Taking It Slow

by Jordan Marie

  “I know what kind of wedding I want.”

  “Anything you want, Faith, because this will be your last one.”

  That was a different kind of sweet, but I liked it more.

  “Since this will be the only wedding you get too, don’t you want a say in it? What about your family?”

  “Not close with any of them.”

  “Not close with any of them?” I ask, not liking that for him. I didn’t have much family I could count on, but I was thankful for the ones that I did have.

  “Money changes things and for a time I had plenty of it. I paid that forward. My fam needed something, I gave. I felt the urge to be gifty, I gave more. Soon, my giving and their needs became more about their wants, and less about being family. Less about gratitude. When the money began to slow, their presence in my life did too.”

  “That’s kind of sad.”

  “It is. It’s also life. So you plan your wedding and make it about what you want. I don’t care as long as in the end you’re with me.”

  “I want to give you a wedding you like, Titan,” I murmur, my mind working in a million directions.

  “You are.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “I get you. You’re taking my name and you’re giving me a baby. I’m good, Faith. I swear it to you. I’m more than good,” he says and his hand goes to my stomach, holding it, and that warms me all the way through.

  “I want to get married at my aunt’s home. Surrounded by my family and whoever you want there. I want this wedding to be one we have pictures of, show our child and have them know they belong, that they have love.”

  Titan goes still and I twist so I can look up at him. He’s staring down at me and his face is shaded in the darkness, so I can’t see what’s going on. I start to ask, but a second later his hand comes up to slide under my hair and gently hold me on the side of my neck. His thumb brushes the corner of my lip and he ever so slowly brings our lips together.

  “We’ll give them all of that,” he mumbles before sealing that promise in a kiss. When we break apart he moves me back into his body and I hold him close again. “We’ll give them all of that, even if I have a bruised ass from your loco-aunt pinching it all day.”

  I giggle again, because I can picture that in my head.

  “I’ll have a word with her,” I promise.

  “It won’t do any good,” he counters and he’s right.

  “You’re right,” I confirm out loud.

  “Now can we get some sleep so my dick can recover and I can get lost inside of you again?”

  “Well… uh…”

  “Faith?”

  “You mentioned giving me your mouth?” I question greedily.

  His body goes stiff under me again, and I bite my lip again. Then he moves us so I’m on my back against the bed and his fingers are already seeking between my legs.

  “You’re wet,” he groans.

  “You’re naked in bed with me,” I answer, because that’s all it takes and most of the time it takes a lot less than that. Titan’s that lethal. I let my fingers slide through his hair, teasing my fingertips.

  “Changed my mind,” he growls, shifting so he’s over me, looking down, his weight on his arms.

  “What do you mean?” I ask, distracted because in this position I can drag my nails down his chest.

  “Want my dick inside of you.”

  “You can handle another round?” I ask. I grin, because I know he can, because I feel his cock brushing against me.

  “It’s a miracle,” he growls, positioning himself at my center. “Give me your mouth, Faith,” he growls as he sinks inside of me.

  I lean up and give Titan my mouth as I take him into my body.

  And that’s a different kind of sweet than any I’ve had tonight. It’s heaven. As my eyes open I look up into the eyes of the man I love and my rings are shining in the darkness.

  That’s when I know.

  You can’t die from too much happiness, because I’m overfilled with it and my heart is beating strong.

  53

  Titan

  “You sure about this, man?” Aden asks and I look over at him and Gavin and I do it with a smile firmly in place.

  “Never more fucking sure in my life,” I tell them and that’s when they nod in approval and slap me on the back. The three of us turn to face the crowd as the music starts.

  We’re in the backyard of Ida Sue’s house. There’s flowers and roll of white satin on the ground. Two rows of chairs surround the white satin aisle and they’re filled to capacity. All with Faith’s family. Other than Gavin and Aden, I had no one I wanted to invite. They were who was important in my life and that’s all I need.

  I watch as two little boys walk up the aisle carrying a sign. The signs are wooden and painted brown, with calligraphy writing on them. One is Hope and Aden’s boy, Jack, and the other is Luka and Petal’s little boy River. The sign they are packing says: “Happily Ever After Coming Soon.” Behind them there is another boy, older, though not that old, and he is clearly a Lucas, though I have no idea whose. He keeps looking over at Green as if to say I don’t want to be here—so I’d say his if I was to venture a guess. His sign proclaims, “Last Chance To Run” in the same writing. I shake my head, figuring Ida Sue had something to do with this. The crowd laughs quietly, but loud enough you can hear it over the music playing in the background over outdoor speakers.

  Next comes Petal, wearing an off-white dress with a bright yellow silk bow at the waist. The bow is in the back, but clearly visible at her hips. She looks beautiful, despite looking like she is about to pop. She comes down the aisle, smiling over at her husband Luka. He winks at her and she stops for a minute and looks at him.

  “Quit going all moon-eyed over Orange. You’ve been married forever. Can’t you tell my Chocolate Thunder wants his bride!” Ida Sue chastises. I hold my head down, pinching the bridge of my nose while everyone around us laughs—loudly.

  “Looks like I need to show you who you belong to again, Lovey,” Jansen grumbles, and I look up to see the man shoot me a look meant to kill. I shake my head.

  “I cleaned the playhouse earlier this morning,” she says, patting his leg, and I don’t think I want to know what that means.

  Faith’s family is whacked.

  Next comes Casey. She is dressed in the same kind of off-white dress, bright yellow silk bow at the waist. They met during the last two weeks—because that was how long it took Faith to get this wedding together. She wanted months—as in after the baby was born. I refused. I wanted my ring legally on her finger and my name legally recorded. This was something I wouldn’t budge on. She respected it and called in Hope for reinforcements. Her sister Charity wasn’t reachable, which bummed Faith out, but she didn’t ask me to postpone the wedding again and I was thankful—because for that I would have.

  Faith and Casey hit it off when Hope brought her down to help plan the wedding. They got along so well that Faith asked Casey to be part of the wedding. I liked it. I like that my wife bonded with my best friend’s wives. Because Gavin and Aden are as close to brothers as I will ever have. They’re my family and Faith understands that.

  The music changes timbre every so slight and then Hope walks down the aisle. She’s wearing the same type of dress but the style is a bit different. And, where Petal and Casey have yellow daisies, Hope has a bouquet of white ones with yellow centers. She walks up slowly, her eyes completely on Aden. I look at my brother and he doesn’t take his eyes from her either, even as she goes and stands in her place.

  The music shifts again and this isn’t a wedding march. I know this song. It’s not one I’d listen to freely and pick of my own, but I like the words. I like what they say and I like that Faith picked them.

  A woman begins singing about how her doubt goes away and as she sings out about being one step closer, Faith comes into view.

  With each step, the lyrics of the song is driven closer. They’re not wrong. I was dyin
g and waiting for Faith even if I didn’t realize it. I was making jacked-up decisions before the blond tornado stormed into my life, taking it over.

  “Damn, boys, we did good,” Gavin says and he’s not wrong. He’s one hundred percent not wrong.

  Faith makes it to me right as the woman sings about loving her man for a thousand years. Her gaze holds mine. She’s in a beautiful crystal white dress, and she gives Hope her solid white bouquet wrapped with a yellow bow and then turns to me.

  “I’ll love you for a thousand more,” she whispers as I bend down to kiss her and the music softly ends.

  “I’ll love you longer, wife,” I whisper as we break apart and tears slide from her eyes. “You ready to do this for real this time?”

  “More than ready,” she whispers.

  “Stop!” someone shouts from the area Faith just marched from. I growl and turn around to see a dude with blond hair, wearing maroon corduroy pants and a gray pullover sweater walking toward us. He looks familiar but I’m too filled with the urge to choke him to latch onto why.

  “Oh my God,” Faith growls, her voice angry.

  “Who is that asshole?”

  “That’s Brad,” she hisses.

  That’s when I remember the picture of him and Faith together.

  “Faith, you can’t marry this man. You’re meant to be with me,” he says.

  “Damn it, Black! I thought you and Blue were supposed to make sure the gates were locked so vermin couldn’t get in,” Ida Sue yells, getting out of her seat in the front row and walking to us.

  “Brad, what in the hell are you doing here?”

  “I’m here to stop you from the biggest mistake you’ll ever make. You can’t love this man, Faith. You’re mine. You were always meant to be mine,” he says and he’s stupid as all fuck, but he has to have balls, I’ll give him that. But this is my wedding. I want it done and he’s already messed part of Faith’s dream wedding up and I’ve had it. I turn so that Faith is behind me and face him.

  “That’s where you’re wrong. She was yours and you pissed that away because you’re a stupid fuck. She’s mine now and, like I told you before, I’m not a stupid fuck. I’m not letting her go.”

  “Mommy, what’s fuck?” I hear River asking in the background, but I ignore it.

  “I’ll tell you later,” Petal mumbles.

  “Like in twenty years,” Luka says, coming to stand by Ida Sue.

  “You also said you were married to Faith, and clearly you’re not. So you don’t factor into this,” he says, acting like he’s a freaking king talking to a lonely peasant. “Faith, let’s just go. We’ll put this behind us. I can forgive you for wanting to walk on the wild side and lowering yourself to…”

  “What are you even saying?” Faith asks, her anger rising, mostly because I think she understands what he’s insinuating. Dealt with this bullshit all my life and it is bullshit. I want to introduce him to my fist, but I’m holding back because I don’t want to ruin my girl’s wedding, when he opens his mouth again.

  “I’m saying that you wanted to experiment and I get it, but you can’t seriously mean to tie yourself to him. He’s beneath you.”

  “In what way?” Faith asks and I know that look my woman has.

  “He’s not…” The man fumbles for words, no doubt trying to come up with something that doesn’t make him sound like the racist bastard he is. “You’re just not one of our kind. No offense meant. I give to the negro college fund all the time,” he says and I snort in laughter.

  “No offense taken, man. I’m skipping for joy inside that I’m not like you,” I laugh.

  “Well, I’m offended,” Faith growls and she reaches down and takes the sign that River was helping to carry and then she does something I figured was coming, but still makes me laugh. She hits old Brad up the side of the head.

  She doesn’t do it lightly, and that’s evidenced when Brad goes down. Dumbass doesn’t stay down, though, and once he gets back up, he’s fuming.

  “You bitch!” he growls. I put Faith back behind me and I’m getting ready to lay out the bastard. I don’t get the chance, though, because before I can, Ida Sue lets out an eardrum-splitting whistle.

  “Hamburger!” she yells. “Time to take out the trash.” Then she mutters a little quieter—but not that quiet, “Ruining my Chocolate Thunder’s beautiful day. Not to mention Blossom’s. I ought to do worse.” And then, no joke, this cow comes lumbering toward us. He stops in front of Ida Sue and she pets him and then points at Brad. “Get rid of him,” she orders.

  I thought she was insane. I thought I was seeing things. Maybe I am, and definitely she probably is, but that damn cow bites Brad on the ass. He screams like a little girl, holding his ass, but the cow does it again and this time he comes away with a piece of corduroy on his mouth which he—or she, I don’t really hang with cows—begins chewing on.

  “I demand you—” Brad starts, to which the cow bites him again. I blink, but the image doesn’t go away. Brad’s walking away, and even starting to move fast because every minute or so the cow is biting him. Pretty soon old Brad takes off running with Ida Sue’s pet cow on his heels. It’s the strangest fucking thing I’ve ever seen. Everyone is laughing, but my eyes are still glued to the disappearing cow when I feel Faith tug on my arm.

  “Let’s get married, Big Daddy,” she laughs. I jump, then look behind me because Ida Sue just pinched me on the ass. I look up at the sky wondering exactly what I’m getting myself into. “I love you, Titan,” Faith says and I look back at her, still shaking my head.

  It doesn’t matter how crazy her family is. They’re a good kind of crazy and my woman loves me, so that’s okay. I do hope our child doesn’t take after Ida Sue, however.

  And you can’t blame a man for that.

  54

  Faith

  “What are you thinking, Big Daddy?” I ask Titan. The wedding has been over for a while now. We’ve cut the cake and enjoyed the reception. Aunt Ida Sue even managed to wrangle her cow, Hamburger, back up. Despite Brad’s appearance, it’s been a great day.

  “That white people are crazy,” he mumbles and then I look up in surprise. We’re dancing together, music playing in the background and the sun is starting to fade in the sky, leaving a beautiful mixture of pink, orange, blue and purples in its wake. I follow his line of sight and watch as Petal and Luka leave the playhouse.

  “Um—”

  “That’s the third couple that’s gone in there today, Faith.”

  “Um—”

  “And I’m pretty sure they’re not measuring the windows for drapes,” he says and I can’t stop the giggle that escapes.

  “Our kids will never play in that playhouse, wife.”

  “Ida Sue keeps it clean,” I answer encouragingly.

  “Never playing in that damn playhouse,” he grumbles.

  “Point made, but if you’re going to draw the line there, you might not want them eating at the kitchen table.”

  “Christ.”

  “Or in the barn…”

  “Jesus,” he mutters.

  “Or on the front porch swing. There’s even this one spot on the roof—”

  “Which brings me back to my point. White people are fucking whacked,” he mutters.

  I loop my hands up around his neck, our bodies close and still swaying to the music.

  “I had a perfect wedding,” I whisper and he brings his dark eyes back to me.

  “Until your ex showed up and decided to mess it up.”

  “That’s almost my favorite part.”

  “Say what?”

  “I’ll never get the vision of Hamburger biting into Brad’s ass out of my head. It was hilarious!” I tell him, dragging out the word and putting emphasis on the “us” part.

  “I doubt old Brad will forget it either, since he probably has cow teeth scars on his ass.”

  “Which is awesome,” I giggle and Titan shakes his head at me.

  “I’m starting to think my wife is wha
cked,” he mutters.

  “But you love me,” I whisper and he brings his mouth down to mine.

  “That I do, wife. That I do,” he grins, kissing me softly.

  “And you want me happy,” I tell him.

  “Definitely want my woman happy,” he agrees, and he says it so earnestly I squeeze him tighter.

  “You’d give me anything I want, really,” I murmur, letting my fingers move down his neck and around to the sides.

  “What are you playing at, wife?” Titan asks, his voice skeptical.

  “Well, I’m pregnant and sometimes we have weird… cravings,” I hedge, trying to remain looking innocent as he watches me closely.

  “You want pickles and ice cream?” he asks.

  “Ew, no.”

  “Thank God.”

  “But I do want something…”

  “What is it? If I can get it for you, I will.”

  “See, you are so sweet.”

  “That’s me. My wife owns my balls, so what do you want?”

  “You to take me into the playhouse,” I grin.

  “Um… fuck no.”

  “But you have to, Titan.”

  “Hell no, I don’t. Did you not hear me when I told you that’s the third couple today that’s gone in there?”

  “Well, yeah, but…”

  “My dick will not be going where three other dicks have been in one damn day,” he mumbles and I can see this is going to be a hard sale.

  “Good to know,” I answer, trying to hold back a laugh.

  “You want fucked, I’ll take you home and fuck you.”

  “So romantic,” I mutter.

  “You want romance, then I’ll turn music on while I fuck you.”

  “I think you’re missing the point. It’s a family tradition.”

  “Say what?”

  “Playing house in the playhouse as it were. It’s a family tradition,” I explain patiently.

  “You’re shitting me,” he says, clearly not convinced.

  “Nope, and every married couple who’s had a taste of their honeymoon in that old playhouse is still happily married years later.”