The guests stood to take in the bride’s walk to her groom and all were quickly overcome by emotion stirred by the ballad’s lyrics and by the scene they witnessed.
Hand in hand with their mother, Leeya and Layah journeyed toward their father. The girls’ small, lovely faces were aglow with excitement and happiness.
Persephone found herself incessantly blinking away tears as they pooled and streamed. There was no wiping them away as the girls had her hands so firmly clasped. Persephone did her best to keep her focus though, not wanting a second to pass by in a blur.
Hill found himself working to do the same. Several times, he felt his hand at his throat and working to ease the emotion that kept getting lodged there.
Pike and Smoak took their best men duties seriously. They applied soothing rubs of encouragement to their brother’s back as he watched his wife-to-be approach. Caiphus; standing closest to Smoak, could only grin and nod approvingly as he was overcome by the deepest sense of happiness for his brother. Everyone in attendance was similarly affected.
The guests settled back to their seats as the stirring ballad drifted into silence and the twins gave their mother to their father. The girls’ giggles had everyone laughing when Hill; holding Persephone’s hand, knelt to bestow loud kisses to his daughter’s cheeks.
The little family gathered close and turned to face the man who would marry them. The Hawaiian priest was brother to Persephone’s head of security. The man had been honored to preside over the ceremony.
With the music silenced, the only sounds were those of the island birds, the mellow roar of the ocean and the priest sharing the words that would bind Hill and Persephone in the eyes of God and man.
~~~
Mr. and Mrs. Hilliam and Persephone Tesano were presented to their family and friends following a very demonstrative kiss that had Leeya and Layah Tesano dissolving into yet another bout of laughter while everyone else offered whistles and hearty applause.
The reception was a loud, lively affair that offered luau festivities such as Hula and Samoan fire dancing in addition to live music of the island. Also supplying entertainment were a live jazz band and a DJ who spun a wealth of new and old school favorites.
The girls did their best to party with the grownups, but were found asleep in each other's arms an hour after the luau began. Tammy had offered to take them in, but the groom forbid his mother-in-law doing anything that would remove her from the comradery she’d found among his parents.
Roman and Imani had introduced Tammy to Pitch and Candace. Then, there was a mini-reunion of sorts when the Tesanos introduced Tammy to Damon and Catrina only to discover Tammy remembered them both from her days working at Quentin and Marcella Ramsey’s estate.
Hill put the girls to bed and left them under the watchful eye of the head housekeeper’s 17 year old daughter. The girl had already been booked to watch the twins once the reception became too adult for their presence.
Hill was taking the path back down to the party when he was met by his uncle. Pitch Tesano was the only man, aside from his father and Uncle Aaron, who Hill would ever admit to being truly intimidated by. The intimidation factor was outweighed only by the love Hill felt for each man.
Pitch drew his nephew into a lengthy bear hug followed by a warm kiss to Hill’s cheek. “Proud of you, boy,” Pitch said once he’d released his nephew.
“Thanks Uncle P,” Hill gave the man a skeptical look. “I wasn’t sure of myself there for a while.”
Pitch’s laughter was robust and often contagious. “We’ve all been there. Many of us waste years there.”
Hill followed his uncle’s gaze to a noisy group of merrymakers where Candace Strong was sharing a private joke with Tamara James. “Uncle P, since we’re married men now, I feel safe telling you that I’ve always had a crush on Miss Candace. I was surprised that she was still free to be married.”
Pitch’s chuckle was just as robust and equally contagious. “Hell kid, you were no more surprised than I was.” Pitch fixed his nephew with a sly look. “Since we’re being honest, I have to say I understand why you call your wife a goddess.”
Hill grunted, finding Persephone a ways down the beach. She chatted with the DJ along with SyBilla and Caiphus. An image emerged of her walking towards him with the stunning early evening sky and mountain etched behind her. Goddess, indeed.
“Uncle P,” Hill sighed in pretend weariness, “everyone thinks there’s no rhyme or reason to my nicknames but they come from a place of truth.”
“Same goes for those vows I heard you speak earlier,” Pitch clapped Hill’s back. “True commitment and love. It’s really all you need.” Pitch looked to his wife again. “Wish I’d realized that a long time ago.”
Hill reciprocated his uncle’s back pat. “We know it now, Unk. That’s all that counts.”
“Damn right,” Pitch drew his nephew into another hearty squeeze.
~~~
“They can’t believe how fast she’s recovering. There was so much tissue damage.”
Persephone gave her mother a cunning smile. “They wouldn’t be in such disbelief if they knew what we do.”
Tammy laughed and nodded steadily. She had just received a call from the local hospital informing her that they would be releasing Maeva in another few days. Tammy wondered if it was Mae’s speedy recovery or the kind of patient she was that had encouraged the doctors to push up her release date. She and Persephone had spent the last several moments chuckling over that very real possibility.
“Just don’t forget you’ve got two little girls here who are gonna expect their grandmother's presence from time to time.” Persephone squeezed her mother’s hand while issuing the reminder.
Tammy pulled at the silk sash that dangled along the left leg of Persephone’s jumpsuit. “Is it my presence or my cooking they’ll miss?”
“Ha! I’m the one who’s gonna miss that!” Persephone sighed once her laughter began to wane. “So um...what’s in store for you and Mae once they release her?”
“We’re gonna keep it simple,” Tammy’s tone was resolute as though she’d been preparing for the question. “Carmen and Jasper are eager to help-they know it’s gonna take a lot to get Mae settled and secure.”
“Well just let me know what’s going on okay?” Persephone reached for Tammy’s hands. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“What I need is for you to focus on your family,” Tammy applied a reassuring pat to the back of her daughter’s hand. “I’ll be fine knowing you’re doing that. That,” Tammy’s brows rose as she seemed to be debating on whether to continue.
“That and knowing there might be a chance that you could one day forgive me-really forgive me for all of it, Persephone. I know it’s a question I can never ask Mae-her forgiveness is a thing I’ll never be worthy of.”
Persephone moved closer, brought Tammy’s hands up to squeeze at her chest. “If there’s one thing we know about Mae, it’s that she’s very honest with her feelings. I think if she couldn’t forgive you, you’d know it by now. I also think she knows you did what you did to protect her from a possibly worse fate knowing Marcus Ramsey-a man whose vileness you knew all too well.” Persephone was the one who applied the reassuring pat to the back of her mother’s hand then.
“I know what lengths fear can make a person go to. Asking me to forgive you, isn’t something you ever have to ask me, Mama.”
Tammy smiled through her tears while Persephone drew her into an embrace. It was a hold that signified the matter was resolved.
When Persephone drew back from her mother, it was to look out across the still vibrant party. Excitement and slight apprehension shone in her eyes as she surveyed the proof of new love and laughter that had come into her life.
