Her Pleasure His Pain

PART TWO: CONSEQUENCES

Mason dipped out the front door I snuck a wipe down in the office bath. The moment I returned to the party, Aniyah broke free from chatting to return to our table.

"Where've you been?"

"Around, what did I miss?"

"Only your husband behaving like his old self." Aniyah chuckled. "It's awesome to finally see him back in good spirits."

"Yep."

"Kelly seems lost without Mason though. Have you seen him?"

"The last I did he was heading out the front door. Maybe he wised up and finally dumped her crazy ass."

Aniyah laughed, sipped her wine, then responded. "I doubt it. I told you, those two are quite the dysfunctional pair."

"Well, that's not my concern now is it."

I raised my glass and toasted with my bestie, a roguish grin sprawling across my face each time Kelly frowned in our direction.

"Bry." Justin's voice echoed in the mic. "Bry, where are you?"

Members of the crowd turned in my direction. Embarrassed, I set down my glass, then faked a smile as a path to my husband opened up.

"Hey beautiful." He crooned as he kissed my cheek.

I leaned towards him, whispering. "What the hell are you doing?"

He grinned, placed his arm around my shoulder, then faced the crowd. "Tonight is more than about fellowship and good food. I asked each of you here because you represent the best part of me and my lovely wife's journey. Not many of you know that after my accident, I had lost hope. I was told that if just one of my shattered bones moved a centimeter, it could've impaled my spinal cord and I would've been a paraplegic for the rest of my life."

Voices within the crowd rumbled until Justin raised his hand and declared, "But God."

Everyone cheered. Above the noise, he shouted into the mic. "Not only is my life a miracle, I also married one."

My knees buckled.

"During my depression and recovery, I pushed my wife, my miracle, away. The man who couldn't sit without assistance, eat alone, hell, wipe his own ass, was not the man she married, and yet, she stayed. And though I know that God has made me whole, I wouldn't be here without my wife and all of you, so thank you."

The party attendees clapped and cheered until Justin raised his hand to silence the crowd. I quickly scanned it, smiling emptily until I noticed Mason stepping over the patio threshold. My hands trembled as he inched towards the stage, making brief eye contact with me before Kelly glued herself to his side. Mason and Justin acknowledged one another, then he continued to speak.

"Bry, I know we have a long way to go to get back to who we were, but there is nothing else I'd rather do. I've loved you since high school. I've lost you once, and I promised the big man that if I ever found you, I would never let go of you again."

My head felt light, my vision blurry as I turned attention from my lover to stare into my husband's eyes.

"Sabryna Faith Greggs-Legacy, could you help me honor my commitment to God, myself and to you and take this journey with me, to where our love and our marriage is meant to be?"

With my cheeks flushed and palms clammy, I muttered. "Justin," as Mason passed him a box. This man dropped to one knee, lay down the mic, then opened it to reveal a big ass diamond ring.

"No one else needs to hear this, but you. I love you, Bry, and the moment you couldn't say I love you back scared the hell out of me. I don't know how to fix us. I only know that I want to, and I need you to want the same thing. Would you accept this promise ring as my solemn vow that I will be your loving and grateful husband for the rest of your life?"