by E. N. Joy
What Unique meant to be a joke only made Lorain cry. “I’m going to miss you,” she repeated.
“Don’t cry. It’s just an hour-and-forty-five-minute flight away,” Unique told her. “That’s quicker than the three-hour drive to West Virginia.” Unique grew sad at the mere thought of West Virginia and Terrance.
Lorain could read the expression on her face. “Do you plan on talking to him and telling him good-bye?”
Unique shook her head no. “But maybe I’ll call him once I get settled over there in Atlanta.”
“I’m so sorry, baby,” Lorain said, apologizing to Unique, running her hand down her cheek. “I keep messing up all my chances to be in your life, and now you’re leaving again.” Lorain looked up. “Please, God, I’m sorry. Don’t take her from me.”
“Please, I love you.” Unique threw her arms around Lorain. “In body we may be miles apart, but our hearts are connected. Honestly, I can’t let you take all the blame. I kind of distanced myself from you too, because of the girls. It’s all still so hard for me.”
The two women sniffled and wiped their tears.
Lorain felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked back and saw Nicholas standing there. She turned around and embraced him. “Baby, thank you,” Lorain said. “I should have told you everything that was going on before it all got so jacked up.”
“Shhhh,” Nicholas said, rubbing his hand down Lorain’s back. “It’s all over with now. That wankster is going where he belongs, back to jail.”
“I’m so glad that the third time I called you, you didn’t hang up on me and you stayed on the phone long enough for me to tell you everything that had been going on,” Lorain said. Lorain had called Nicholas and had told him how Eugene had been blackmailing her. He’d insisted on calling the police, who organize a sting to trap Eugene.
“Well, I have a confession to make,” Nicholas said. “I stayed on the phone and listened to you talk only because by the time you called me the third time, your mother had made her way over to the house. She told me that if I didn’t stay on that phone and hear what her baby had to say, not only would I never again get any of her famous neck bones, but she’d also break my neck bone.”
They all burst out laughing.
“What’s so funny?”
They all looked up to see Eleanor walking toward them. She had driven to the scene with Nicholas and had been waiting in the car, in keeping with his instructions, while everything went down.
“You are what’s so funny,” Lorain said. “And I love you.” Lorain gave Eleanor a huge, wet kiss on the cheek.
Eleanor wiped it off. “It ain’t kisses from you I want.” She turned to see the police throw Eugene in the back of the police car. “I wants me some thug passion. That boy is hot!”
“Grans!” Unique said.
“What? You don’t want him no more,” Eleanor said. “And she never wanted him.” She pointed at Lorain. “Hey, might as well keep it in the family.”
They all laughed and embraced.
Lorain had the hugest smile on her face. It felt good to be laughing instead of crying.
Chapter 30
“You ready, baby?” Eleanor asked Lorain as she entered the New Day church dressing room that the dance ministry used to change clothes in. Whenever the church had weddings or baptisms, this room was designated the dressing room. It was a nice-size dressing room, as it allowed the eight members of the liturgical dance ministry to move freely about and practice steps before going to minister in dance in the sanctuary. Everyone had always said the full-length mirror made the person looking into it appear even more beautiful. Pastor Margie had said this was God’s way of showing His children how beautiful they were in His eyes.
Lorain looked at herself in the mirror, admiring the mermaid-cut dress she’d picked out that day in the bridal shop. She’d gotten it in off-white so she didn’t have to endure her mother’s comments. “I’m absolutely ready.” She smiled. She was truly happy to be renewing her vows with Nicholas today. Since New Day was where Lorain had met the Lord, she wanted it to be the place where her love was renewed with her earthly Lord. She was truly excited about today. Try as she might, though, to keep that smile on her face, it faded away.
“It’s okay, baby.” Eleanor walked over to Lorain and placed her hand on her shoulder.
“I wish she was here. I miss her so much. The two months she’s been gone feel like two years. I took our time for granted, so it serves me right that the time I really want her here—need her here—she’s not.”
Although for the past couple months Lorain had talked to Unique every day and the two were becoming close again, Unique felt it was too soon to be heading back to Malvonia for the ceremony. She was getting settled and situated down in Atlanta. Even though she wasn’t attending Lorain and Nicholas’s wedding, she’d sent a gift, which had arrived a couple days ago. Still, Lorain would have much rather had her maid of honor there. She was grateful, though, that Heaven and Victoria were there to be her junior bridesmaids.
“I miss her too, but it’s going to be all right. The big day of the surprise wedding is finally here. Of course, it ended up not being a surprise,” Eleanor reminded her daughter.
When Nicholas calculated the amount of money that Lorain had taken from their account and that to try to pay off Eugene, the numbers didn’t added up. There were still some unaccounted-for missing funds, and this sent up a red flag. Lorain was done with the lies, so she told Nicholas the truth about the surprise wedding she’d been planning.
There was a knock on the door.
“Must be show time,” Eleanor said, walking over to answer the door. When she opened the door, she thought she would just about faint.
“You did say the wedding colors were cream and fuchsia, didn’t you?” Unique spread her hands down the long, formal fuchsia gown she was wearing. “I hope this works. It’s all David’s Bridal had on the rack that fit me at the last minute.”
“My baby!” Lorain put her hands to her face as her eyes filled with tears.
“No, no, don’t cry. I’d have to fix your face, and my Mary Kay stuff is all the way out in the car.”
Lorain spread her arms wide. “Come here, you.”
Unique walked over and hugged her mother.
“I thought you weren’t coming?” Lorain said, holding on to Unique tightly. “You said this town reminds you so much of death that you felt so suffocated that it might kill you.”
Unique pulled back. “Yeah, well, while I was sitting in this church around the corner from me during Bible study the other day, as a result of the lesson, I realized something about myself. I learned that everything that kills me makes me feel more alive in Christ. So I’m gonna be okay.”
“I know you are. You’re my daughter.” Lorain looked at Eleanor. “And I’m the daughter of her.”
“That’s right,” Eleanor said. “And we don’t die. . . .”
All at once the ladies yelled out, “We multiply.”
As they laughed, there was a tap on the open door. It was Paige, who told them she’d just finished singing, so it was time for them to take their places. The women gladly exited the dressing room. Five minutes later they were all standing at the altar, and Pastor Margie prepared to join Lorain and Nicholas in holy matrimony . . . again.
The church was nicely and modestly decorated with cream flowers with fuchsia accents. Surprisingly, Lorain had gone much more over the top when decorating her home for the doctors’ wives’ meetings than she had when decorating the church for her wedding. For the first time in a while Lorain had realized that it didn’t matter how much money was spent to dress something up and make it look pretty or make it to appear as though it was something that it wasn’t.
Eleanor was right: people would see through to the real, anyway. Once all the bells and whistles were removed, it was going to be what it was going to be. Besides, she didn’t want something that would take attention away from the day’s true meaning, which was she and N
icholas confessing their true love for one another. She didn’t want to try to impress man; she wanted to be blessed by God. Money couldn’t buy love or a blessing from God, so she might as well keep it in the bank.
The vows were read, and rings were exchanged. The couple had opted to exchange the rings they already had. Of course, Lorain had pawned hers in an effort to raise money to pay Eugene off, but they’d gotten it out the shop. Finally, Pastor Margie pronounced them “still husband and wife.”
“Cerise, I’m so glad that you could make it,” Lorain said to the dance mom.
After the ceremony, pictures were taken while all the guests congregated in the church welcome center, where the wedding reception was taking place. Before long Lorain and Nicholas made their grand entrance. The room had a dozen round tables that sat ten. The bridal party’s head table was the only oblong table in the room. It was covered with a cream-colored tablecloth, and at the center were four fuchsia-colored candlesticks resting in a crystal candleholder. Each round table was dressed in fuchsia-colored linens. A satin and sheer fuchsia bow decorated each chair. A crystal vase with a single cream rose was the only decoration on the round tables. Lorain thought she’d never admit it, but less was more. Less dramatics and more living life to the fullest.
“I’m glad you invited me after . . . you know.”
When Lorain and Nicholas were going over the bank accounts and credit card statements, trying to get everything back in order again, Lorain had spotted a payment to Cerise’s PI company. Nicholas had to share with her that Cerise was actually the one who’d sent him the pictures of her and Eugene. She was the PI he’d hired.
“Girl, that was just business. No harm, no foul,” Lorain told her. Cerise’s findings hadn’t broken up their marriage. They’d just broken down that barrier that had been prohibiting them from communicating properly. Ultimately, the results of Cerise’s investigation had forced Lorain to be honest about a lot of things with a lot of people.
“So you’re not mad?” Cerise asked. “This isn’t some setup where before the night is over, you’re going to spill red wine all over my dress?”
The two laughed.
“No, not at all,” Lorain assured her.
Cerise was relieved. “Thanks for forgiving me.”
Lorain took Cerise’s hands in hers. “There was never anything for me to forgive.”
Cerise frowned. “Wish I’d known that before I spent a grand on the guilt crystal punch set I bought you guys as a wedding present.”
Once again the two laughed.
“I hate to interrupt,” Nicholas said after he approached the women and put his hand around his wife’s waist. “But it’s time to throw the bouquet.”
Nicholas led Lorain over to the dance floor. Dante “Quick the DJ” Lee announced what was about to happen and instructed all the single ladies to take to the dance floor. He played Beyoncé’s song “Single Ladies” to get them pumped up and moving.
Once the women had swarmed the dance floor, Lorain turned her back to them. The DJ did the countdown, calling, “Five, four, three, two . . . one,” and Lorain threw the bouquet over her shoulders and let it fly. When she turned around, she couldn’t believe the sight before her. Those women, dressed to the nines, were piled on top of each other on the floor. The other guests were laughing so hard that tears were falling from some of their eyes. Once the dust settled, the women began to stand up, and suddenly a hand holding the bouquet shot straight up in the air and could be seen through the crowd.
“You go, girl!” Lorain said, laughing. She’d always wanted to tackle Korica down to the ground, and she’d missed out once more. Oh well, she thought. That desire was no longer in her, anyway.
“I am going to go,” Korica said, brushing the dirt off of her dress, “right over there to my date, especially now that he knows what my intentions are.” Korica rolled her eyes and did a sassy strut over to her date.
Lorain recognized Korica’s date as the EMT from the day she fell out in the spirit at Korica’s house. “I see you went back and checked on her, all right,” Lorain said to the EMT upon approaching the couple.
Korica had her arm linked with his, as if she dared any single broad up in that church to even look at her man. “He sure did.”
“Well, I’m glad to see things worked out,” Lorain said.
“Me too. If you hadn’t hurt yourself and fallen out while dancing, child, I would have never met him.” Korica looked at her date, starry-eyed. “That Holy Ghost dance worked a miracle for me. I know that much.”
Lorain laughed. “Well, you two have fun. I’m going to go greet some of the other guests.” Lorain started to walk away.
“Lorain.” Korica put her hand on Lorain’s shoulder. Lorain turned to see what Korica wanted. “You’re welcome.”
It had already been such an emotional day for Lorain. She had been convinced that in order for this moment to take place, for her to stand there with Korica, hell would have to freeze over first. Only God could be in the midst of this. Thinking about how far the two women had come and how great God was brought tears to Lorain’s eyes. Before a tear could fall, the DJ chimed in to save the day. He put on a popular song that got everybody riled up.
“Uh-oh,” Korica said, snapping her fingers. “I might not know how to do the Holy Ghost Dance, but, baby, you sho’ can come watch me wobble.” Korica strutted off to the dance floor, dragging her date with her.
Lorain watched as Korica started teaching her date the dance. Most of the wedding attendees joined them on the dance floor, including Unique. Lorain let out a sigh of relief when she saw that Unique was out there dancing with Korica. God had allowed Lorain and Unique to reconcile their relationship, and He had allowed Unique and Korica to do the same with theirs. It was proof that what God did for one, He did for the other. He was no respecter of man. He blessed both the just and the unjust . . . even the unjust who thought they were just.
“Never thought I’d lived to see this. Thought for sure y’all would all kill me first with all y’all’s drama.”
Lorain turned around to see her mother standing there. She smiled and put her arm around Eleanor’s shoulder. She then looked back toward the dance floor. “I can’t believe it myself. My daughter and the woman who raised her.”
“Sounds like the name of a Lifetime movie to me.”
“I agree,” Lorain said. She looked up to see Nicholas standing by the cake, trying to flag her down. “I guess it’s time to cut the cake.”
Eleanor followed Lorain’s eyes over to the cake table. “I’m about to say something I thought I’d never say unless I could go ice-skating in hell.”
“What’s that?” Lorain asked.
“This whole surprise wedding thing . . . You were right. Look at that husband of yours over there. You’d think he was at Disneyland. He knows the whole agenda of what’s supposed to go down at a wedding better than you do.”
Eleanor was right. Nicholas had signaled Lorain when it was time for their first dance, had informed her when it was time to toast and to throw the bouquet, and now he was alerting her that it was time to cut the cake. “I know my man, Mama.” Lorain stared at Nicholas with both love and lust in her eyes.
“I still say it would have been cheaper just to give him some—”
“Mommy, I think Nick is signaling you,” Unique said after coming off the dance floor.
“He is. It’s time to cut the cake. Come on, everybody.” Lorain led the way.
Lorain and Nicholas cut the cake as the photographer, Ryan, with his H2J photography, snapped photos. They were thankful that Paige had recommended him. They had a splendid time smashing cake in each other’s face. Lorain felt so happy to be giving her husband the wedding he’d always wanted. It sounded funny, Lorain saying that, because it was usually the man who said that about the woman. Lorain didn’t care, though. She would have married him again and again and again.
“Lorain, darling, you look beautiful. What a beautiful wedding,�
� Lance said to Lorain in his Italian accent. He kissed Lorain on both cheeks.
“Thank you, Lance.” Lorain looked at Tabby. “Thanks for coming.” Lorain’s words were kind of dry. She hadn’t really dealt with Tabby since their make-up lunch, but with the way it had ended, Lorain wasn’t sure whether they’d really made up or not.
“Of course,” Tabby said. She then looked at her husband. “Lance, honey, I think I’ll have that piece of cake now.”
He smiled and walked off, leaving the two women alone. Before doing so, he said to Lorain, “Congratulations to the two of you. Beautiful couple, just like my Tabby and me.”
Lorain smiled as Lance walked away. “Wonderful husband you’ve got there,” Lorain told Tabby. She wasn’t just making conversation. Lance was over the top nice. He seemed to love everybody. He was always shaking hands, kissing cheeks, and patting backs, and he always had a huge, genuine smile on his face. As nice and as laid-back as Lance seemed to be, Lorain had no idea how he’d ended up with a stuck-up black chick like Tabby.
“Thank you,” Tabby said.
“You look nice.” Lorain was trying to keep the conversation going to avoid an awkward silence. But Tabby really was wearing the heck out of that MAC makeup. A dark-skinned black woman, Tabby had complained that finding the right shades for her complexion had been challenging, until she discovered MAC.
Tabby returned the compliment. “Thank you. So do you.”
After five seconds of awkward silence, Lorain couldn’t take it anymore. She had to keep the party moving. “All right, then. Well, it was nice . . .” Lorain started to walk away.
“Lorain, wait.” Tabby reached out and grabbed Lorain’s hand. “I know.”
Lorain looked confused. What did Tabby know?
“I know about the twins. Your girls.”
“Okay, yes, everybody knows about them. They were my junior bridesmaids.” The girls were adorable in their cream dresses, with fuchsia silk bows tied around their waists. They wore identical curly ponytails that sat on top of their head and were tied with a ribbon that matched the bow around their waist.
