Fiction

Two Before The Wedding Conclusion

A Sunny Alexander-Johnson And Henry James Series

My name is Sunny Alexander-Johnson, and I’m Henry James, and we’re writers for Dark Sides of the Truth magazine.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13

Friday’s storyboarding session with the rest of the writing team and Rick went pretty much as we’d hoped it would with Rick choosing to feature our story.

And the weekend zipped by, and Monday reared its ugly head again. But this week was different. This week neither of us was looking for a story. This week was nothing more than a four-day prelude to a wedding.

By late Thursday afternoon Damen, Darlene, and the girls arrived from Houston, and much of Thursday evening was spent at Cynthia’s house, each of the family enjoying time together.

It was going to be a simple affair, the family, Henry and Cynthia, and a Justice of the Peace at the courthouse downtown. When Friday rolled around, we all met at the courthouse waiting until the admin led us all to a large room where the ceremony would be held.

We all took our places, Cynthia and her future husband, facing the judge, Sunny, Rebecca Wu, and Victoria Hermanos to Cynthia’s left, Robert Johnson, Manny Hermanos, and Ray and Demarcus Alexander to Henry’s right.

Rick and others formed a small group of attendees in folding chairs behind the wedding party.

The Justice of the Peace spoke.

“Dearly beloved, we’re gathered here in the sight of God and these witnesses to join these two in holy matrimony. Should there be anyone here who objects to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

“Oh shit!”

Everyone turned in amazement to see Cynthia’s only daughter slightly bent at the waist, clutching her swollen stomach. At her feet, we all saw pools of fluid. We were all pretty confident where the objection had come from.

“Oh, holy shit!”

“Oh, dear. You’re water just broke, didn’t it Shaundrika?”

“Dammit Henry, this is all your fault! If you hadn’t dragged me all over town last week, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Whoa, princess. Back the truck up. I didn’t have a damn thing to do with those two babies picking a bad time to be born.”

“Stop it both of you. Robert take your wife to the hospital. County Memorial, right?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Mother, I’m so terribly sorry.”

“Don’t worry about this, Shaundrika. Henry and I can always reschedule. I believe we need to deliver those two before the wedding. Don’t you? Now you and Robert go. Everyone? County Memorial. Let’s go.”

The last time the entire family had all been together in a waiting room, it was less of a momentous occasion, and more of a sense of dread that Cynthia wouldn’t make it through surgery after being hit with a car by a man whose sole purpose was to kill her.

Now we waited, smiling, sometimes laughing, a sense of excited anticipation buzzing its way around the room.

There was, however, a wedding postponement that somewhat dulled our happiness a little bit.

“Mother, you and Henry will just have to reschedule.”

“We know Ray. And we will, but in the grand scheme of things, your sister and her babies are what’s important. Let’s just get through this for now. Then Henry and I will talk about our next steps.”

“Ray, let’s see if we can grab some coffee.”

“Sure, Demarcus. Mother? You need anything?”

“I’m fine with this water, son.”

“Anybody else?”

Demarcus waited, and when no one said anything, turned alongside his older brother Ray and they disappeared around a corner. All of us resumed the waiting game.

We’d already been at the hospital for six hours and after foraging a few snacks and drinks from the vending machines were just trying to settle in for the dogged task of waiting for news.

Four hours later, Robert Johnson walked out. He was dressed in a surgical gown and gloves and had protective booties on his shoes. We watched him pull his mask down with hands covered with latex gloves and smile at us.

“One down, one more to go.”

“You look like a regular Marcus Welby M.D. dude.”

“Who’s that?”

“Never mind. Boy or girl?”

“Girl. Looks like her brother couldn’t make up his mind so she made it for him.”

“Sounds just like her mother.”

“Yeah, I gotta get back in there.”

Thirty-two minutes later Robert Johnson reappeared, again removing the mask and again, grinning crazily.

“He’s here. They’re both healthy and Sunny’s doing well. We should be in the room in about an hour then I’ll come to get you all.”

Robert finally returned bereft of his gown, gloves, and booties and led the wedding party to Sunny’s room. Looking extremely tired, but nonetheless beaming with a satisfied pride, Shaundrika Alexander-Johnson caressed two beautiful babies, each wearing skull caps, against her upper chest.

“Way to go partner.”

“Thanks, Henry.”

“What’s their names dear?”

“Well, mother, Robert, and I must have discussed this a billion times…”

“More like a trillion.”

“Say hello to Dante Allen Alexander-Johnson and Alicia Lynn Alexander-Johnson.”

“Beautiful, Dante, and Alicia. Such precious grandbabies.”

“Mother where is Demarcus and Ray?”

“Strange, they went to get some coffee. I wonder what’s keeping them.”

“You want me to go look for them, honey?”

At that moment Ray Jr. and Demarcus walked into the room. Following them was a gentle-looking, elderly man wearing dark pants a black long-sleeved shirt with a small square of his ecumenical collar peeking out.

“Mother look who we found. Ray and I were trying to find the coffee shop and we noticed the good father here tidying up the hospital chapel. Father Patrick McNally, this is our mother Cynthia Alexander, and her future husband Henry Allen James.”

“Father Patrick. You can do weddings?”

“Yes, ma’am I’m licensed to perform the ceremony. I will say this is quite an unusual circumstance.”

“Father you’ve just described our entire family.”

“Well, Mr. James is it?”

“Yes.”

“Mr. James do you have the certificate with you?”

“I do.”

“You know you’ll have to say that one more time right?”

“What?”

“Just a little pre-wedding humor. If you and your fiancee will stand right here we’ll begin. Dearly beloved…”

As Father Patrick began, the newest female addition to the Alexander-Johnson clan began to stir, first offering us a few fitful starts, then growing louder and louder with every word the man spoke.

When feeding didn’t help Alicia was then passed around to each family member hoping one would have the magical healing touch the tiny one needed for comfort. But Alicia’s squeals of anguish wouldn’t stop, even though Cynthia took her in her arms.

“Do you have the rings?”

“What? I can barely hear you.”

“The rings.”

“Oh, they’re in my purse. Here Henry. Take Alicia for a minute.”

“Uh, I ain’t used to holding babies woman. Give her to somebody else.”

“Henry Allen James. Take this grandchild of ours right now so I can get our wedding rings. You do want to get married don’t you?”

“Of course.”

“Then take her.”

The very minute Alicia settled into the crook of an arm she became quiet. Soon, she was staring up at the man holding her and cooing. Everyone gawked in stunned silence.

“What are y’all looking at? Ain’t ya ever seen a man holding a baby?”

“Yeah, we have old man, just not you. I think you and my daughter are going to be great friends and Robert, I think we’ve just found our baby sitter.”

“Bite me, princess. Here somebody needs to take this baby so Cynthia and I can get married.”

Objections to that suggestion were instantly voiced by everyone standing in the room and all at the same time. Even Cynthia chimed in.

“I don’t think so, Henry. You just hold her. I have the rings and if I have to put on my own wedding ring I will. You are not putting Alicia down. Father Patrick? Please continue.”

“As I said, dearly beloved. We are gathered here in the presence of these witnesses uh, including Alicia Lynn Alexander-Johnson, to witness Cynthia and Henry join in holy matrimony…”

Thank You So Much For Reading

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