Respect

Chapter 28

"Little girl, don't play with me! You have me acting out of character in public."

"I was just joking. I want you, Dad, and my brothers to be at my wedding. Plus, nobody is even here except for Nancy. She already knows how crazy you are." Nancy, the nail technician, nodded in agreement as she prepared the water.

"Mhmmm. You better." My Mom said as she handed the bottles of nail polish to her and sat down in the spa chair. I handed my Mom her phone and headphones as she took hold of the remote control to turn on the vibrations. I watched as Nancy moved my mother's feet into the water.

For some reason, I almost always forget to wear short pants when I'm going to get my toes done. I never wore sneakers before because those foam slippers feel weird compared to my flip flops, but I can now because my feet are dry before I leave  from the LED lamp. My Mom made the right choice of wearing her cute jean shorts and white low top Chuck Taylors. This lady is 55 and still dresses like she's in high school. I love it and can't wait to look her when I'm that age.

"I'll pick you up later, Mom." I kissed her cheek.

"Don't be late." She warned me.

"I won't. Have some faith in me." I walked out of the Ritz-Carlton Spa that's less than five minutes away from the Staples Center. I'm treating my mother to a spa day because today is my parent's 35th wedding anniversary. That is a huge milestone that any couple would want to achieve. They have gone through so much from my mother's depression after my grandmother died, my father's breast cancer scare, and the time when they thought the other one was cheating. All of that is in the past because we're looking to the future.

Every year, the family and some of our close friends sit down to a special dinner made by me.

Okay, I'm capping.

We actually go to a restaurant, but one year we did have a home cooked meal made by me, Tristian's wife, and Malcolm's old girlfriend. It was good, but we all agreed that it would be so much easier to reserve a table at a fancy restaurant to feed 20 people because all that stress could turn a person's hair grey instantly.

My Dad decided that he wanted us to do something a little different this year. So, we've planned a surprise vow renewal at the beach. My Mom has no idea that my Dad has been arranging everything from the food to her gown. He brought up the idea of having a seafood boil. I thought it was fine since no one was vegetarian and everyone didn't getting their hands dirty. I love me some crab legs. We're also going to have beautiful desserts, fresh coconuts and Lechon, which is a roasted pig.

The color scheme are teal and coral since those are my parents' favorite colors. My Mom's dress is simple and elegant and she's going to wear it with white sandals. She might be a little upset because she doesn't like surprises, but I believe she's going to appreciate everything in the end.

Lamar is going to be the officiant as the oldest child. Malcolm and Tristian are going to walk her down the aisle since they are Irish twins. Our parents got right back on the saddle, didn't they? My Dad told me that someone told them that if they didn't wait a long time after having Malcolm, the next child would be a girl but that didn't come to pass. I really don't know how they believed that from someone who wasn't a certified medical professional. 4 years after Tristian was born, I graced the world with my presence.

Lamar's 35, Malcolm's 31 and 11 months, Tristian's 31, and I'm 27.

Anyway, my Mom is getting three treatments from the Veuve Clicquot collection with a mani/pedi. It entails a massage, facial, and body wrap with citrus fruits and a strawberry essence floral scrub. During each one, she'll be served a glass of luxury champagne. She should be here for about 5 hours, which gives me enough time to make sure everything is perfect at the venue and that everyone gets there on time.