22. Solomon #2
I thought about the night I almost died. The prayer I whispered when I didn’t know if the Big Homie could hear me. I had asked Him for another chance, and He gave me one, and somehow, that second chance led me to Temple—my woman, my wife, my peace, my answered prayer.
I straightened my bow tie and smiled at my reflection. “Thank You, Big G.”
Then I looked toward the door.
It was time.
I stood at the altar watching Karon, Gabe, and Dom walk down the aisle with their mates. Troy and Silas walked with Sapphire and Toni while Gabe and Lessyn’s daughter, Ava, helped her baby sister, Giselle drop rose petals behind them.
We didn’t put this wedding together for us. This was the people’s wedding who were in the room, but it was our marriage that truly mattered.
I looked out into the crowd at my employees, family, and Temple’s friends and family. Ma Lula looked beautiful sitting in the front row with Temple’s aunt and uncle with a smile on her face.
My moms looked equally beautiful as she blew me a kiss.
When Stevie Wonder’s “You and I” queued, everyone stood as the doors opened, and my love stood in a sleeveless, white Vera Wang gown that puffed out at the bottom with a long train. Her long golden hair was pulled up into a bun with curls framing her face.
My heart swelled, seeing my father standing next to her with a smile of his own. Temple could have asked her aunt’s husband to walk her down the aisle, but the fact that she asked my father made me love her even more.
I had to stop myself from making the Morris Chestnut face as my boys said I did. Only, my tears wouldn’t be from pain, but pure happiness.
When she finally made it down the aisle to me, Ma Lula walked over and stood by her side, taking her hand in hers. The music faded, and Pastor Daniels took over.
“Who gives this woman away to this man?”
“I do,” Ma Lula spoke. Temple kissed my father and Ma Lula on their cheeks, then I extended my hand to her.
She smiled and took it with grace as we stared into each other’s eyes.
“Dear Heavenly Father. We are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. At this time, the couple has written their own vows.”
I cleared my throat of the emotion that sat in my chest as I held my baby’s hands.
“We made it,” I said.
She smiled wide. “We did.”
“And now I can finally say I feel full—happy. I don’t need a mouthful of fancy words to tell you how much I love you, honor you, and respect you.
You know what it is and will be from the moment I met you until my body hits the dirt.
I want forever with you. The fights, the makeups, the love, the sick days, all that.
You were made for me, Temple. And I pray this love we share lasts a lifetime. ”
I took my thumb and swiped away a tear that clung to the corner of her eye.
“I honestly had no idea what direction my life would take me. I had been living life without a plan, other than to do whatever I wanted with it. When I met you, I realized that I was never living. Only existing. My Ma Lula didn’t lie when she said you were made for me.
“You made me soft where I was hard, relaxed where I was stubborn, and poured into me when I didn’t believe I was even capable of standing in front of you right now, saying these things. I love you, Solomon Jacob Matthews. I’m ready to face those challenges and walk into my forever with you too.”
I smiled as Pastor Daniels stepped forward.
“Do you, Solomon, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold? For richer or poorer? For better or worse? Through sickness and in health? ’Til death do you part?”
“I do.”
“Do you, Temple, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold? For richer or poorer? For better or worse? Through sickness and in health? ’Til death do you part?”
“I do.”
“By the power that has been invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”
And I did . . . slow, passionate, and with love.
As Temple and I made it to the ballroom where the reception was held, my mother stopped us before we entered. I took a step back and let my mother have the floor.
“I won’t be long-winded. I promise.”
Temple gave a small nod. “I’m listening.”
“I’m so very sorry for how I treated you at dinner.
As I told Solomon, I’m my own worst enemy.
You didn’t deserve that, and your grandmother was right.
I should have never spoken to you that way or invited Shareece to try and run you away.
I pray to God that you find it in your heart to forgive me. ”
“I’ve already forgiven you, Mrs. Urina. I admit, I was a little pissy with you when I left your house, but I realized there was nothing you could say to stop me from being with your son.
I’m not a gold digger; I’ll never hurt him, and you can trust me to be the woman he needs and not let my past define me.
I thank you for your apology, and I hope that dinner was the last time we have to go through this. ”
“It is. I promise.”
“Then we’re good. Thank you for coming.” Temple wrapped her arms around my mother, and Urina smiled and hugged her back tightly.
“Thank you, beautiful.”
“You’re welcome. Now, let's go party.” Temple laughed as the ushers opened the doors, and we walked inside.
The lights in the ballroom had dimmed, leaving nothing but a soft golden glow over the dance floor.
It was finally time for our first dance after we ate, danced, and cut the cake.
Everyone had stopped talking, paused eating, and stopped drinking.
For those few minutes, it felt like the entire room belonged to us.
Temple rested her hand against my shoulder as I held her close, my palm spread across the small of her back.
The opening notes of “Spend My Life” by Eric Benet and Tamia floated through the ballroom.
I looked down at my wife.
My wife.
Even now, the words felt almost too good to be true.
She smiled up at me. “What?” she whispered.
I shook my head. “Nothing.”
“You’ve been staring at me for the last five minutes.”
“I know.”
She laughed softly. “Why?”
“Because I’m still trying to figure out how I got here.”
Her smile softened. “Here?”
“Right here.” I looked around the room before bringing my eyes back to hers. “Married to you.”
Her fingers slowly curled against my shoulder. “It happened fast, didn’t it?”
I chuckled. “Fast is an understatement.”
We both laughed. It was crazy when I thought about it. A fundraiser, one conversation, a few dates to get to know each other, and somehow, somewhere between the conversations, the late nights, the trip to Italy, my prayers, and the moments when we let our guards down, I fell in love with her.
Hard.
Fast.
Completely.
“I still don’t understand how we fell in love this fast,” she whispered.
I pulled her a little closer. “I do.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You do?”
“Yeah.” I brushed my thumb across her waist. “Because when it’s real, you don’t need years to recognize it.”
Her eyes softened. “You sound very sure of yourself, Mr. Matthews.”
“That’s because I am, Mrs. Matthews.”
“How?”
“I’ve spent most of my life looking for things I thought would make me happy.” I paused. “Money. Success. Respect. Everything.”
Her expression changed.
“And none of it ever felt like this.” I leaned closer. “You walked into my life, Beauty, and everything made sense.”
Her eyes glistened. “You really believe God sent me to you?”
“I know He did.”
“I was scared,” she admitted.
“Of me?”
“Of how quickly I loved you.”
I smiled. “Me too.”
She looked back up at me. “But you made me feel safe.”
My chest tightened.
“And you made me feel loved. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
I pressed my forehead against hers. “You gave me something I didn’t even know I needed.”
“What?”
“Peace.”
Her breath caught. “Solomon . . .”
I kissed her forehead, then her cheek. And when she looked at me again, I saw everything I’d prayed for reflected in her eyes. My past didn’t matter anymore.
The mistakes, the pain, and the night I almost died.
The years I spent trying to sex and drink away the heartbreak I felt of losing Rosaria, then Shareece, and my judgmental prying mother were time wasted.
The Big Homie had brought me through every obstacle just to lead me here.
To her.
To my wife.
To my answered prayer.
The woman I would wake up beside for the rest of my life. I smiled. “Beauty?”
“Yeah?”
“I’d choose you again.”
She smiled through her tears. “Even knowing everything you know about me now?”
“Especially knowing everything I know now.”
Her hand slid up to the back of my neck. “I’d choose you too.”
I leaned in slowly. The music continued around us, and the room disappeared.
There was no ballroom, no guests, no cameras, no family, no past.
Just us.
Our eyes locked one last time before our lips met. The kiss was slow, tender, and certain. The kind of kiss that didn’t need an audience because it wasn’t meant for anyone but us. When we finally pulled apart, she rested her forehead against mine.
I smiled, and in that moment, I understood something I’d spent my life learning the hard way. Sometimes God didn’t give you what you asked for. He gave you what you needed.
I asked for another chance at life. He gave me Temple.
I asked for peace. He gave me a wife.
I had asked for a reason to become a better man. He gave me someone worth becoming better for.
I held her tighter as the song faded into silence, and when the room erupted in applause, I didn’t look toward the crowd. I looked at my wife, because after everything I’d survived, everything I’d overcome, I finally had something I never wanted to lose.
Her.
And this time, I knew exactly what I was going to do with the rest of my life: spend it making sure she felt safe, happy, and loved.
The End.