Page 129 of A Kingpin's Weakness
“We’ll find you a dress in Vegas. I just need you in white, with my last name on your tongue by midnight.”
That’s when my heart melted all the way down to my damn toes. Ain’t no man ever loved me like this. Ain’t no man ever seen me like this. My flaws, my crazy, my broken pieces and still wanted all of it. I bit down on my lip, trying to play it cool but feelin’ like a damn kid inside.
“We getting married?” I whispered.
“We getting married, baby,” he said, nodding slow, serious as hell. “Ain’t nothing else I want more.”
I damn near jumped out the bed, belly and all. “I gotta get in the shower!”
He laughed and smacked my ass on the way to the bathroom. “Go ‘head, future Mrs. Green. I’ll handle everything else.”
I stepped into that hot shower, let the water hit my face, and the tears fell. Not ‘cause I was sad. But because I was happy in a way I ain’t never known. I was about to marry the man who never gave up on me even when I tried to push him away. A man who didn’t just want a wedding he wanted a forever. And I was about to give it to him, ribs, belly, stretch marks and all. This ain’t no fairytale they write in them pretty-ass books.
Ain’t no prince, no glass slipper, no perfect ending waiting around the corner.
This thehood fairytale—where love don’t come easy, but it hit harder when it’s real.
We came up out the mud, bruised but breathing, learning how to love each other in the middle of pain, pride, and survival.
We fought. We healed. We built this shit from the ground up with cracked hands and tired hearts.
And now? I ain’t dreaming about no happily ever after.
I’m living it—ourway.
So yeah… I’m ready to sayI do.
To the man who held me down when I ain't even know how to stand up.
To the love that wasn’t perfect, but sure as hell was worth it.
“Stormi, you look beautiful.”
I looked up from the mirror and saw Jo’s reflection standing behind me. Her voice was soft, but it carried that weight the kind that comes when someone means what they say.
“Thank you,” I said quietly, brushing my hands down the sides of my dress to stop them from shaking.
We touched down in Vegas late last night. Everything had been moving so fast from the jet, to getting the dress, to the salon appointment, to right now. I found this ruched off-the-shoulder white gown that hugged my belly just right. It was simple but elegant something I didn’t even know I needed until I put it on and saw myself. My hair was freshly blown out, straightened bone-slick, falling past my shoulders. I wore silver earrings, and around my neck was the dainty necklace Ms. Serena had slipped in my hand this morning when she said,“Your something new, baby.”
Jo looked me over, eyes soft.
“You ready?” she asked.
I exhaled slow, nerves and joy fighting inside me. “As I’ll ever be.”
She smiled, but there was something in her eyes. A mixture of pride and maybe a little pain, too. She reached into her purse and pulled out a small gift box.
“So, Serena gave you something new. I figured I’d give you something old and something blue.”
She opened the box and pulled out a silver bracelet with a sapphire stone in the middle. It glistened like a quiet promise. She fastened it on my wrist without saying a word. Then she reached back in and pulled out something else. I gasped when I saw it.
“Mr. Teddy…?”
The beat-up little teddy bear looked just like it did when I was a little girl worn, one eye missing, but still whole.
“Mr. Teddy,” Jo repeated, nodding. “He never left. I couldn’t throw him away. I told you I did but I just couldn’t.”
Tears welled up fast. I tried to blink them back I really did but the moment she stepped in and hugged me, I broke. I didn’t care about the makeup. I didn’t care about the dress. I just needed that hug. She held me like a mother holds their baby the kind of hug I used to dream about.
