy, Noelani, and Rowan. I looked around at my family with the biggest grin. It felt so good to be truly happy.
“My sisters are going to kill me,” I told Russell as I applied my makeup.
“My brothers won’t be too happy either, but they’ll get over it.”
It was Tuesday morning, and today was supposed to be my first official day back at the flower shop since I was kidnapped. I’d gone in yesterday for inventory, but since we were closed and my sisters and I spent more time gossiping than doing inventory, it didn’t feel like an official workday.
Russell hadn’t said anything, but I was sure Preston was dead, and I no longer had to be confined to The Compound or on high alert. It felt like a weight was lifted from my shoulders, and I was sure he felt the same.
“They’ll think something is up when I don’t show up for work.”
“Tell them you have a headache.”
Everything was so simple in Russell’s mind. When we woke up this morning, he asked me to marry him again. I thought it was sweet, so I agreed, but he followed up with, “Will you marry me today?”
I laughed because I thought he was joking, but my fiancé was as serious as a heart attack.
“Yes, baby, I’ll marry you today,” was my response, and we’d been preparing since then.
I texted my sisters to let them know I had a headache and would try to come in a little later, and they were fine with it.
We went to the main house to ask Mama and Papa Rush to be our witnesses for our courthouse wedding.
Russell thought they’d be perfect, and I agreed, and, of course, they were honored to be asked.
Over the years, some may have called me a tomboy, but I could beat my face to the gods when needed. After putting my braids in an updo and using gel to create very modest baby hairs, I was ready to get dressed.
I had a fitted knee-length off-white dress that I’d never worn. It was simple but had a few elegant details, and I paired it with gold heels.
I stood in front of the full-length mirror and was pleased with my appearance, especially considering we’d only decided to do this a few hours ago. Russell stepped behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing my neck.
“You look beautiful, baby,” he said as I turned to face him.
“Thank you, and you’re looking mighty handsome yourself.”
“Are you sure you’re good with a courthouse wedding? We can have a big wedding whenever you want, but I don’t want to wait any longer to call you my wife.”
I smiled and cupped his face.
“I feel the same, Russie. Let’s get married.”
I pecked his lips because I didn’t want to mess up my makeup, and he was satisfied. Before we walked away from the mirror, I forced him to take a few selfies with me that I would post later.
With Mama and Papa Rush dressed in their Sunday best, I took a few more selfies with them before we piled into my car and headed to the courthouse.
“I’m excited for you two, but your siblings will be hurt that they didn’t get to experience this with you,” Mama Rush said.
“I told him the same thing, but he doesn’t care.” I agreed.
“It’s not that I don’t care, but this ain’t about them. We’ll renew our vows whenever you’re ready and have a big wedding if that’s what you want.”
I honestly didn’t care to have a big wedding, but I had five sisters, and we were very close. They would definitely have a problem with me excluding them from a moment like this. Even if I didn’t have a big wedding, I had to do something that would include them.
We parked in the courthouse parking lot, and I suddenly remembered a very important detail.
“Wait. I don’t have a ring for Russell,” I said.
Russell shrugged. “I don’t need a ring right now, baby. We can get one later.”
“Or you can use this one,” Papa Rush said.
He leaned forward and gave me a ring he’d retrieved from his pocket.
“Is this yours?” I asked, inspecting it before giving it to Russell to do the same.
“No. It was my father’s ring. I planned to give it to my firstborn son, but we couldn’t have any more children after having Russell’s mother, so I held onto it.”
“Why didn’t you give it to Rocky? He’s the oldest grandson,” Russell asked.
“I tried, but he wanted you to have it,” Papa Rush told him.
“Why?”
“He didn’t say. You’ll have to ask him.”
Russell studied the ring for a bit longer before giving it back to me.
“I guess we have everything we need,” he said before we all exited the car.
Once we made it through security, we were directed to the appropriate area to complete our paperwork and pay for our marriage license.
The process took about twenty minutes, and luck was on our side.
Typically, an appointment had to be made, but one of the magistrates had a cancellation and was willing to perform our ceremony.
“That’s not luck, baby. It just proves we were meant to do this today,” Russell said after we were told.
As we were led to where the ceremony would be held, I suddenly felt something was missing. A wave of sadness overwhelmed me, and I stopped walking. We were holding hands, so Russell stopped as well.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I . . . I don’t think I can do this without my sisters.”
“And you don’t have to because we’re right here!” Rue shouted as they appeared from around the corner with Rocky, Rowdy, and Noelani right behind them.
My sisters rushed toward me, and they engulfed me in a group hug. Although I was surprised to see them, their attire told me I was the only one surprised.
“Oh my God. They knew all along?” I asked Russell, holding back tears.
He took my hands and looked into my eyes.
“Baby, I know how much your sisters mean to you. I would never ask you to do something so monumental without them. My brothers mean just as much to me, and I wanted them here too.”
He kissed my forehead, then my lips.
“We were nice enough to forgive him for not telling us about the proposal, so he knew better than to try and pull this without us,” Daisy said, causing us all to laugh.
“Tell him again, Sis.” Blossom agreed.
“Is someone getting married today?” the magistrate asked.
“We are!” Russell and I shouted.