Real Love

by Tracy Reed

  “Hi, Michelle.”

  “Thank you for the books and the bear,” Michelle smiled.

  “You’re welcome.” She sat down. “Those are from me and Uncle Sean.”

  “Thank you. Uncle Sean.”

  “You’re welcome, Sweetheart.” He walked over and stood behind Kyla rubbing her back.

  “When are we going to lunch, Auntie Kyla?”

  “How about a month after Uncle Sean and I get back?”

  “Mommy, is that okay?” Michelle asked.

  “I’ll check with Daddy, but I think it’ll be fine.”

  “Can we go to Serendipity?”

  Kyla looked at Sean and back at Michelle. “Uncle Sean and I thought we would do something different.” Michelle’s face frowned up. Serendipity was her favorite place. “We thought you might like to have tea at Alice’s Tea Cup.”

  The little girl’s eyes instantly lit up. “Really?”

  “And maybe a sleepover with me and Winnie,” Kyla added.

  “Oh, Mommy, may I?”

  “Let me check with Daddy.”

  “Thank you, Auntie Kyla.” She hugged Kyla’s neck again. “Thank you, Uncle Sean.”

  “You’re welcome, Sweetheart.” Sean hugged her.

  “Sean, come out of there,” Mike called out. “Let me beat you right quick at spades before dinner.”

  “Ladies, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go teach that rascal how to play cards,” he kissed Kyla on the cheek and walked into the living room.

  “Auntie Kyla, may I take Winnie and Simon to my room?”

  “Sure Sweetie.” Kyla handed her their leashes. “Thank you for looking after Winnie and Simon for us.”

  “You’re welcome. Daddy said, if I do a good job, I can have a puppy.”

  “Not exactly. He said we would think about it,” DeeDee corrected her.

  She turned to the little dogs. “Come on, and I’ll show you where you’re gonna sleep. I put your bed next to mine so you won’t feel lonely without your mommy and daddy. We are gonna have so much fun. Tomorrow after our morning walk, we’re having a tea party and then…” She led them down the hall, reciting the schedule for the next few days.

  DeeDee and Kyla laughed. “She is so excited. She’s been in her room all day arranging Winnie and Simon’s things. You just made her day telling her you’re taking her to Alice’s Tea Cup. Second to Serendipity, it’s her favorite.”

  “That’s what Sean said.”

  “I’ll talk to Mike about the sleep over, but it shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “She’s adorable and I love spending time with her.”

  “Kinda makes you want one of your own.”

  Kyla smiled. “We’ve talked about it and decided on having one, maybe two.”

  “Good for you.”

  “Oh, before I forget, my mother said she’ll call once they leave the airport. Thank you. We have so much to get done in the next few days, that we wouldn’t be able to take care of Simon and Winnie.”

  “It’s not a problem. Besides this is the perfect way for us to see if Michelle can handle the responsibility of a dog. And if the apartment can handle a dog.” She laughed but Kyla didn’t respond. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah.”

  DeeDee looked at her friend, not confident of her response. “Are you all set for your trip?”

  Kyla exhaled. “Our trip was the number one topic at every family gathering.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. It’s just—”

  DeeDee looked at her and saw a familiar look. “Are you having second thoughts?”

  “No. Uhm, I’ve been thinking maybe, we should…”

  “What?”

  She stood up and walked further into the kitchen so Sean couldn’t see her. “I’ve been thinking maybe we should get married before we leave.”

  “What!” DeeDee shouted.

  “Is everything okay, baby,” Mike called out.

  “Yeah…just a little girl talk. I’ll let you know when dinner’s ready.”

  “Okay.”

  She grabbed Kyla by the hand and lowered her voice.

  “Explain.”

  “It’s just..I’ve been…”

  She looked at her and asked. “Is it the voice again?”

  “I haven’t slept well since I gave Sean his Christmas gift.”

  “What did you give him?”

  “A few things, but he really liked the uhm…I gave him a copy of my medical report. You know…he’s never questioned my past, but with our getting married, I thought it would be good to reassure him that I’m in good health. You know what I’m mean? I put a little note on it saying I was healthy and ready to marry him.”

  “Okay.” She let go of her hands.

  “Then we kissed and he…uhm…he got a little excited.”

  “Oh crap.” DeeDee started rubbing her head and pacing back and forth. “Then what happened?”

  “He went home and I took a cold shower.”

  “This isn’t good.”

  “I know. What am I gonna do?”

  “I don’t know.” She handed her a bottle of water. “I know it’s short notice, but you can’t take that trip.”

  “You think?” she responded sarcastically.

  “Kyla, you gave your fiancé a piece of paper with words about your body and he got excited. What do you think is gonna happen when he sees you in a bathing suit? No girl, this is a formula for disaster. One of you needs to stay here.”

  “I know. He offered to stay, but…I don’t want to spend that much time away from him. Besides, he has a lot riding on this job too.”

  “But Kyla—”

  “If it wasn’t for Sean, I wouldn’t even have the job. Before we started dating, he said if he were my boyfriend, he would be proud to refer me for jobs.”

  “Honey, I understand, however—”

  “We both have a lot riding on this. If we do well, we get the other five properties. What should I do?”

  “You know what to do.”

  “No I don’t.”

  “That’s not true. The restless nights, the questioning yourself. You’ve known for quite a while what you should do. Now that it’s almost time for you to leave, your spirit isn’t going to let you rest until you do what you’re supposed to.”

  “You think that’s it?”

  “Yeah. Once you stop fighting with your spirit and act accordingly, you’ll be all right. As your friend, it’s my job to support you and tell you when you’re going astray. It’s not my job to tell you what to do, but I trust you’ll do the right thing.” She walked over and hugged her. “Father God, please give my friend guidance. She’s troubled, but I know she loves You and I’m in agreement with her that she’ll make the right decision. Thank you for bringing her into my life and thank you for our friendship. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

  Kyla stood in the doorway of Michelle’s room watching her and the dogs sleeping. It was like looking at her future. The only difference is, she and Sean wanted a son. Sean walked up behind her, placed his hands around her waist, and she covered his hands with hers.

  “Isn’t she beautiful?” Sean asked as he kissed her neck.

  “Yeah.”

  “Maybe having a daughter wouldn’t be so bad.”

  “Maybe.”

  “Are you all right? You were a little quiet during dinner. You know Winnie and Simon are going to be fine.”

  “I know.” She turned to face him. “I need to talk to you.”

  “Can it wait until later?”

  “No.”

  “Okay,” he took her hand and they walked back into the kitchen. “Mike, can we use your office?”

  “Sure, is everything all right?”

  “Yeah.” They went down the hall to the middle door on the left, stepped inside and closed the door. “Okay, what’s going on?”

  She paced back and forth talking to herself. “I can do this. I can do this.” She turned and looked into Sean’s eyes and fe
lt a warm sensation travel from the top of her head down her body. She smiled and stepped closer to him. “I wanna get married.”

  “So do I and we are, in a couple of weeks.”

  Rubbing her hands, she made her next statement. “I wanna get married tonight.”

  “What!”

  She stepped closer and covered his mouth with her hand. “Baby, lower your voice, we don’t want to wake Michelle.”

  He removed her hand to address her statement. “You wanna get married tonight?”

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  “I asked you a couple of weeks ago. Scratch that, when I proposed, I asked you when did you want to get married and you said…” He rubbed his forehead remembering the leniency he gave her. “You said you’d let me know.” He turned away from her and then back again. “What about the party and our plan to get married then?”

  “Honey, I don’t…I haven’t slept well in the past three nights. I’ve been fighting the voice in my head, and my spirit has been uneasy and…” He started laughing. “What’s so funny?”

  “I think I’ve slept a total of ten hours since the other night, when I uhm…”

  She wrapped her arms around him and quickly backed up. “Why didn’t you say something?”

  “I was going to tonight when we got back to your place. Baby, I have spent the last couple of days trying to figure out how to tell you…”

  “What, you’re not going on the trip?”

  “No, I’m going and so are you.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Let’s just say, it’ll be a working honeymoon.”

  “What?” she gasped. “Are you serious?”

  “Yes.”

  “But what about our plans?”

  “We’ll keep them and have a second ceremony for our family.”

  “Are you okay with getting married sooner than planned?”

  “Yes.” He kissed her. “Let me talk to Mike and then I’ll run back to your place and get the license.”

  “I have it,” she announced.

  “What?”

  “I have it in my purse.”

  “Why?”

  “A moment’s notice.”

  “Come on.”

  He opened the door and she started walking out, and turned to face him. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  They walked back to the kitchen. “Is everything okay?” Mike asked.

  Sean reached for Kyla’s hand. “Yeah.” He looked at her smiling and then back at Mike. “We wanna get married.”

  “I know that’s why—”

  “We wanna get married tonight,” Sean clarified.

  “What!” Mike shouted.

  “Baby, lower your voice, we don’t wanna wake Michelle,” DeeDee said calmly.

  “I…are you serious?” Mike asked.

  “Yes,” Kyla replied. “It’s the only thing that makes sense. For the first time in three days, I…we both feel calm.”

  “I don’t know about this,” Mike questioned their request.

  “What’s not to know, Honey? We’ve counseled them on their other issues, and they’ve completed their pre-marital counseling. We know they’re ready, so what’s left?”

  He stood silent a few moments before responding. “A license. They don’t have a license.”

  “Yes we do,” Kyla announced.

  “Why do you have a marriage license?” Mike asked.

  “We were going to elope,” Sean quickly answered. “Then we changed our minds and opted for an engagement party with a surprise wedding.”

  “I see. Are you sure this isn’t an impulsive move out of fear?” Mike asked.

  “Mike, before we left tonight, I was going to ask you to marry us before we went on our trip,” Sean replied.

  “And you’re not doing this because you’re scared you might slip up on your trip?”

  “Of course that’s why. And because we both have been fighting with the Holy Spirit for the past three days. We know this is the right thing to do.”

  Sean made his and Kyla’s case, trying to convince his friend they knew what they were doing. Mike looked at DeeDee smiling back at him.

  “Okay, seems we’re having a wedding for dessert.”

  Sean stepped up to Mike and hugged him. “Thanks, man.”

  “I’m honored. Let me get my book and glasses and we’ll get started.” He walked down the hall.

  “I’ll be right back,” DeeDee rushed down the hall.

  Sean turned to face Kyla. “We’re getting married. Are you nervous?”

  She tilted her head. “No. Are you?”

  “No.” He kissed her.

  “Excuse me.” She picked up her bag and went to the powder room.

  Mike stood next to Sean in front of the fireplace, and DeeDee pulled Kyla into the kitchen. “Here.” She handed her a bouquet of white lilacs tied with a red satin ribbon and she started sniffling. “What’s wrong?”

  “The first flowers Sean gave me were white lilacs.”

  “I promised myself I wouldn’t cry, but if you start…”

  She tossed her head back and cleared her throat. “Let’s do this.” Kyla started walking.

  “Stop.” DeeDee hurried into the living room and changed the music on the stereo. The soft soulful sound of Norah Jones, The Nearness of You was playing. DeeDee came back into the kitchen. “Let’s do this. Count to ten and then follow behind me.” DeeDee hugged her. “You sure?”

  Kyla nodded. “Very.”

  “Okay, then.” DeeDee turned around and started walking.

  Kyla closed her eyes and the last few months of her life passed before her eyes. It seemed like a bad romantic comedy with a happy ending. She looked up and her eyes met Sean’s. She felt at peace. She smiled and started walking toward him. As she got closer to Sean, her eyes filled with water. She stopped next to him and took his hand.

  “This is a first. Usually after dinner we play cards or dominos or just sit around talking, and then devour some amazing dessert DeeDee spent the afternoon making. Tonight, things are a little different. A wedding. Considering who our dinner guests are, I’m not surprised.” Everyone smiled. “Sean and Kyla, speaking for me and DeeDee, we are excited to be sharing this moment with you. The past few months, we have seen a woman, our friend, completely change her life and fall in love twice…first with God, and then with one of my best friends. And Sean, I’ve watched you become the man we all knew you were destined to be. I, we, are honored to stand here with you before God and usher you both into the marriage club. Sean take both of Kyla’s hands.”

  Kyla handed DeeDee her bouquet and turned to face Sean. He took her hands in his.

  “Would you like to say something?” Mike asked.

  “Yes.” Sean hesitated for a second. “He that finds a wife finds a good thing. It can also be said, he that finds a good friend, finds a potential good wife.” He smiled. “When I met you I knew I wanted you in my life, and I would have been fine with friendship. However, God went beyond what I wanted to give me more. Someone told me having you in my life was a great lesson in love. At the time, I didn’t understand the statement, but shortly thereafter I did. When a man loves a woman, he’s saying he wants to protect her, provide for her, assist her and make every effort to be with her. I have wanted all those things since the day I met you. I love you and want to partner with you for the rest of my life.”

  “Kyla, do you have anything?” Mike asked.

  She nodded. “When I first saw you, let’s just say my intentions weren’t as pure as yours.” They both smiled. “I told your mother you made love to me unlike any other man I’d known and she almost fell on the floor, but it was true. You showed me how to love, by starting with myself. This is the last place I thought I’d be…in my friend’s home, getting married to a man who saw what I could be and not what I was. I love you and I promise the next time we do this, I’ll have something more romantic to say.”

  Sean lifted her hand to his mouth and k
issed it. “That was perfect.”

  “Sean, do you take this woman, whose hands you now hold, to be your wedded wife, and do you promise before God and these witnesses that you will be to her a true and devoted husband, true to her in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in prosperity and in adversity, and that forsaking all others you will keep yourself to her, and her only, until separated by death?”

  “I do.”

  “Kyla, do you take this man, whose hands you now hold, to be your wedded husband, and do you promise before God and these witnesses that you will be to him a true and devoted wife, true to him in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in prosperity and in adversity, and that forsaking all others you will keep yourself to him, and him only, until separated by death?”

  “I do.”

  “Are there any rings?” Mike asked. “I mean, you had your license.”

  Sean reached into his pocket and pulled out a diamond and platinum band, and handed it to Mike. “I wanted to be ready at a moment’s notice.”

  “Kyla, do you have one?” She looked at DeeDee.

  “I have it, Honey.” She handed Mike the diamond and platinum band.

  “I wish all my weddings were this simple. Sean place the ring on Kyla’s left ring finger and repeat, with this ring, I thee wed.”

  He slid the ring onto her finger, repeating the vow. “Kyla, with this ring, I thee wed.”

  “Kyla, your turn. Place the ring on Sean’s left ring finger and repeat, with this ring I thee wed.”

  She slid the ring onto his finger and repeated the vow. “Sean, with this ring, I thee wed.”

  “Sean and Kyla, you both know marriage takes work. And no two marriages are the same. But if you keep God at the head, you’ll be able to overcome any obstacle the devil may try to throw at you. Marriage is as easy or difficult as you make it. You make the rules.” Sean squeezed Kyla’s hand. “Bow your heads. Father God, we come before You thanking You for this couple and their commitment to each other. We stand in agreement with them for a blessed and prosperous marriage. We bind and rebuke anything the devil may try to destroy this union You have commissioned. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen. Sean and Kyla, in so much as the two of you have agreed to live together in matrimony, have promised your love for each other by these vows, I now declare you to be husband and wife. Congratulations, you may kiss your bride.”