Page 17 of Surrender

She plopped down in the chair and crossed her legs. Turning to Kachelle, she grabbed her hands.

“We were never formally introduced, but I’m Jessa, Jacob’s sister.”

“It’s nice to formally meet you, Jessa,” Kachelle said, returning her smile.

“So, I have a few questions for you, Miss Lady.”

“Jess,” I said firmly.

She raised a hand and shushed me. “Grown folks are talking. Now… Miss Kachelle. Did you think about this before you went through the process of being matched?”

“Thoroughly. I wouldn’t make a lifelong commitment without thinking about the outcome first.”

“Okay. Is there anything we should know about you that you haven’t disclosed? Any criminal record? Jilted lovers? Outstanding debts? Substance abuse?”

“Jessa!” I snapped.

“It’s okay, Jacob,” Kachelle said, looking over at me. “I’m sure she’s coming from a place of love and concern. To answer your question, Jessa, no. I have nothing to hide. I’m a very open and transparent person.”

Jessa nodded. “Are you employed?”

“I own and operate a dental office. I have a degree in dental medicine specializing in dental surgery.”

“Okay, sis! You fancy!”

They shared a laugh before Jessa turned serious.

“You might be alright. Jacob and I are very close. He’s not just my brother; he’s my best friend. I only have two rules when it comes to him. Don’t put your hands on him and don’t break his heart. My brother is very loving and very giving. I’ve seen bitches take advantage of him because of that. Now… I’ma tell you like I told him. I’m too pretty for jailhouse orange, and I can’t be a prison bitch. So you gotta act right for both our sakes cause if you hurt him… and I say this with love… I’m gon’ break my foot off in your ass, sis. I don’t wanna have to do that because I’ve never had a sister, and I really want to like your fine ass.”

I half expected Kachelle to be offended, but she just smiled. She squeezed Jessa’s hands.

“I promise, your brother and his heart are safe with me. I’m not here to take anything from him. I want to know him as a person and as my husband. Throughout this process, I’ve prayed and had long talks with God about the man I would marry. I’ve been very intentional with my prayers and now that they have been answered, I’ll be very intentional in how I handle him. In addition… I’ll be very intentional with how I handle you. You say you’ve never had a sister, well I’ve never had a little sister. I look forward to getting to know you and spoiling you in all the ways only a big sister can.”

Jessa looked back at me. “She’s gonna make it really hard to hate her,” she said, grinning. She turned back to Kachelle. “Come here, girl.”

She pulled her into a warm embrace that made my heart smile. I looked around at our families. A few of them watched the exchange. My people knew how Jessa could be, so to see her show Kachelle love caused a lot of them to move. Before I knew it, there was a line at our table waiting to meet her. Seeing my family move got her people out of their seats too.

The only people who remained seated the whole time were my parents and hers, along with her sister. Even her brother-in-law came to meet me. The families were seated next to each other on purpose. They often passed looks between each other, but none of them spoke. When the line finally died down, I reached for Kachelle’s hand.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

I nodded at our parents as I stood. “To put an end to the tension at those tables.”

She was a little hesitant to take my hand.

I leaned into her. “I’m your husband. From this day forth, I’ve got your back on any and everything, including standing up to the people we love most.”

Again. I reached for her hand. This time, she took it. I pulled her to her feet. Hand in hand, we made our way over to the tables. Our folks looked at each other, then at us as we approached. I cleared my throat.

“Mr. and Mrs. Lewis, my name is Jacob Mitchell. I want you both to know that I plan to take very good care of your daughter. I will love and treat her with the respect she rightfully deserves. You may not be convinced at this very moment, but you’ll grow to love me as a son-in-law. I’m a good man and I’ll be a great husband.

“Now… I will apologize in advance for the tone I’m about to take, but you and my parents should know I mean every word that leaves my lips. I’m sorry that Kachelle and I didn’t meet the way you all think we should have. You may feel like we robbed each other of the traditional dating process. You may feel like we are not good enough for each other and we can do better. I mean this with the utmost respect when I say I don’t give a fuck.”

Their mouths dropped. Mr. Lewis started to say something, but I held up a hand to silence him.

“Furthermore, we are not going to have ongoing conversations about my wife’s and my decision because it was our decision. We came into this fully knowing that we could fall in love or be heartbroken. The fact that this beautiful woman took a chance on allowing me to be her husband without knowing me makes we want to know her even more. The bond we build from this day forward is one that I pray is solid because I am committed to her.

“I don’t take my vows lightly. I spoke with intention behind every word I said to her at that altar. With or without your support, what’s done is done. I suggest we all find a way to learn to be family because this…”

---