by Tamika Brown
He turned serious, all of a sudden looking tired. Calen encouraged him to get back in bed.
“I’m sick of lying down. I’ve been lying down for four months.” Bryce agreed to sit on the edge of the bed instead. Calen remained silent allowing his friend to gather his thoughts. He watched as Bryce glared down at the socks that covered his feet. Melancholy etched his face. “The nurses told me she was here every day. She only left on the weekends. I assumed to take care of things at home, but on Monday, she was right back here beside me.”
Calen nodded, confirming what he knew to be true because he knew Tela even though they had only spent one night together. It seemed like just yesterday. Four months. It was hard to believe. “She checked in with Shayla every weekend and gave her updates to pass on to me. But the only thing she worried about was you. She wanted to be here for you.”
“If that was the case, then why the hell did she leave without so much as a ‘hi’ to me?”
“I don’t know. That’s something you’ll have to ask her. But I know she loves you. I don’t think she would’ve stayed all those months if she didn’t,” he assured Bryce.
“Do you know if she’s still here? I mean… in Germany?”
“I don’t know. I doubt it. Judith said she bailed as soon as you woke up.”
Bryce shook his head, indicating Calen was probably right, and lay back onto his pillow. Silence fell between the two, not awkward, but comfortable silence, before either one of them spoke again.
“You know, while I was out, I could hear her talking to me. I thought I was dreaming. I didn’t know it was actually her. She talked about so many things and a lot about the future. If she meant all that stuff she said, I don’t think she would’ve left,” Bryce said, defeated.
Trying to lighten the mood, Calen decided to tell Bryce about the baby.
“Well, I’ve got some good news,” he said proudly. “You’ve got to get ready for a wedding in two months.”
“What? You and Shayla? That’s great, man. I like her a lot. You did good.” Calen was relieved his friend approved, and although there was a smile on his face, it didn’t quite reach his eyes, which held a sadness within them. Unlike the fun-loving man, he knew Bryce to be.
“Thanks, man. And Robert Jr. is a little over four months old.”
“Wow, man. I didn’t realize she was that far along.” He smirked. “So, how’d you do in the delivery room?”
“Well, it’s a long story, but eventually all went well.” Calen began to relay the story of Robbie’s birth to his best friend.
Occasionally, Bryce interjected to ask questions and to speak his sympathies for the situation Calen and Shayla endured with the labor and delivery of their son.
When he finished, the pain reliever pumped into Bryce’s system every two-and-a-half hours kicked in. His friend started to doze as Calen ended his story, providing him with the opportunity to take his leave.
He rose from the seat he had occupied for the past three hours. “Bryce, man, I’m going to get out of here before you fall asleep on me.”
But before he could even get all the words out, Bryce was asleep. He was glad his friend came out of the coma, but his concern grew for him.
Would Bryce ever fully recover?
35
Shayla
THE WEDDING
The bridal room was packed. There were curling irons and flat irons plugged into almost every wall along with dresses taking up most of the closet space the spare room in Shayla’s house had to offer. Shayla glanced around the room, her heart overflowing with love for all of these women who agreed to participate in her special day. She watched as the women busied themselves preparing for the start of the wedding. Janice in the mirror putting her jewelry on; Tela stood behind Shayla’s mom, arranging the flowers that would garnish her mother’s hair. Her mother and bridesmaids all wore a soft pastel purple, matching perfectly with the purple irises and purple and white calla lilies that decorated the archway and around the area designated for the guests to sit.
The wedding was intimate. Only family and friends. It was how she and Calen wanted it. After much discussion with her parents and his unit, they decided on just a maid of honor and best man along with one other attendant for each of them. It was a hard decision to make because all the guys in Calen’s unit were like family, and she didn’t want to leave them out. However, the guys assured her and Calen they were fine and supportive of the decision.
Shayla stood at the opening of the vanity room and smiled, imagining what the day held for them. She hadn’t yet begun to dress. She wanted to make sure everyone else was settled and dressed before she began her own routine.
It may have been nerves as well. She loved Calen, she did, but it was still a big move, getting married and moving away from her family. She would miss her parents and especially her best friend. They had been through everything together.
Her mother glanced up at her just as Tela finished her hair accessory and stood to move over to her.
“Why aren’t you ready yet?” her mother asked with panic in her voice.
“I wanted to make sure everyone else was on schedule. It won’t take me long. I’ve already done my hair.”
It had taken her at least an hour to do her hair just right, but she was extremely satisfied with the way it turned out. An up-do so she could wear flowers in her hair. It had grown out a lot since the pregnancy with Robbie. She decided to keep it long for something different.
Plus, Calen liked it.
Her mom moved to the closet and pulled out Shayla’s gown.
They had searched several shops before she settled on the perfect one for her. A soft white, satin, halter gown gathered at the hip on the left. Beading where it gathered made the gown more feminine.
When she was ready to get dressed, a knock sounded at the door.
Bryce poked his head into the room. When he stepped in, he smiled at all the commotion in the room, and his gaze went immediately to Tela. It was a while before he could tear his gaze away from her.
Shayla’s mom broke the awkwardness. “What do you need, hun?”
“Oh… umm… I wanted to know if you ladies needed any help.” He smiled at the groans from them and sighed as he glanced Tela’s way once again. “But, really, Calen asked me to let you know all the guests are seated. We’re almost ready.”
He rattled the information off trying to get finished quickly and get out of there. Looking at the clock, he nodded at Shayla, then left the room without another word.
Shayla glanced at her friend with sympathy in her eyes. She could see that Tela was hurt by Bryce’s behavior. She went over to her friend and embraced her, giving her encouraging words and endearment.
“Don’t worry, it’s going to work out. He’ll come around.” She’d never seen her friend this way and was worried about her.
Shayla grabbed her dress and carried it off to the bathroom. It was time to get this show on the road.
Just as she was fitting the wreath of flowers atop her head, someone knocked on her door.
“Come on in,” she said, rearranging the wreath on her head. Janice slowly pushed the door open and made her way in.
“Shayla are you ready? It’s time.” Janice asked.
She took a deep breath and hugged Janice as she stepped out of the bathroom. Tears already filled her mother’s eyes, and Tela gasped when she saw her.
Her mother stood and embraced her. “Are you ready?”
Shayla nodded.
The bridal party stepped out of the bridal room into the hallway and descended the staircase to head to the back porch she loved so much during the spring and summer seasons to watch the sun glare off the lake.
The music started as her friends and guests rose to receive her.
Calen waited for her at the end of the aisle under the archway, so handsome standing there with love in his eyes that he took her breath away.
She took a deep breath and followed her maid-of-honor to her fut
ure.
Also By
Carolina Breeze
About the Author
Tamika Brown is an avid reader turned writer. Her passion for writing came from a challenge from her students. It blossomed into an enjoyable hobby. She likes to read Contemporary and Paranormal Romance as well as Young Adult Fiction. More often than not she is reading at least two books at a time.
She’s from a small town in North Carolina where she lives with her husband and three children.
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