Made of Honor (28 page)

The preacher took hold his makeshift pulpit. “Do all those here pledge as witnesses, commit to pray for Dana and Adrian, to encourage them in times of despair, to correct them in love when needed and to forgive them when they fail?”

“We do.” The voices rang out stronger than the numbers. Daddy’s and Jordan’s deep voices formed the foundation. Shemika took the high top note, with my aunt and cousins mixing in. How beautiful their voices sounded.

“I now pronounce you man, maidservant and maker. Married to each other and to an Almighty Husband who’ll return soon for a church without wrinkle—and has His own iron to get things straight. Delight in Him always. You may kiss the bride.” The old man smiled in satisfaction.

The reggae band struck an upbeat rendition of “Holy, Holy, Holy” as Adrian took my face in his hands and kissed me until my toes curled in my sandals. Austin and Tracey’s laughter and Josh and Trevor’s whistles melted into the background as I accepted my husband’s loving kiss. I smoothed his bald head, returning his kiss. The truth of the moment crashed against my mind. Adrian was my husband.

As we broke our lip-lock, a white bird settled on the top of the arbor. The dove I’d paid an extra fifty dollars to have released during the ceremony and forgotten about. My eyes again blurred with tears. The waters of my heart had finally receded. It was time to emerge from where I’d hidden for so long. It was time for peace. For love.

I released my husband’s hand and sank to the sand, arms outstretched to heaven. “Thank you. For everything.” When I gathered my hands into my lap, unable to rise, just as he had that day at Tracey’s wedding, Adrian gathered me into his arms, stopping only to pluck a rose from the arch. He slipped the stem into my hair then bent down for my bouquet, a circular braid of pink roses and baby’s breath—I didn’t want to injure anyone. He hurled it over his shoulder.

I struggled to look around his muscular arms. He turned in time for me to see Dahlia miss the catch and the ring of flowers hit Rochelle square in the forehead. I laughed through my tears.

Ryan ran behind us with his notary stamp and a pen. Adrian hurriedly signed his name. I scribbled mine just as quickly.

Adrian handed the paper back. “Is that it? Are we legal? I almost forgot that part.”

Already walking away, Ryan laughed. “Yes, that’s it. I’ll fax it now and file the original at the courthouse. I’ve got to get back, the next ceremony is starting.”

I poked my head up from the crook of Adrian’s arm. “The next ceremony?”

Ryan nodded. “Yeah. Dahlia’s going to do that commitment to Jesus thing since you didn’t. She wanted to, evidently, but didn’t want you to think she was trying to push in on your thing. The minister is down with it, so…” His voice faded into the wind.

Funny, when we planned all this, I had it backward. This was supposed to be Dahlia’s honeymoon and it turned out to be mine. It was going to be the memorial of my commitment to Christ and it ended up being Dahlia’s fresh start with God instead. When God says that His thoughts are not our thoughts, believe it. This is how it should be.

“Thanks, man!” Adrian shouted, then waved to Ryan as he rejoined the others. As much as Adrian loved my family, he didn’t even discuss the option of sticking around. In fact, he broke into a jog towards the vans we’d rode over in. He kissed me again before depositing me into the passenger’s seat of the first one we came to and bent over, feeling for the key under the mat.

I swallowed. “Now what?”

He looked up with an intensity that made me shiver. “Now, dear wife, I take you home. And this time, I’m coming in to stay.”

1. As the book opens, Dana has mixed feelings about her best friend’s wedding. When her instincts turn out to be correct, she prays for Tracey and tries to help her sort out her feelings but realizes she wants her own marriage to be different. Have you ever known ahead of time that a relationship might not be the best idea for you or for a friend? Did you go through with it anyway? What happened?
   
2. Dana, Tracey and Rochelle are some of the last members of the Sassy Sistahood e-mail list. If you had a chance to join a group like this, would you? If so, which of the three friends would you probably be closest to? Whom did you identity with most?
   
3. Dana’s sister has done some hurtful things to her, but now Dahlia’s trying to live for Christ. Would you struggle with having someone like her back in your life or would you freely forgive Dahlia, knowing that God will transform her as she grows as a Christian? Did Dana do well in how she handled this situation? If not, what could she have done better?
   
4. Austin, the local news reporter who visits Dana’s shop, becomes a new and unexpected friend. Though the two women seem to have little in common at first, as they spend more time together, they realize they have much to share. Have you ever made an “instant friend” like Austin? Are you still friends with that person today?
   
5. Dana spends a lot of time thinking about the past with Adrian and struggles at first to consider a future with him. Though her memory of him stealing her business idea turns out to be false, something much worse turns out to be true. Have you ever reached a turning point when you had to let go of the past to grab on to the future? What did you decide? Do you think that Dana made the right decision with Adrian?
   
6. Dana’s relationships with her father and brother start out rocky at best. Yet, in the end, Jordan and her dad are there for her and support her. Have you ever had to rethink your feelings on someone in our family? Has someone you know made a great turn around in their life? Did you find their new life hard to accept?
   
7. Though Dana’s goal is to make products to help women relax, she stresses herself out to do it, to the point of endangering her own health. Have you ever been so concerned for others that you couldn’t find time to take care of yourself? Do you struggle to balance work, family and faith? If so, what is one thing you can do this week to relieve some stress?
   
8. Throughout the story, Dana struggles with her weight, although she ends the story at the same weight she started at. At the end of the tale, however, she is healthier and feels better about herself. What do you think made the difference in her attitude?
   
9. Dana’s business started out as a hobby. Is there something you’ve always wanted to try or learn about, but you’ve never had the time? If your resources were unlimited, what kind of craft or hobby wold you try? If the funds for a business startup were at your disposal, what kind of business would you be interested in?
   
10. The verse at the front of this book is Psalms 139:14 “I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” The return of her brother and old boyfriend, starting a new business and almost losing her life certainly showed Dana what she was made of. In the end, she was both stronger and weaker than she’d thought. Have circumstances in your life revealed what’s in your heart? Were you surprised by what you saw? If not, what do you think made the difference?