Page 25 of You Deserve Good Things

The air was heavy. Not the bad kind but the kind that wraps around your lungs, thick with magic and memories; the kind that makes your heartbeat sound like drums in a second line parade.

This wasn’t just a wedding. This was a prophecy in motion.

A divine orchestration of everything Jacory and I had been through—every tear, every laugh, every moment that brought us back to each other, all wrapped in lace and sacred promises.

I stood in the back of the church, with my heart doin’ the Cupid Shuffle in my chest while I tried to keep my damn knees from knocking together like faulty wind chimes.

My fingers trembled as they traced the bodice of my dress—one that looked like it had been kissed by angels and stitched by the ancestors.

It was perfect. A couture masterpiece dipped in dreams and wrapped in reverence.

Mermaid-cut with a train long enough to make Beyoncé side-eye, the gown hugged me in all the right places, cinched at the waist, then flowed out like drama and elegance had a baby.

The lace appliqué looked like vines of love, crawling down the silk like they had stories to tell.

Each pearl and crystal sewn in shimmered like stardust had landed on me.

My off-the-shoulder sleeves framed my skin like a soft spotlight. Honey-kissed and glowing, my shoulders looked like poetry in motion. My veil flowed behind me like a silk river, long and regal, trailing my movements like even the air was too in love to let me go.

My locs had been gathered into a braided bun so intricate, it looked like it had been carved by divine hands.

My baby hairs were slicked to the gods, and my edges were laid like concrete at a luxury condo.

My makeup was ethereal. It was a blend of golden hues and rich nudes that made me look like I belonged on the cover of a Black love fairy tale.

Glossed lips. Lashes like butterfly wings.

Cheeks glowing like sunlight dancing on brown sugar.

I looked like love personified.

And still, I had never been this damn nervous in my life.

I clutched my daddy’s arm like it was the last piece of land on a sinking ship. My hands were sweating, my knees threatening mutiny, and my throat thick with tears tryna crawl out uninvited.

“Baby,” Daddy whispered, his voice scratchy with unshed tears, like gravel soaked in love. “You look so damn beautiful.”

I sniffled, blinking fast. “Thank you, Daddy.”

He paused, his throat moving like he was swallowing the weight of a thousand memories. “I knew this day would come. I just ain’t expect it to hit me like this.”

He turned, wiping the corner of my eye the same way he did when I was a baby with jelly on my face. “You good, baby girl?”

I nodded, but the truth was, my soul was spilling outta me like sweet tea over ice—slow, sticky, and a little too much to contain.

“Aight.” He cleared his throat. “Let’s go give you away before I change my mind and lock you in your room forever.”

And then I saw him. Jacory James. My forever.

He was standing tall at the altar like he was carved from Black excellence and baptized in cocoa butter.

His tux was tailor-made perfection—sleek black, with a satin lapel hugging his broad chest like it was in love too.

A deep burgundy rose sat on his chest like it was tryna compete with the fire in his eyes.

His locs were fresh and hangin’ just right.

His beard was lined like destiny. His skin was glowing like he’d been kissed by moonlight.

He was damn near trembling with love, with pride, and with every ounce of emotion that a real man let rise when he saw the woman he prayed for walking toward him in white.

He didn’t blink. Didn’t move. He just stared at me like I was the only breath he had left in his lungs.

I knew then for sure that every trial, every tear, every time I doubted whether I was worthy of this kind of love—it all made sense now. It led me to him, and he had been waiting the whole time.

When we reached the altar, Daddy paused, like he wasn’t quite ready to let me go. He held my hand, rubbed the back of it with that calloused thumb of his, then finally placed it in Jacory’s.

“I know you are going to take care of my baby, son,” he said, voice tight but strong.

Jacory’s jaw flexed. “Always.”

Behind me, I heard sniffles. Mama was ugly crying into a tissue, her lip trembling like a drumroll.

Daniale had tears rolling down her cheeks, even though she swore she wasn’t gon’ cry.

Chase was sitting there stiff as hell, wiping his face with his jacket sleeve like his pride had just caught a beatdown.

“Man, what the fuck?” he muttered. “Why y’all got me crying in front of people? I don’t like this shit.”

The whole church erupted in laughter. Even the pastor had to chuckle, shaking his head with a smile.

Jacory grinned through his tears. “You love us, nigga. Just admit it.”

Chase rolled his eyes. “Whatever, bro. Just hurry up and make my sister a wife before I start sobbing like a lil’ bitch.”

The pastor smiled and cleared his throat. “Now, before we proceed, is there anyone who objects to this union?”

Silence.

Then Jacory turned slowly, raised an eyebrow, and shifted his suit jacket to show a lil’ something shiny on his hip.

“Don’t play with me behind my baby,” he said, smooth as silk but sharp as a switchblade.

The entire church fell out . Even the pastor had to cover his face before composing himself. “Well,” he chuckled, “I suppose that answers that.”

He turned to me. “Shaniya, your vows?”

I breathed in slow, like I was about to spill a truth that had lived inside me since childhood.

“Jacory,” I began, voice soft but strong, “you’ve been my best friend, my protector, my peace since we were kids. I’ve loved you through every dark tunnel, through every quiet room, through every moment I thought I was broken beyond repair.

“You have never made me feel like I had to be anything other than me. And today, I vow to always show up. To always fight for us. To always love you deeper than the ocean and harder than the world ever could.

You are my home. My safe place. My miracle. I choose you. In every lifetime. Every world. Every time.”

Jacory was done. He was shaking. Crying. Barely breathing.

The pastor turned to him. “Jacory, your vows?”

He looked at me like he was looking at salvation.

“Baby,” he said, his voice rough and rich with emotion, “I’ve been yours since I was twelve. There has never been a moment in my life where my soul didn’t beat your name. You have seen me through pain, through failure, through fear. And you still looked at me like I was worthy.

“I ain’t just loving you with my heart. I’m loving you with my breath, my bones, my blood. And I swear—I will never let you go. Not even when this life is over. I’ll find you in the next one. And the one after that.”

Then I turned toward the front row where a single white rose sat in Silas’s seat.

“For my brother, Silas,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “You told me I deserved happiness. And today, I’m finally stepping into it.”

Jacory kissed my hand. “He’s here, baby,” he whispered. “He’s proud of you.”

The pastor smiled, eyes glistening. “Jacory, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“With every piece of me,” he said, loud, sure, certain. “I do.”

“And, Shaniya, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

Tears dripped down my cheeks as I whispered, “I do.”

“You may now kiss your bride.”

Jacory stepped forward and kissed me like the sky was watching. Slow. Tender. Deep. Eternal.

And just like that, I was his.

Forever.