Page 32 of Going for Three

“All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called for His purpose,” I paraphrased the scripture from my memory. Tears welled in my eyes as it all made sense.

“I know everything won’t be perfect, but I believe God bringing us together is a part of His purpose. So, even when the road gets tough, I want you to see your ring and know it’s all working out for our good because we love God, and He loves us in return.”

This was really happening. The ring looked like a beacon of hope sitting between his fingers and glistening like a star in the nighttime sky. He didn’t spare no expense for the shape, band, or engraving. He glanced up at me with eyes that were moist on their own.

He sniffled. “Um… When it comes to my life, you are the queen of my court, and I want to do life with you. Will you marry me, Charmony Anae Hart?”

He hardly had his question out before I was screaming, “Yes, yes, yes!”

He slid the ring on my finger, and a wave of bliss exploded around us in a beautiful array of colors. I couldn’t believe this was happening, but it felt so right. Since the day we bumped into each other Kianis had never given me a reason to doubt him. He said what he meant and did what he said. How could I not want a lifetime of this for myself?

Kianis shot to his feet with a wide grin. He palmed my cheeks and began to place the most tender yet invigorating kisses on my lips.

“I love you,” I confessed.

“I love you too. I promise when it’s time for you to give birth, that I will be there holding your hand.”

His affirmation of his desire to be present really sealed the deal. Taking his hand, I pointed at the sculpture.

“Vari painted it with glow in the dark paint so we can find out the gender of the baby.”

Sharing the news between us privately and intimately was perfect for us.

“Oh shit, I’m ready.”

A sigh of contentment flowed out of him, sedating my nerves. I rushed to the wall and turned off all the lights. I’d just returned to his side when the sculpture began to glow a soft shade of blue.

“A son…” he whispered into the darkness.

“A son…” I echoed back to him.

“A son!” he suddenly yelled, becoming revved up with excitement. He was crashing into me seconds later. “I love you so fucking much, Charmony. On my life, you never gonna have to worry about nothing.”

I couldn’t help but feast on his joy and reflect it back to him. I was terrified when I first found out about our baby. Honestly, if Kianis had taken it differently, I’m not sure if I would be standing here nearly halfway through my journey. But it didn’t matter. I was given the best possible circumstances and allowed myself to be saturated in all the good things. This was happening, and it would change everything, but having Kianis by my side made me feel more confident in what came next.

Sittingat the island in Charm’s kitchen, we used her iPad to look over the proofs from our maternity photoshoot. They were literally perfect. My hand massaged Charm’s lower back, becoming more obsessed with the woman beside me. I kissed her shoulder and smiled.

My eyes studied how perfect Charm looked. She honestly didn’t need any editing, having shown up already looking photoshopped. The custom-made powder blue dress she wore left her bulging and glowing belly exposed through a sheer covering. I loved seeing that dark line traveling between her navel and pelvis. I didn’t let a day go by without kissing right up it until I got to Charm’s lips. She was putty in my hands afterward every time.

She wanted to do a spring theme, so there was a large, extravagant bouquet of flowers behind us. We sat on some fake grass in the studio. I was wearing a powder blue linen suit to match the vibe. I kept my jewelry minimal, choosing to only wear a Cuban and my AP. My favorite accessory of Charm’s had to be the ring she proudly sported in every photo. The joy being engaged brought me could be seen even to a blind eye.

There was this one photo where I was standing tall with Charm by my side. She cuffed my arm with her head resting lovingly on my bicep. The other one was tucked behind my back. My arm stretched all the way down where my hand found a home on top of her belly. Even though we both had blank expressions, there was so much love, peace, and joy in our eyes. Looking at the photo made me believe in us. I knew this one would be my screensaver. I needed to be reminded God traded our ashes for beauty every day.

“I love them.”

There was nothing else I could say. We looked great together, and I was looking forward to taking more family photos once our son was here. My lips traveled to her cheeks next. She giggled as I flooded them with kisses.

I stopped when her mother’s voice shattered our bubble of serenity.

“What’s got y’all so gung-ho?” she inquired with her phone in hand. Like her daughter, Courtney was never too far from that phone.

Charm turned to look at me. I gave her a subtle nod. We’d already talked about telling our families. The blogs were catching photos of her pregnant belly more often. The last one being the most convincing. No one had confirmed or denied anything yet, but she was reaching the point where it would be hard to hide from those closest to us. So, it was time.

“Are you on live, Ma? Get off,” Charm fussed with a roll of her eyes.

“Ut oh. I gotta go y’all. This sounds serious.”

Once her mother ended the live and placed her phone on the counter, Charm stood up with her iPad in hand then walked over to the other side of the island. Wordlessly, she handed her the iPad. Weighted silence hung in the air as she stared blankly at the screen.

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