I was blowing the minds of my mother, childhood friend, and sister. Eloquence that they thought was only reserved for 'them', people not like us, was being presented before our eyes. I tried to hold in my own excitement, play it off like I was accustomed to this world view.
Carter had taught me long ago to never let people see me without confidence. Never let them think that what they have to offer is worth more than me. When he took me to my first expensive store, as just an 18-year-old, he showed me what it could feel like to own the world. Or at least to own the fearlessness needed to be that wealthy in mind.
A few key investments into real estate made it so that Carter would never have to work again. One timely stock investment into a water company made it so that Carter could give me, and everyone else he loved, a world they could feel they owned.
I owned that feeling. That moment. That attitude. Even if it was as foreign as the architecture who had designed this hyperbole of a home. A Irish man that wanted to build a castle as grand as some of the ones he had admired in Europe. The tour guide told us about him, while showing off his legacy.
125 rooms. 40 bedrooms. 46 bathrooms. 2 pools, one of them indoors. Several large ballrooms and banquet halls. And even a temple for religious services, or in this case, the place where vows would be exchanged. It had everything we could have ever wanted, with room to spare for what we could have only dreamed of. The only drawback was a little ghost story that suggested that the place was haunted.
None of us wanted to look outclassed as we were shown the place. But the festive car ride back to Houston showed our true colors.
"You have GOT to be kidding me, Bee," Kelly sounded off. "You are about to have your own ROYAL Wedding."
"Talk about Prince Charming," my mother smiled. "This is just a fairytale venue."
"Do you know how much this shits on my wedding?" Solange joked.
"Language," my mother scolded.
"Sorry ma. But you know I'm right."
My mom squished her face and then laughed out loud. We shared in the laughter, though the attention was getting pretty embarrassing. Carter was going all out in making this wedding lavish and memorable, but until we all saw the venue for ourselves, it wasn't going to sink in. This was going to be big.
We were going to have a highly themed wedding, that was going to last three days. It was partially inspired by the kind of wedding experience Gbenga had back home. For his people, weddings were a chance for families to bond, exchange gifts and laughter, as well as unite the couple.
Carter was going to spoil me with this wedding regardless, but I insisted that my family be in on it. It wasn't just going to be me who would forever remember this experience.
First day at the Castle would be check in. All of the invited guests get settled into their large rooms, then we'd have a lunch on the lawn, and introduce the bridge, groom, and our respective families.
We had games planned. Team based events that would get us all up and moving, and having fun, and working together and against each other. The rest of the day would be up to the guests to roam free, until dinner. A good old fashion Texas BBQ.
Day 2 would be for gift exchanging, swimming in the pool, and a formal Hawaiian style dinner. Solange had helped me come up with this theme, after she reminded me of how amazing the trip had been when we vacationed there a few years back. She was right. Bringing Hawaii to the wedding, and that hybrid apple-banana that they grew there, would be fun.
Day 3 would be the actual ceremony and exchanging of vows. There was a chapel inside of the Castle so that we could get married under God, a must for my mom. She wouldn't let me forget that this was just as much spiritual as it was worldly. That God needed to be on the program. This wedding was indeed going to have a little bit of everything, for everybody.
