Page 38 of Certified Pressure 3 (Certified Pressure #3)

I tried on everything from classic silk gowns with long trains to dresses covered in diamonds that made me shine like a chandelier myself.

Every time I stepped out of the dressing room, the team gasped and told me how stunning I looked, but none of it mattered until Pressure saw me.

When he finally came to one of the fittings, he leaned back on the couch with that half-smile, his eyes following me from the moment I stepped out in the fitted white gown that hugged me like it was custom made for my body.

“That’s the one,” he said, and even though he said it calm, I could tell he meant it.

I looked at myself in the mirror, running my hand down the fabric. It had pearls sewn into the bodice and a slit up the thigh that made the whole thing feel sexy but royal. It was everything I wanted to be. It was classy, powerful and absolutely unforgettable.

The designer, a woman from Paris who flew in for the appointment, asked if I wanted to make changes.

I told her to double the veil length, add lace sleeves, and make sure it was one of one.

If I was going to marry a man like Pressure Mensah, the world was going to know who his wife was before I even said I do.

Over the next few weeks, my days were filled with decisions, from colors, table arrangements, flower options and cake tastings.

I met with planners, decorators, and stylists until my head spun.

There were swatches of gold and cream spread across the table in the mansion’s sunroom and every day another box of samples showed up at the door.

We decided on deep golds, champagne tones, and soft blush pinks for accents. I wanted luxury dripping from every corner of this wedding.

Kay’Lo and Toni Roc helped us out and the four of us would go out to dinner or plan double dates where all Toni did was talk about how excited she was to see me walk down the aisle. She kept saying, “Kash, you about to shut the whole damn event down.”

She wasn’t lying either.

The venue came next. I wanted something private but breathtaking, a place that looked like a dream.

We visited a few spots before I found a cliffside villa overlooking the ocean on the edge of Trill-Land.

The sky there looked painted and the water stretched for miles like it was created just for me.

The moment I stepped out of the car, I knew.

“This is it,” I whispered, looking back at Pressure.

He slid his hands in his pockets, glanced at the view, and nodded. “If this what you want, then it’s yours.”

That was all I needed to hear.

From there, everything started moving faster.

Invitations were being designed, my bridesmaids, which were mostly Pressure’s family were picking out their dresses, and every time I checked the calendar, another week had flown by.

Even though it was exhausting, it felt good being busy, and feeling like everything I wanted was finally falling into place.

Pressure was right there with me through most of it, showing up when I needed him, even though I could tell the endless meetings and fittings were wearing him down.

Still, he played his part, sitting through cake tastings and designer calls, pretending to care about napkin textures while he scrolled his phone.

But even with everything going perfect, there was still a piece of me that felt unfinished. That one thing I had wanted for so long but hadn’t been able to hold—a baby.

That thought stayed tucked in the back of my mind even when I tried to push it away.

A few weeks back, I thought I was pregnant.

I took a test and waited, watching the screen like my life depended on what popped up.

When the word “Not Pregnant” showed instead of what I wanted to see, it made me feel empty in a way I couldn’t explain.

I wanted to cry, but I didn’t. I just swallowed the shit, and told myself it wasn’t time yet.

Then Pluto announced her pregnancy and that news hit me like a punch to the stomach.

Now, weeks later, I was standing in the middle of the mansion’s bathroom staring at a pregnancy test sitting on the marble counter. I had gone to the store earlier. I threw the test in my basket like it was just another thing to grab, but my heart had been racing the whole time.

When I got back, the house was quiet. Pressure was out handling business, and I was alone. I took the box upstairs, shut the door, and opened it with trembling hands. I followed the instructions, and afterwards, set the test down, and sat on the edge of the tub.

I told myself not to get too hopeful, but deep down, I was praying.

My period was late, and I knew what that could mean.

I thought about all the nights Pressure and I had been together lately.

He always pulled out, but even then I still believed there was a chance I could’ve gotten because mistakes could happen.

The seconds dragged by, and when I finally glanced back at the test, I gasped. There was two red lines. Not one... but two.

For a moment, I just stared. My chest filled with something warm that spread fast. I reached for it, my hands shaking as I picked it up, just to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. This shit was real.

There was two red lines on the stick.

I pressed my hand against my stomach, a slow smile spreading across my face.

Finally…

The word repeated in my head over and over again like a song. Finally, I was pregnant.

The tears came before I even realized it.

Not sad ones, but tears of relief, joy, and pride all mixed up together.

I laughed a little through them, wiping my eyes as I sat back down on the edge of the tub.

My reflection in the mirror looked different now.

I looked like a woman who had everything she ever wanted.

The mansion suddenly felt warmer, Ang brighter.

I thought about how I would tell Pressure and how his face would look when I told him we were finally about to start a family.

I thought about the looks on his parents’ faces, and how Abeni would have no choice but to accept that I wasn’t going anywhere.

I wasn’t just his fiancé anymore. I was about to be the mother of his child.

My mind raced with possibilities from the baby showers, the nursery, the outfits, everything. I could see it all already. My baby would have everything, and Pressure would love that child with everything in him because that’s what he does when something belongs to him.

I looked down at the test one more time and smiled so hard it hurt.

Now Pluto had to scoot over because I was pregnant too.