“Your vows were beautiful son,” Antwain’s mother tells him when he walks over.
“Thank you. I appreciate all you’ve done for me mom,” Antwain answers.
Tatiana sits down at the bar and enjoys a slice of wedding cake.
Tania is distracted by her wedding ring. She stares at it; still having a tough time believing that she is married.
As she moves her finger around, the large diamond glitters and sparkles in the moonlight.
Tania stops staring at her ring long enough to finally meet her new mother-in-law face to face. “Nice to meet you Ms. Cheek,” she says shaking Leticia’s hand.
“Please, call me Leticia,” she insists. Antwain looks on as the two most important women in his life become acquainted.
Finally, he leaves his wife and mother alone to talk. “This has been an amazing day, don’t you think?”
“Well, bittersweet to me,” Leticia answers.
Tania is shocked by her new mother-in-law’s answer, “Bittersweet?” She asks.
“Yeah. I’m glad to see my son so happy, but I feel like I’m losing my baby,” Leticia answers.
“Well, you’re gaining a daughter…right?” Tania asks.
“I don’t know about all that. I’d be happy with just my son,” Leticia answers.
“Oh,” Tania answers, not sure what to say to that.
She’s grateful when Antwain rescues her. “It’s time I dance with my new wife,” he says.
Tania is still thinking about Leticia’s rude comment. “I don’t think your mom likes me,” Tania answers.
Antwain looks over at his mother, surprised. “Why do you say that?” He asks.
“Well, I told her that she’s gaining a daughter and she totally shut me down,” Tania answers.
Antwain smiles, slightly. “I think she’s just missing me at home. She may have had one too many drinks as well. I wouldn’t worry about it,” he says.
As the crowd begins to disappear, Tania decides that now would be a great time for a drink. Antwain watches with slight concern on his face. He has seen Tania grab drinks often when she thinks he’s not looking. He hopes it does not become a cause for concern.
Tania drinks and welcomes the warm feelings that the nectar provides.
Tatiana takes a moment to help out by washing all of the dirty dishes left over by the guests. She doesn’t want Tania and Antwain to have to worry about anything.
Now that she is the only one in the backyard, Tania grabs another drink.
After the second drink, any anxieties she was feeling over Antwain’s mom are gone. She is ready to celebrate her wedding night.
As she sets the 2nd glass down on the bar, her eyes drift over to her brother’s grave. Her feet follow her gaze and before she knows it, she is standing by his headstone. “I guess I’ll have to say goodbye soon,” she whispers, wishing that these were words that she did not have to say.
Tania would give anything to eliminate the pit of sorrow in her stomach that she feels as she stares down at George III’s grave. Her sorrow turns to unexpected anger at the thought of having his body dug up and moved to the cemetery.
Tatiana notices Tania standing by George III’s grave. She hopes that Tania is finally saying goodbye. It’s never healthy for the living to be too caught up with the spirits of the dead.
It takes a while, but Tania finally pulls herself together. She has kept her new husband waiting long enough.
Antwain rests on the bed anxious to perform well for his new wife on his wedding night.
Tania laughs at her own nervousness. It amuses her because its not the first time she and Antwain have been intimate together. Then she realizes that she’s nervous because her grandmother’s bedroom is right next to theirs.
All the awkward feelings melt away as soon as Antwain and Tania slide under the sheets.
They emerge afterward with smiles on their faces.
Tania slides over and rests her head on Antwain’s shoulder. She grabs his hand, “I love you,” she whispers.
“I love you too!” Antwain responds.
Mindful that Tania and her new husband might be a little embarrassed about having her sleeping in the room next to theirs, Tatiana decides to stay up a while and work on a new painting that she intends to give them as a wedding present.
She adds the finishing touches and stares at her latest work of art; praying that it is not the last thing she ever gets a chance to create.
