CHAPTER ONE
Sitting in the minimalist furnished, church bridal room, Damita couldn’t help but outwardly chuckle at the numerous makeup items Carmella had left sprawled out not only on the long beige bench in front of her but also on the brown leather couch behind her. She looked in the large makeup mirror in front of her and the phrase less is more sprang to mind. Carmella had been her best friend since they were kids, but when it came to makeup and attire they were as different as night and day. Damita always assumed it was because Carmella was a hairstylist and she was an investment banker. She decided she would minimize some of the makeup Carmella had applied to her face.
As she thought of her life, Damita realized she was happier today than she had ever been. She was marrying her soul mate; the man she would spend the rest of her life with. She had always been blessed with the love of family and friends, but until now, she had never found that special man that would make her life complete. Through the years she had dated liars, cheaters and mama’s boys, that just wouldn’t grow up. On the rare occasions when she did meet someone that wasn’t textbook case dysfunctional, she found that they were in different places in their lives and often would most likely never be on the same level. There were times when she felt maybe she was too judgmental or too picky, but she remembered the advice her father had given her before he died; never settle. Neal was a successful architect, he was thoughtful and kind and he did something that most men she had known seldom did; he listened to her. They had been dating for little more than a year when he popped the question. They were having dinner one night at the Sea Grill at Rockefeller Center when he suddenly got down on one knee, in a restaurant full of people, and proposed. It was romantic and chivalrous; everything that Neal was. As far as Damita was concerned, it didn’t get much better than that.
The only thing that would have made this a happier occasion was if her mother, Karen, and Carmella were as elated as she was. Somehow, as charming as Neal was, he had gotten off on the wrong foot with both of them. They considered him to be pompous and a bit of a narcissist. They didn’t understand him the way that she did. He was gentle and kind and he cared for her, unlike anyone else ever had. He was all she had ever desired and he was hers.
On her wedding day, Karen stood in the doorway watching her. “You’re absolutely beautiful.”
Damita glanced at Karen’s reflection in the full-length mirror. Wearing the same wedding dress her mother had worn to marry her father thirty-six years ago, Damita couldn’t help but compare herself to her mom. At fifty-nine, Karen could have easily passed for forty. Her body was still in spectacular shape and her flawless mahogany complexion complemented her salt and pepper shoulder-length bob. She hoped to look as great as Karen when she was in her fifties. With the exception of Karen’s gray hair and Damita’s dark chestnut brown, the mother and daughter looked so similar to one another they were often mistaken for sisters.
“Oh, Mom, you startled me.”
“You know what your grandmother would say if she was here?”
“What would Grandma say?”
Karen walked over to help Damita adjust her veil. Instead of her usual long wavy hairstyle, Damita had opted for a classic updo to complement her veil, which included a dramatic headpiece on the top that skimmed just past her hairline. It was dramatic and the long elegant train enhanced her simple lace and satin stark white wedding dress.
“Well, first of all, she’d ask you whether or not the reason you were jumping was because you weren’t living right, and then she would probably ask you whether it was somebody else that wasn’t living right.”
“Mom, no, she wouldn’t.”
“How do you know she wouldn’t?”
Damita giggled. “Grandma wasn’t a busybody like you.”
“Hey, watch your mouth, girl. I’m still your mother.”
“You’re right. But, aren’t you the one that promised you would behave yourself today?”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. But, I wouldn’t be your mother if I didn’t ask you one more time whether you’re sure this is what you want to do.”
“I’m a hundred ten percent sure.”
Karen motioned toward the door with her eyes. “Mr. Brooks Brothers is outside barking orders to everybody. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a man take that much interest in a wedding in my entire life. He’s surveyed everything, including the doggone flowers. It ain’t natural, baby.”
“You should be happy he’s taking an interest. He’s only doing it because he loves me and he wants me to have the best wedding day ever. June second, two thousand one will be a day I will remember for the rest of my life.”