six months later..
"My baby is getting married." Ms. Huff dramatically sighed, prancing into the room. At age forty-five, she still looked and acted a good thirty. As she danced around the dressing room, the room filled with the laughter from Stormi and her bridesmaids. After a long wait and hard decisions, she'd finally picked the five women that would stand behind her on her big day.
August took the crown for Maid Of Honor and Janet, Aaliyah, Nessa and Stormi's oldest sister Angelina filled up the spaces for bridesmaids. After the laughter died down the women continued amongst themselves speaking on the latest topics of 1995.
"Girls, I did come up to tell you something. Diamond is downstairs with the new flowers. Go ahead and get them, we've got about half an hour." Ms. Huff demanded as all five of the women flooded out of the room.
She waited until the door was closed shut, before turning her attention to the young women who sat in-front of her. "Are you alright? You don't look too good."
"I'm fine, I'm just a little light-headed."
"Lightheaded? Probably just cold feet, I always had cold feet."
"At all of you're weddings?" Yes you've heard it first, Ms. Huff was a rolling stone. After Stormi and her mother moved to the Bronx in 1983. Ms. Huff went on to get married five times in between 83' until Stormi's mother passed away in 87'
"Mmh, while you over there trying to be funny. I lived my best life, I had fun."
"I'm sure you did. I'm just nervous, y'know."
"Don't be, you love him and that's all that matters. Yeah?" Ms. Huff questioned with her eyebrows perched awaiting for Stormi's answer.
"Yeah."
"Alright then, I love you and I'm proud of the woman you've become. I remember when you're mother asked me to help raise you. Boy was I happy and excited, you were my first child. My little heart, sometimes I just wished that Dorothy could've been more active in you're life. You only had you're mother consitality for four years, that just wasn't enough. If I could only turn the clock once more."
"I love you too. I don't worry about it, I'm glad I got to call her my mother. She may of been unattended until I was 11, but I knew she loved me and I loved her."
"I'm glad. I'll see you in a little bit, don't be stressing now."
"I won't." The door closed and Stormi was in the room by herself. In five years, her life had changed drastically. She'd got a record deal, met the man she was marrying today, gathered up million of people around the world, sold million of records, wrote hundreds of #1 hits, won Grammys, sold out arenas, survived a plane crash, had a comeback and survived a bruised rib surgery. All of that in less than a decade. Her mind raced around the room as she carefully laid on the couch. In less than an hour she would be marrying, Donald Earle DeGrate Jr. in Newark, New Jersey. All the memories were placed on her mind. Only five year since they'd met in the Uptown Headquarter's. It was first a competition between Stormi and Jodeci on who could sell the most records. The competition was called off after Stormi rescheduled her album release date and Jodeci remastered the original version of the album, Forever My Lady with Al B. Sure! and Puffy. You see those were the days when nobody knew nothing about the industry. Now, they all knew the ups, the downs, the good, the bad, the evil and the wicked of the music industry.
A sudden knock broke Stormi out of her daze, as she turnt her attention towards the door. "Who is it?!" Stormi yelled calmly, but it came out like aggravated question.
"Don't be answering me like that."
"De? I'm sorry." Stormi stood up from her seat on the couch, fixing the last piece of her hair.
"Come to the door, don't open it. Ain't finna curse our marriage. You there?" He questioned, tapping his foot along to the music playing.
"Yeah I'm right here."
"Good, now what's wrong wit' you?"
"Nothing, I'm good."
"Baby, y'know I know you lying like a motherfucker." Stormi sighed, he could read her like a book. No matter how hard she tried to hide her feelings, he always found the true ones in between.
"I guess I have cold feet, y'know. I just wanna make sure we're not rushing anything, that we are ready for this, ready to be one. I love you and I'm not doubting our love, I just wanna make sure you're ready."
"Hell yea' I'm ready. I'm about to lock yo' ass up. I love you Storm, we got more than just love. Baby we got it all, love, trust, company, communication, all of that good stuff. You love me unconditionally, you deal with me and my smart remarks, my stubbornness, my issues. You laugh with me, you cry with me, you fill in a lonely void for me. I, Donald DeGrate will and is marrying you today."
Stormi laid her hand over her stomach. She was bringing their child into a good environment. A mother and a father who would give him or her unconditional love. Butterflies and sparks flew through her body. In three years, they'd been through a lot, he finally let her back in into his trust bubble after his many failures and misconception of people. They'd made it through all the night terrors, the hardships of fame and the success. They made each other more comfortable confident, and musically better. Without their relationship, the music would be very much more different.
"De, can I can tell you something?"
"Wassup, wit' it."
"I'm pregnant, two months along." Stormi searched around the room, waiting for his response as she heard nothing, but the light chirps of the birds outside.
"Wow, I'm be a daddy....again?"
"Yeah, we're finally gonna have a baby."
"This day couldn't get any better." He chuckled softly. She heard a few footsteps behind the door, questioning if it was DeVante or somebody else.
"Aye! C'mon Dumbo, the wedding is starting in twenty minutes. You need to get downstairs with the groomsmen."
"See you in a minute, I love y'all." DeVante whispered towards the door.. She heard some more footsteps intidaticing that DeVante was gone. Stormi turnt around and walked towards the vanity as August bursted through the door.
"Mrs. Donald Earle DeGrate Jr. Are you ready to marry the man of dreams." She cheesed
Stormi nodded her head in excitement, "I'm ready." And now, here they where, joining each other, in unison just like their heartbeats. Just like their laughter. Just like their sorrow. Stormi and DeVante were as one, made just for one another.
***********
As Stormi turnt the corner, patiently waiting for Johnny Gill to start the piano version of here comes the bride, a small slim figure appeared behind her. She turnt around, so fast she almost got whiplash.
"Dad? You came!"
"I couldn't miss my baby's wedding. If I can't do nothing else, I'll walk you down to you're future husband."
Life was too short to seek the bad. Stormi and her father had a difficult relationship, but life was too short to be stuck in the past. It time to move forward and make more memories, good memories.
"I would love that, thank you." And just in time Johnny beautifully played the rendition of here comes the bride. As they reached the alter, DeVante and Stormi made eye contact for a short moment and felt like they were the only ones in the room. Two hearts beating in one sync.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God, and in the presence of family and friends to join together this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony. Into this holy estate these two persons present come now to be joined. Who gives this bride to this Groom in marriage?" "I do", Nicholas spoke, placing Stormi's free hand onto DeVante's as he grinned from ear to ear.
"Jesus Christ reminds us, that at the beginning the Creator made us male and female and said 'For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh'. God loved us, and created us to love others. Our lives find completion only as we love and are loved in return. Together, we can become what we could never be separated. Marriage is of God. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. Donald Earle DeGrate, Jr. and Stormi Marie Evans come today desiring to be united in this sacred relationship."
A quick prayer was said before they both placed the honorable rings on each other and spoke the traditional vows. "May the Peace and the Unconditional Love of God surround you and remain with you now and forevermore. Amen. You may seal you vows with a kiss. You, Mr. DeGrate. May kiss you're beautiful bride."
As the enjoined to a love bearing kiss, fifteen white doves where released outside of the church. "Allow me to present to you all, Mr. and Mrs. Donald DeGrate."
Happy ever after right, that's how you see it? That's how all fairytales end, well except this one. Tupac's sudden words all seemed to make sense. Somewhat as if he was given the voice to speak out to Stormi, before her journey was over. "No matter how much you try to prevent shit, if it's gon' happen..it's gon' happen. Ain't a damn thing that we control, whatever goes down happens. All we can do is control how we perceive and handle it. And I mean that with everything in me."
23 years later.
"I sit here now and that's how I wished it would've ended. All she wanted was to release her album, Honey and start a new life as Mrs. DeGrate. She'd deserved the chance to get to experience life, she was only 23 years old. It's been over two decades now and
her death still gives me chills, she didn't get the experience to have children or marry the man that she loved dearly. All of that hurts me deeply. I feel like things would be different if she was here, we would all have a spike of happiness in our lives. The music would be impactful, Honey was released a few months after her death, but it just wasn't the same feeling. My heart-still aches for DeVanté till this day. After her death his life completed changed he did a whole 360. I don't think nothing was the same after she left us. Her death was so unexpected, one night we were partying and living our lives and the next she was in the hospital on her dying bed. The surgery she had on her rib was suppose to be successful, but I can't change it. God only knows how much I miss my sister, I miss my friend. I miss Stormi."
- August Jones.
In Love & Memory
Stormi Marie Evans
February 14, 1972 - March 15, 1995
Author's Note!
--
So I bet y'all are probably cursing me out through the screen. This is the official ending of the sequel! I understand it was short, but that was for a reason. I wanted it to be unexpected, I wanted everyone to think that the rest of the book was gonna be about her journey moving forward with DeVante.
I also wanted it to kinda reflect real life, a big majority of the greatest celebrities that we've encountered have died young. I hate the fact that I made her die young, but it's not a regular-fairytale. I noticed that some people realized that Stormi's character was solely based off of Aaliyah. And that was my overall point, Aaliyah was very talented and bright spirited. Her career was short, but she's made a huge impact on r&b and hip-hop music. I wanted to craft the same thing.
A few things I would like to say is, a huge thank you to all the loyal readers. All of y'all have pushed me to write and think out of the box. This story has opened me up to different artists, ideas and creativity. I love designing small stuff, like making up magazine covers and writing up interviews. I literally planned out Stormi's career before writing out the story. I planned out each album and what songs, I made covers for each one. So I could have more information on the character I created. (maybe I'll upload all those.) I plan on opening up a cover shop- so I can make stuff like that for other writers on the platform.
Before I close out, I would like to give a huge thank you to, miaveli. "Room 723" and "Da' Basment Tapes" were the first two stories that I came in contact with surrounding Jodeci and DeVante. You inspired me to write my own story. And to steelos thank you for being devoted and giving us all the pictures and gifs.
until the next time, thank you again!