Eight months later
Pink, white, and cream flowers bunch together to form a beautiful bouquet in my hands. The same combination of flowers is tied to the two chairs on either side of the aisle in every three rows, accentuating the long white trail laid for the wedding party to march down. The men are already at the altar and the groom looks particularly nervous.
"It's time," I tell my two best friends and the three bridesmaids. Gillian's daughter is here too. Her role today is the flower girl.
"Remember Mia, mommy will be at the altar waiting for you. Just scatter the flowers on the walkway so aunty can find her way," I stop to tell my adorable goddaughter. She gives me her cutest smile and nod.
The music starts playing, giving the cue for the bridesmaids to start filing out. After them, it's Gillian, the matron of honor followed by me. Being the maid of honor, I make one final check on Marsha before marching to take my place.
Mia starts her descent after me and she does an amazing job, doing a traditional wedding march and spreading flowers as we practiced. She makes the pathway even more beautiful for the bride.
A violinist plays John Legend's– All of me and the guests stand, turning their attention to the other end of the aisle. I can't stop the tears from falling when Marsha appears, looking ever so angelic that I fight to control my emotions.
She makes a stunning bride. Her off-white, mermaid dress is fitted at the bust with a neckline showing off her cleavage. She is absolutely beautiful.
Looking at her now, you would never know that she spent a portion of the morning retching over the toilet when a wave of nausea kicked in. She's eight weeks pregnant and morning sickness is just one of her symptoms.
Marsha and her mother, Miss Althia, link arms, and both exchange a brief smile. Her mother gently pats her arm, presumably to reassure and comfort her as they both move gingerly toward the altar.
She lets go of Marsha at the end of the trail and Ethan steps forward to claim his bride. The couple exchanged their vows for a second time, promising to be together for better or worse. This time in the full view of their cherished family members and friends.
The weeks leading up to this day were tumultuous, to say the least. At times I found myself between Marsha, who morphed into a bridezilla, and a hormonal Gillian, who is rounding out the first trimester of her second pregnancy.
Two pregnant best friends and one me. I'm sure the wedding planner gained a few gray hairs from dealing with us. It was a monstrous task but it all culminated with this perfectly beautiful moment.
With the vows out of the way, the bridal party is whisked away for photos. My heart warms at Ethan's overprotectiveness of Marsha. He is so gentle with her, touching her like she's a delicate flower that could crumble and fade into thin air. When he looks at her, he beams with pride.
This is the man who helped her break down the walls she erected out of fear. Imagine, a woman who made it to age 30 and still a virgin all because a monster made her dread penetration.
Yet today, she stands here, having let that man in so he could experience how it feels to love and be loved. The little human growing inside her is a manifestation of that love.
For the reception, Marsha chose to have the bridal party sit with other guests instead of seating them at the head table with the bride and groom. Chaunard sits next to me at my table as well as Gillian, Ricardo, and the twins. The remaining two places are occupied by Samantha, who is Marsha's sister, and their cousin Kimberly. They too were bridesmaids.
I beam at Gillian and Ricardo, who are doting on each other like newlyweds. After his little hospital scare, Ricardo swore never to invite another person into their sex life again. The two embarked on rediscovering themselves and somehow that reignited the love and sexual attraction between them.
After the usual speeches and the couple's first dance, the master of ceremony announces that it's time for the bride to toss the bouquet. I opt out of it but everyone at the table is adamant that I go. Samantha and Kimberly practically drag me out of the seat to go with them while Chaunard sits there laughing at me.
I'm standing among about a dozen women with no intention of even trying to catch the bouquet. This whole theory of the 'lucky' person being next in line has never sat well with me.
Gillian looks excited with her cellphone in hand trying to capture what she's hoping will be the moment the baton is passed between friends. At her wedding, Marsha was the one who snatched the bouquet and now she thinks it's my turn.
The MC starts the countdown and Marsha swings her hand up and down teasingly. But when the MC yells go, she turns to face the group of women awaiting the toss. Her grin is wide and her eyes glaze over with tears as she walks over with the bouquet outstretched to me.
"Weh yah do?" I ask in a hushed tone, startled by her choosing to break tradition, and hand the floral arrangement directly to me. She shoves it into my hands and grabs hold of my shoulder and says "A you nex. Turn round," then spins me 180 degrees.
The other maids separate to reveal Chaunard down on one knee with a ring in his hand.
They were all a part of it.
A chorus of "awwws" echoes around us but I am dumbstruck. Words fail me. I cannot even make a sound.
My eyes burn as the first drop of tear slides down my cheek. I glance at a smiling Gillian, who has moved from where she previously stood. I figure it's so that she can get a better angle for her video.
"Will you marry me?" Chaunard asks and all I can do is nod yes. Marsha's guests respond with claps and loud cheers while a few of the maids pop confetti above our heads when we kiss.
"Another wedding is in order," announces the MC, "Give it up for Kelsie and Chaunard!"
At the end of the ceremony, Marsha bids me and Gillian a tearful goodbye since the occasion also marks her official move to the US with her husband. I know some of those tears are due to pregnancy hormones.
"Congrats again Kelz. Please hurry up an married before mi belly start to show," she suggests before pulling me into a hug and then entering the waiting car with Ethan. Gillian and I wave goodbye to her and then to each other.
I am left standing there, watching as the bride and groom's vehicle exits the property when Chaunard sneaks up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. "So Marsha is pregnant too?" he asks.
"You heard her?"
"Yeah, I did. That's two babies you'll be welcoming next year."
"It's actually three," I mumble but he doesn't seem to hear me.
"Babe, can we get married in the next six to eight weeks?" I ask, leaning back against him.
"We can but why yuh waa stress yourself fi do it so quick?"
I pull his hands down to my abdomen and tell him "because I don't want a long engagement and I also don't want to be a fat bride".
"Suh yuh plan fi gain weight after the next eight weeks?"
"I don't have a choice," I tell him, this time moving his hands in circles on my stomach.
He doesn't utter a word for a few seconds and I start thinking that it flew over his head once more. Then he asks, "Yuh pregnant? How?"
"Remember I switched from the pills to the injection because of the mood swings? Well...I was supposed to take the shot every three months but with the wedding and everything, I forgot to make the appointment.
"My breasts have been unusually tender for the past two weeks and I felt bloated too so this morning I did three pregnancy tests and they're all positive. Are you upset?"
"What? Hell no! Mi did waa to do things di right way – get married, have a nice honeymoon and all before a baby but I guess life has other plans and it's all fine with me," he says.
"Sure?" I ask, spinning around to face him. A wide grin is plastered on his face. "Mi know dis might sound corny but believe mi when mi tell yuh seh yuh cyaa find a man happier than me right now." And I believe him.
"I love you Chaunard."
"And I love you, Kelsey," he replies as we lock lips.