Chapter 19
Nineteen
Brick
*Six Months Later*
“You ready?” Marc asked, straightening my collar.
I chuckled. “I’ve been that.” It was true.
Marrying Dy had been on my mind since the day I saw her at the airport.
Now, here we were, eight months later, in a small courtyard in Paris, moments away from making it official.
Only our family and closest friends were in attendance, and although Wilder had hired someone to hook the place up with hella flowers and shit, it was going to be a simple ceremony.
He laughed and extended a hand toward me. I clasped and shook it before pulling him into a hug. “I feel you, homie.”
My pops was standing behind Marc, wiping his camera lens repeatedly.
“You don’t think the camera clean enough, Pops?” I asked, smirking.
He kissed his teeth. “Hell nah. I gotta get at least five good pictures, and this damn phone don’t seem like it’s gon’ cut it.”
“That’s ’cause you needed an upgrade ten years ago, Pops.
It’s cool, though. You can use mine.” Just as he handed Pops his phone, the officiant stood from his seat.
“It’s time,” he said and got in place, prompting us to do the same.
I stood to the left of him while Marc stood behind me as my best man.
Wilder was on the left side holding a bouquet of flowers, and my father took a seat beside Miss Dana.
The pianist that Dy insisted on began to play softly, and we all trained our eyes on the archway at the end of the courtyard. Seconds later, Dy and her stepfather emerged from behind it, and I was stuck.
I had no words for how beautiful my Doll looked, and that wasn’t the norm for a nigga like me.
She wore a silk gown that hugged her curves masterfully.
Her hair was curled and pinned back, but there were a couple of pieces hanging in front of her face.
The sun was shining on her caramel skin in a way that made her look golden.
She was perfect. She was mine .
My chest tightened so much that I struggled to breathe momentarily. Slowly, my woman made her way down the aisle, and our eyes were locked the entire time. I cleared my throat as I admired her. I felt like the most blessed man on the planet.
As Dylan and her stepfather reached us, she let out a soft laugh as a tear fell from her eyes.
The officiant asked who was giving her away, and Miss Dana stood while Reggie handed her off to me.
“Hi,” she whispered as I used a finger to pat her tears away.
“You look amazing, Doll.”
She smiled softly. “You too. You ready for this?”
I chuckled. “Been ready, baby.”
We turned to the officiant as he began the ceremony. I was listening to what he was saying, but it was hard to keep my eyes on him and not on Dylan. She smelled like cotton candy and looked even better. If I were honest, I was ready to wrap this part up and get to our honeymoon.
When it was time, Dy began her vows.
“Brixton Ellis, no matter how many years we spent apart, you have always been home for me. Even when we were kids, you were my safe place. In the time that we’ve been reunited, you’ve taught me what love, partnership, and pure bliss feel like.
I promise to protect this. To protect us, every day that we’re blessed to have each other. I love you so much, baby.”
“Damn girl,” I said, making everyone around us laugh. Her words were perfect. I pulled out a small card from my jacket pocket. I didn’t really need to read from it, but I decided to keep it on standby.
“I tried to write these words a hunnid times, but it always came back to this: You’ve been in my heart since the day I met you. You’re my reason, Doll. It’s because of you that I learned to use words the way I do so that I could articulate all the ways you’ve always made me feel.
“You’ve always made me feel seen and heard.
You make me feel like I can have the world if I want it, and that reassurance only makes me wanna give the world to you.
They say love can be complicated, but loving you has always been easy.
Even when life tried to make it hard with the distance, it was still simple, because it was you.
“I promise to protect your light and never dim it. To respect and nurture your dreams, the same way you do mine. I promise to keep building with you. Not just a life, but a partnership that feels like home, no matter where our goals take us. I promise to always fight for us.”
Tears were streaming down her face at this point, and I got a little choked up myself, so I took a minute before finishing.
“I’m yours, forever, Doll. In every way that matters. In every season, every city, and every version of who we grow to become together. I’ma choose you every day from now until forever.”
The officiant took us through the last parts of the ceremony, until it was finally time for me to kiss my damn bride. I scooped her up in my arms and kissed her like both our parents weren’t right there. Our family and friends clapped and cheered, and the officiant announced us husband and wife.
I kissed her again.
About damn time.
Afterward, we were all gathered in the same area for a simple reception. Because it was just a few people, we purchased a small cake and got the hotel to cater a meal for us, and music played as we all just chilled together.
Our parents were all still sitting at the dinner table, while Wilder and Marc were ducked off by the ceremony chairs.
They sounded like they were arguing about something, but they were both cheesing way too hard to actually be upset, so I ignored their crazy asses and pulled my girl to the tiny dance floor they had set up.
She rested her head on my chest as we danced, and I wrapped my arms around her tighter.
“Thank you,” she said after a while.
I kissed her forehead.
“For what?”
She removed her head from my chest and looked up at me.
“For coming to find me.”
She was referring to the last time we were in Paris, when I had to put in work to get my woman back.
I lowered my head and pressed my lips against hers.
“I would find you in every lifetime, Doll. Believe that.”
She grinned and kissed me quickly. “I do.” She rested her head on me again, and we continued dancing, soaking up the moment.
We were finally married in Paris, surrounded by the people we loved most.
I loved this woman so much, and there was no letting up off her, ever. The world was hers, and I was too.