Riley's ring and dress.
Riley was stressing on an Autumn day in the late afternoon. She had so much going on. It had been two years since she received her engagement ring but it took that long to plan and put together the wedding of her dreams.
The stress of moving to another state was also heavy on her mind. Moving out of Seattle was long overdue. Mercer Island would be their new home. It was out of the city and crime, a place where homes sat by the water and were miles apart. They could always drive the few hours back to visit. She'd spent months searching for the perfect house and found it.
Along with her first real job, she had started going back to school to get her masters in Psychology and she was excited when she got an offer at an internship at a children's mental hospital. She couldn't wait to start when she got there. Her man insisted she didn't need to work, and he didn't want her to, but whatever made her happy he was fine with.
Only ten minutes remained before the wedding would start and Riley stared into the vanity in front of her, feeling the nervous jitters deep in the pit of her belly. "Okay... okay.. you have everything? You ready?" One of her bridesmaids Carla asked.
"My hair! Is my hair okay?" She snapped, looking around for someone to answer her question.
"You look beautiful Ri. Calm down." Ray complimented, walking up behind her and grabbing both of her shoulders. "I'm so happy for you. I love you, baby."
Riley turned and smiled at her mother. "I love you too mama."
Ray fixed a stray curl in Riley's hair before complimenting her makeup. "It's almost time. I'll get everyone rounded up."
Standing up, Riley ran her hand down the elegant dress, looking down at her hand, her engagement ring glistened, providing a shine throughout the whole room. They had brought the ring back to add the rest of the diamonds which bumped the price up from 16k to 26k. She would be stupid to lose it, she wanted to get it branded to her skin. But she also knew she would be rich if they ever split and she decided to pawn the ring.
She scanned the room to make sure her whole female wedding party was there and ready. The wedding party was pretty small but the guest list was huge. Her mother, her bridesmaids Carla and Ahlex, her junior bridesmaids Asia and Carolyn, her flowergirls Kailani and Jasmine. And on the other side of the building the groomsmen Malakai and Darius, the junior groomsmen Carmelo and Chris, the handsome ring bearers Caius and Julius.
"It's about to start. Come on. In position, like we practiced!" Ray shouted.
Riley panicked a bit. Checked her make up again. "Auntie Ri. My tummy hurts." Kailani cried, the tears filling her eyes. No, not now. Riley thought.
Carla had already walked out to where she would meet up with Darius. Riley picked up Kailani making sure not to wrinkle her dress or Lani's. She smoothed out Lani's perfected bun and kissed her forehead. "I told your uncle not to feed you those sweets this morning.. Be a big girl for me and do your special job then I'll give you the medicine okay?"
Lani nodded and Riley placed her down on her own feet. At six, Lani had stolen the Hawkins' family's hearts. She was the only piece of Chandler that they had left and Cassius was very protective of her. He treated her as if she was Asia or Jasmine, like one of his own.
The wedding was moving smoothly and soon it was time. The setting was outdoors, facing the breathtaking sunset. At the end of each aisle, jasmine scented candles hung from leaveless tree branches. Spread down the aisle, white leaves laid. On either side of the aisle, the wedding party of over five hundred sat in white chairs set up for them on the sand. Two flat screen television sat above the priest and wedding party, giving the faraway people clear vision of what was happening. A mircophone for them to hear what was being said.
Jasmine and Lani lined the path with white rose petals as the music started and everyone stood awaiting the bride. To be different and not traditional, Riley walked down the aisle on her own, no father or important male figure in her life to give her away. She kept her composure, strided confidently down the path to her man. The place was silent except for the ochrestra's smooth melody. Everyone looked at her, taking pictures of her dress, waving, smiling.
Up ahead Riley saw him, Cassius. Her future husband, the love of her life, her everything. He stood taller, his shoulders back and his eyes locked on her, his lips formed into a small smirk. He looked so handsome in the suit she'd picked for him. She picked up her pace a little, their eye contact strong, she had to get to him sooner.
When they reached, he grabbed her hand, helped her up the two short stairs on to the platform. She was smiling so hard she felt like her mouth would ache the next morning.
The rest of the ceremony went by pretty quickly, the saying of their vows, and the pastor going on and on. When it was time for the groom to kiss his bride, everyone stood and applauded as Cassius wrapped Riley up into a passionate filled kiss.
"I love you," She smiled, tears falling off her cheeks and onto him.
He wiped them with his thumbs. "I love you more."
Cassius helped her down, his hand consciencly falling to her swollen belly. He'd never seen her pregnant before and he was happy he would be here to experience the whole pregnancy right by her side, as her husband. It was a little boy and the way the baby always stirred in her stomach when he laid his hand there, he knew it was a daddy's boy.
"He's happy we are married." Riley joked, touching his hand that laid on her clothed stomach.
"Three more months." He kissed her forehead and led her to the reception hall.
****
It started off as a regular day like most. They honeymooned for two weeks in Bora Bora, came back, and immediately got ready to departure Seattle for good. The family had finally settled down in their new home. The transferred doctor said the baby would be here in any minute and that they had to be prepared.
Riley had gotten up for the day, made breakfast for the children, watched them all get on the bus, plopped down on the couch and cuddled up to watch nonstop Home TV. Cassius had been busy in the new baby's nursery with Malakai where they were busy painting it yellow and light blue and getting the crib and other furniture pieces put together.
Riley was planning to spend the right of her afternoon on that couch, only getting up to make an after school snack before the kids came home. However, around one, she started to feel immediate pain in her abdomen. She didn't think anything of it at first because she'd felt that all the time when she was pregnant with the twins. But when the kids got home, the pain still hadn't subsided.
Cassius walked into the bedroom with CJ in his arms, it was his week to keep him. He raised an eyebrow and looked over at Riley with a confused expression. She was sitting up, her legs spread apart, hands resting on her thighs as she repeatedly took deep breaths.
She looked up when she finally felt their presence, gave a forced smile while sending a weak wave, "Hi guys.... Dinner will be ready... Uh.. soon."
"You look like you gotta take a shit Ri." Cassius commented, no filter ever on his mouth. Riley instantly rolled her eyes.
"Titi Ri peed on herself!" CJ exclaimed loudly making Cass's eyes fall down to the crotch area of her grey sweats and he was instantly mushing his eyebrows. "Baby, all the kids in this house potty trained so why the hell you can't go to the bathroom?"
