Page 85 of Still Made For You

Spoiled Lil Baby: Justice, we had a whole conversation about our plans for this week. Yesterday was our last day seeing each other until the wedding.

Ciyani had been giving me the full itinerary for the last week, but there was so much going on that I obviously missed a very crucial part of this. I knew we would be traveling to the cabins separately, and she’d be in a hotel until the day of the wedding. I guess it hadn’t fully registered that I’d be without my baby for another night.

I guess I needed to get used to it, considering the fact Ciyani finally accepted Rule’s offer to go on tour with him next year. It wouldn’t be until the Spring, giving me a little more time to prepare. My wife would be doing big things next year, and I couldn’t wait to be in her corner cheering her on.

Me: You owe me big time for this. The fact that I have to ride in the car with my crazy ass brother is enough as it is, now I have to sleep without you too!

Spoiled Lil Baby: You’ll be just fine, my love. You have me for a lifetime. This is small shit to a giant. I’ll be sleeping in your shirt until I can have the real thing tomorrow night. I love you so much, baby.

Me: I love you more.

Spoiled Lil Baby: Impossible

My heartfelt content because when it was all over, she’d been mine forever. My reason and my motivation.

twenty-three

Wedding Day

“BestFriend,you’regettingmarried today!” Janae shrieked as she jumped on my bed.

“Girl, you are too hyper this morning,” I groaned, glancing at the clock to see how much time we had before Serenity needed to get started on our makeup. She told me seven, but since we’d all been drinking last night, I knew we’d need to get up a little earlier because we would more than likely be sluggish.

“Get your butt up! We need to get you fed and hydrated before it’s time to get our faces beat. We can’t have you out here looking like a zombie bride in the face. Let’s go!” I buried my face into my pillow, hoping she’d get the hint and leave me alone. She knew better than anyone how grumpy I get when my sleep was interrupted.

It’s no one’s fault except my own because I shouldn’t have been up so late showing my ass. My body felt as if I’d been run over from all the twerking and backflips I’d done. Whatever Serenity put in those cups should have been illegal because we acted a complete fool most of the night.

“Chop, chop! Getcho ass up!” Janae yanked the comforter from my body.

“I’m gonna forget you’re my best friend in a minute if you don’t leave me alone,” I warned, even though she could care less.

“If I have to get up, so do you. It’s bad enough I had to wake up at three this morning to pump. Nobody told me being a mother meant becoming a human cow,” she huffed. Her complaint brought a smile to my face because my niece and nephew were the cutest babies in the whole world. I couldn’t get over the fact that my best friend was a mommy now. Honor and Promise were officiallytwomonths old now and they brought so much joy to our lives. Time truly went by way too fast.

“No one told you to be nasty, so it’s all your fault,” I stuck my tongue out at her.

“That dick made it all worth it. If we don’t slow down, I’m going to end up pregnant again.”

“I thought you were getting on birth control after the twins?” We’d discussed her plans after birth, so I wasn’t aware she’d changed her mind.

“We agreed to wait at first, but I kind of want them to be back-to-back, so they are close in age. Plus, who knows if the next time will take a while. Most women are fertile after giving birth, but it may be different because of my history.” I knew it worried her, and I hated there wasn’t anything I could do to fix things. People have no clue about the battles we fight in silence. I knew she wanted a large family, so I prayed her wish came true.

“It’s all going to work out. Just make sure you remember this day when you’re driving around in an SUV with two rows of car seats and booster seats. Your city girl days are over and done with.” I teased, the grin on her face let me know how happy she was.

“I’ve turned my shot glasses in for sippy cups. Who would have ever seen this coming?” Seeing my best friend get everything she’s dreamed of warmed my heart. She deserved every piece of happiness, and I prayed it would only get better.

“The chef has breakfast prepared, so I need you to go in the bathroom and brush your teeth, clean your face, and wash your ass. You have thirty minutes, Boo!” Janae ran down her instructions for me.

“After all these years of being friends, you’re still bossy as ever,” I called out.

“And is! As long as I have breath in my body, I’m going to tell somebody what to do. I consider it a gift of mine.” She smirked. Honestly, I don’t know what I would have done without her being in my corner for all these years. A lot of times, friendships will fizzle out once you grow up, but I’m grateful ours has withstood the test of time.

“I’m not sure I’d used the term gift, but it serves its purpose most times,” I grabbed my dry towel along with my bathroom essentials. The bathroom was bigger than I imagined it to would be. Since Justice and I decided to get married on Christmas Eve, we all agreed to have a family dinner together at the cabin before the two of us left for our honeymoon.

The bridal party arrived first, and the rest of the family would be here after the ceremony. Of course, Aunt Faith, Aunt Elantra, and Granny Lula would be there to cook dinner for the family. I’m excited to wake up tomorrow surrounded by the people I love. This family has embraced me in a way I never imagined, and I’m grateful to be able to call them mine.

After breakfast, we started getting ourselves together. Serenity started working on the bridal party while Janae helped me pull my dress out along with all of my accessories. My nerves started kicking in, but I paid them no mind. Today would be one of the most incredible days of my life, and nothing could get in the way of it.

It took about three hours for Serenity to finish doing our makeup. I usually wore makeup for special occasions or when we all went out together. Staring at myself in the mirror, I reflected on the woman looking back at me. The amount of growth I’ve experienced in these last four years caused my emotions to get the best of me. Grabbing a Kleenex, I dabbed under my eyes. My nana used to say, “Thank God, I don’t look like what I’ve been through”. As a child, I didn’t understand what she meant by it, but as I observed myself in the mirror, it clicked.

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