you came with your best friend, came here for the weekend
OM
Houston. What was once my home away from home started to become a distant memory... until my childhood best friend asked me to be her bridesmaid.
Throughout college and even postgrad, Solange and I stayed close friends and never fully lost touch even when our communication wasn't the most consistent.
At 25, we both had completely separate lives in separate states but our connection was always there, so I jumped at the chance to be there for her and be her bridesmaid.
After my aunt passed and Wayne moved out of Houston I didn't have much of a reason to visit, but I was at least allowed to bring a plus one so I wouldn't have to do it alone. My best friend and former college roommate, Lauren, was glad to take a week off work to visit Houston and attend an event with an open bar.
I worked in the marketing department for a record label in New York so I didn't have a choice but to bring my work with me. But I wasn't going to let a couple zoom meetings stop my fun.
We took a flight a couple days before the wedding first thing in the morning, and it was so early that we slept through the whole thing.
The second we landed we went straight to our hotel to check in and shower then back to sleep more. Solange was marrying some rich hood nigga named Keith so she insisted on getting our hotel rooms in a nice hotel right next to the reception venue, he wasn't sparing any expense for her. It was my first vacation in a while so I spent my own money to upgrade it to the penthouse suite for Lauren and I just because.
After a couple hours of sleeping I got woken up by my phone ringing. When I checked my phone I saw it was Solange, I had to answer. "Hello?"
"Onika!" Solange excitedly squealed. "My baby! Did you land yet?"
I laughed. "Yeah, I was actually just taking a nap. Am I going to see you today or are you going to be too busy with wedding stuff?"
"No, of course not. Come over to the house with your friend and we can throw something on the grill and have a couple of frozen margaritas. Plus, I need to give you your dress."
She also had our bridesmaid dresses custom
made with our measurements in the exact same color and fabric. It was the cutest pastel yellow strapless dress with a slit. She had great taste.
"That sounds perfectt." She was saying all my favorite things. "Who alls going to be there?" I had to ask, it was the week of her wedding so anybody could've been over there.
"Just me, him, and my mama. Bey might come over later if she hears about food, but that should be it. This is probably the last day there won't be a million things going on in here, we're lucky."
Bey.... my gay awakening.
She didn't know it but skating with her at Solange's graduation party led to me realizing I didn't really like men. I hadn't completely sworn them off, but I pretty much solely dated women.
After that party and getting to college, I had no choice but to address the feelings I really had deep down. The second I kissed my first girl, I knew I could never go back. I'd been hooked ever since, thanks to Bey.
Even though I didn't stay in touch with her the same way I did with Solange, but I definitely kept up with her. After playing College basketball for TSU, she eventually went pro but it didn't take long for her to injure herself so badly that she had to retire. Now she a sports reporter on ESPN, and people loved her.
The mention of her name immediately brought back thoughts and memories, but I kept them to myself since it was her sister. "Okay, that should be fine. Just text me your address and what time works and we'll be there."
