Page 89 of Solomon’s Temple

“I know.”

She squeezed my hands. “Go marry that woman, love her, and protect her.”

I smiled. “I plan to. Always.”

She nodded. “Then I’m ready to let you go.” I watched her walk toward the door, but before she opened it, she turned around.

“Solomon?”

“Yeah?”

She smiled. “Don’t make that beautiful woman wait too long.”

I laughed. “Ma, you’re the one holding me up.”

She laughed, too, and for the first time in a long time, when my mother walked out of a room, I didn’t feel like something had been taken from me.

I felt like something had finally been repaired. I looked at myself in the mirror again.

The same man with a different life, different heart, and a different purpose.

I thought about the night I almost died. The prayer I whispered when I didn’t know if the Big Homie could hear me. I had asked Him for another chance, and He gave me one, and somehow, that second chance led me to Temple—my woman, my wife, my peace, my answered prayer.

I straightened my bow tie and smiled at my reflection. “Thank You, Big G.”

Then I looked toward the door.

It was time.

I stood at the altar watching Karon, Gabe, and Dom walk down the aisle with their mates. Troy and Silas walked with Sapphire and Toni while Gabe and Lessyn’s daughter, Ava, helped her baby sister, Giselle drop rose petals behind them.

We didn’t put this wedding together for us. This was the people’s wedding who were in the room, but it was our marriage that truly mattered.

I looked out into the crowd at my employees, family, and Temple’s friends and family. Ma Lula looked beautiful sitting in the front row with Temple’s aunt and uncle with a smile on her face.

My moms looked equally beautiful as she blew me a kiss.

When Stevie Wonder’s “You and I” queued, everyone stood as the doors opened, and my love stood in a sleeveless, white Vera Wang gown that puffed out at the bottom with a long train. Her long golden hair was pulled up into a bun with curls framing her face.

My heart swelled, seeing my father standing next to her with a smile of his own. Temple could have asked her aunt’s husband to walk her down the aisle, but the fact that she asked my father made me love her even more.

I had to stop myself from making the Morris Chestnut face as my boys said I did. Only, my tears wouldn’t be from pain, but pure happiness.

When she finally made it down the aisle to me, Ma Lula walked over and stood by her side, taking her hand in hers. The music faded, and Pastor Daniels took over.

“Who gives this woman away to this man?”

“I do,” Ma Lula spoke. Temple kissed my father and Ma Lula on their cheeks, then I extended my hand to her.

She smiled and took it with grace as we stared into each other’s eyes.

“Dear Heavenly Father. We are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. At this time, the couple has written their own vows.”

I cleared my throat of the emotion that sat in my chest as I held my baby’s hands.

“We made it,” I said.

She smiled wide. “We did.”