Thug Luv Pt. 1: Beginnings

Just Me & You

4 Months Later...

"You ready, gorgeous?" Angela asked, straightening my veil for me. She and Kobe were doing well and she and I had met and became friends, we'd clicked instantly.

I wrung my hands together. I was ready, no doubt, but I was nervous as hell.

"Yeah, Ang. I'm just nervous, all the attention is gonna be on me! Ooooh, I gotta pass gas!"

Jalisa came over to us pulling a bottle of Pepto out of her bag

"Ahh hell girl take some of this, we can't have you airing the church out!" She said handing me the bottle. I waterfalled the nasty pink liquid down my throat and gagged a little

"Now she's about to throw up!" Shonda said picking up the trash can next to her

I waved it away shaking my head, "Nah I'm good I just always hated Pepto. That stuff is foul!"

Kobe was gonna be the one walking me down the aisle since our parents couldn't make it, I wasn't told the reason which disappointed me more than ever. I got no congratulations call or nothing.

Angela, Jalisa, and Shonda were my bridesmaids, and Darryn and Shaun's little cousin was the flower girl, and her brother the ring bearer. Shaun was his best man, and Ceaz and some guys I didn't know were the groomsmen. I was elated that Ceaz was out of his wheelchair by the time of the wedding.

"It's almost time! How do I look? Jalisa asked, smoothing out the silver satin dress

"You look baaad as hell!" Shonda said, pulling on her heels.

"I agree! Lemme get a picture of you two!" Angela said getting out her camera

Jalisa and Shonda struck a pose together and Angela snapped the picture, it slid out of the Polaroid camera and she removed it.

"Okay it's time!" I said taking another sip of the Pepto and checking to see if my updo was still intact

"Kyraaa, you look fine girl, quit messin'," Shonda said, pulling me away from the mirror.

"She's right! You look perfect! Here chew this gum for a little bit so Darryn won't be tasting all that Pepto when he kisses you " Angela said handing me a stick of Spearmint. I took the wrapper off and shoved it in my mouth

"Amen," Jalisa concurred, "Now, let's go out there and get your man!"

Angela, Jalisa, and Shonda lined up with their flowers and started out of the room behind the groomsmen who were across the hall. I anxiously waited, popping on the gum. Kobe came in from the bathroom and took one look at me, covering his mouth.

"Kobe please don't get emotional already. You gonna make me cry, I just did my make up!"

"My bad, my bad," Kobe said taking his hands down. "You look amazing, Ky. I can't describe how happy I am for you."

"I'm happy for me too, Kobe," I said smiling at him.

"Miss Kyra it's our turn now," the flower girl said tugging gently on the tail of my dress

I spit the gum in the trashcan and took a deep breath, then straightened my back out. Kobe locked arms with me and we started out behind the kids.

I didn't know what music I was walking out to beforehand, Shaun said he was gonna hook us up but I didn't know what he had planned.

When the doors opened I gasped a little when I heard who started singing. It was Anita Baker, and she was singing her song Sweet Love but a different version for my walking. I started crying right away and almost fell the hell over, Kobe squeezed my arm just in time for no one to notice.

Woaahh this is crazy!

I made sure I stepped in sync with Kobe as we walked down the aisle.

Don't. Trip. Don't trip on these heels, PLEASE! I thought to myself.

Once we reached the alter my eyes shifted over when I heard sobbing, it was Linda.

I smiled at her and Darryn's dad through my veil, then turned my attention to him. It was my first time seeing him in a suit and he looked gooood.

Anita stopped singing and everyone sat back down, now it's time to get to business.

Darryn removed my veil and his mouth fell open. A faint, "Wow," escaped his mouth before he could catch it. I smiled so big my cheeks started hurting.

Darryn and Shaun's childhood pastor was the one who was marrying us. He started with the opening remarks and I didn't hear any of them being so focused on Darryn until the pastor asked who gave me to be married to him.

"I do," Kobe said.

The pastor smiled and nodded, "Do you, Darryn Anthony Jackson, take Kyra Denise Bryant to be your lawful wedded wife? To love her and cherish her as you do your own life until death do you part?"

"I do," Darryn said smiling at me. I heard his mom let out a quiet cry.

"Do you, Kyra Denise Bryant, take Darryn Anthony Jackson to be your lawful wedded husband? To love him and cherish him as you do your own life until death do you part?"

"I do," I said holding back tears

"May I have the rings please?" The pastor asked

Shaun handed him the rings and the pastor went through explaining the symbolism of them and handed them over to us.

I noticed Darryn start to cry as he took my hand and slid the ring onto my finger, it only got me started up too.

I smiled between tears as I slid his ring on

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. Darryn, you may kiss your bride!"

He smiled and leaned down to kiss me, we wrapped our arms around each other still crying.

The organ played and everyone stood up and cheered as we turned to face them and started exiting the church to go out to the party.

I finally let out my bawling and held tight onto Darryn's arm, he leaned down to kiss me again as we walked.

"You ready for this long haul?" He asked, still smiling at me.

"I don't think I've ever been so ready for something in my life," I said rubbing his arm.

Everything from having his children to the arguments that I knew would come, I was ready for it all. Whatever we had to do to stay together we were determined to do, as the saying goes...

'Til death do us part, but not even then if I could help it. He is mine, I am his. In life, in death, and forever after that.

End