Page 95 of Certified Pressure 4
I nodded, wiping my face lightly so I wouldn’t smudge anything. “Thank you for being here, and being my bridesmaid. I mean it.”
“Always,” she said, squeezing my hand before walking off to grab something from the counter.
The whole room felt warm and full of love. Everyone kept whispering about how beautiful everything was, how perfect the ceremony would be and how Pressure was probably downstairs acting like he wasn’t nervous when everybody knew he was. I laughed when I heard that because I could already picture him pacing, pretending he had everything under control while Kay’Lo and Renza cracked jokes around him.
Being nine months pregnant and trying to get married wasn’t easy, but it felt right. The closer I got to giving birth, the more Pressure wrapped himself around me like a safety net. He’d been there every single day, waking up early to check on me, rubbing my belly before bed, making sure I ate every few hours, and talking to the baby. This second pregnancy had been softer in some ways, even though my body hurt more. There was no stress, no fighting, no distance between us this time. It was just peace and excitement for the life we’d built.
Aunt Deanne leaned in close, fixing one of the straps on my dress. “You look beautiful, baby.”
I smiled at her reflection in the mirror. “Thank you, Auntie.”
Before I could say anything else, the room fell quiet. The sound of heels clicked against the marble floor, soft but commanding. When I turned toward the door, I saw Abeni.
The moment she walked in, everybody knew to clear the room. It wasn’t because she demanded it. It was just the way she carried herself. She was always regal, calm, and full of presence. Her champagne-colored gown flowed around her like silk water, and her long hair fell perfectly down her back with a part down the middle. Her skin glowed under the lights, and her eyes held that same sharp grace that made everyone who saw her stand up straighter.
She gave a small, polite nod to the women in the room. “Ladies, may I have a moment with my daughter?”
Within seconds, the room emptied until it was just the two of us.
She walked over to me slowly, that familiar scent of her perfume wrapping around me like comfort. “Omá,” I said softly, smiling as I reached for her hand.
“My love,” she replied, brushing a loose curl away from my face. She adjusted the necklace around my neck, making sure the diamond pendant laid flat. Her fingers were gentle, her movements delicate. When she looked at me again, her eyes shimmered with emotion. “You are breathtaking, Pluto.”
Tears filled my eyes again. “Thank you, Omá.”
She held my chin and stared at me like she was memorizing my face. “I am so proud of you,” she said softly. “And so proud to have you as my daughter.” Her voice trembled on that last word, and before I could even react, I saw the tears slip down her cheeks.
Seeing her cry made me lose it too. I pressed my hands over my face, laughing and crying at the same time. “Now look, Omá, we both gon’ need a touch up,” I said, sniffing.
Abeni laughed through her tears, her smile soft. “Yes, we will.”
She pulled me close, wrapping her arms around me. Her embrace was warm and motherly, and I held on like I didn’t want to let go.
When she pulled back, she looked at me with a softness I’d never seen before. “For years, I believed I was the backbone in my son’s life,” she said. “I thought I was the one holding him together. But then he met you, and I realized I was wrong. You are the best thing that has ever happened to him, Pluto. You gave him peace in a world that’s rarely kind. You gave him purpose… and now, I pass that torch to you, my dear. You are the woman I trust with his heart.”
I covered my mouth, trying to hold back the sob that wanted to escape. “Omá, I love you so much.”
“I love you more,” she said. “And I know it’s always you and I against Pressure.”
We both burst out laughing, the kind of laugh that came from deep in your chest.
“Always,” I said, still smiling through my tears.
Abeni waved for the makeup artist to come back in. “Come, we ruined our beautiful faces.”
The artist returned quickly, dabbing at both our cheeks and fixing our makeup while Abeni held my hand. We sat side by side in front of the mirror, our reflections glowing back at us like two women who had been through everything and still stood tall.
As I looked at her through the mirror, I felt the kind of love that words couldn’t describe. It wasn’t just family. It was deeper. She had become my mother in every way that mattered.
When the artist was done, Abeni gave my hand a light squeeze. “You are ready, my darling. The world is about to witness what real love looks like.”
I smiled and nodded, trying not to cry again. “Thank you for everything.”
She leaned over and kissed my forehead. “No, thank you, Pluto Mensah.”
Those words stayed in my mind like a melody I never wanted to forget. I looked at myself in the mirror one last time, my heart full and beating fast, knowing that in a few moments, I was walking into forever.
The Garden of Kings
