“When are you due, babe, do you know?”
Nell rested her head against Colt’s arm. “I’m due in December.”
Colt glanced away and toward the ceiling, thinking. “Which means you conceived in…March.” A slow grin spread across his face. “I think I know exactly when we—”
“Colton!” Nell shrieked, and snatched the mic from him, smacking him across the shoulder.
“Sorry. I’m just excited.”
The crowd was laughing and clapping, and then someone toward the back clinked their spoon against a glass, which was soon caught up by everyone in the room.
Colt handed the mic to his friend Split and turned Nell in his arms. “With pleasure,” I heard him murmur to her as he kissed her, long and deep.
After a few moments, Split stood up and held the mic to his mouth. “A’right, a’right. Save it for later, you two.” Split turned to face Colt as he and Nell sat down to listen. “I’ve known my boy Colt here since he was nothin’ but a scared little cracker livin’ in the ’hood. He’s been through more than most of y’all could ever imagine, and he’s here because he always was the smartest and the strongest of anyone I know. Now, I ain’t gonna lie, I saved his ass a time or two, but he’s been there for me more than I have him. He’s like a brother to me…a brother, and a brotha, if you know what I mean.” Split glanced out at the audience sitting rapt at the round tables. “But then, most of y’all are white, so you may not know. Guess that makes me the token black guy at the wedding, huh? It’s a’right, it’s a’right. Point is, after everything Colt’s gone through, there ain’t no one in this room happier than me to see him get married, ’specially to a damn good woman like Nell. When I met Nell for the first time, I was skeptical. She was nice, but…well…I didn’t see back then how strong she was. She took Colt and she gave him a new lease on life, as stupid as that sounds. She did, though, for real, y’all. She loves him, and she gets him. And that’s important. So…Colt, Nell, ya’ll two are family to me. You’re the family I ain’t never had, and that’s the truth. I love you both, and I’m happy for you. Congratulations.” He lifted his glass of ice water to the ceiling, and then toasted Colt.
It was my turn, I realized. I’d been thinking this through for days. I took the mic from Split and stood up, swallowing hard and focusing on my breathing. “Hi. I’m Becca. Nell has been my best friend since the first—the first day of kindergarten. She stole my glue and my glitter. We’ve been friends ever since.” I faced Nell. “I’m going to try to get through this without crying or stuttering, but I’m not making any promises. We’ve both had some…interesting experiences. I’m going to keep this light, since it’s a wedding, but Nell, you know what I mean. There were days I really worried about you. You said once you weren’t sure you’d ever be okay. Well, look at you now. You’re married to an amazing man, and you’re gonna be a mommy soon. I’m proud of you, Nell. You…you’ve come through s-so much, and you’ve found your happiness. You’ve found your way to okay. You’re going to be a w-wonderful mother, and Colt, you’ll be a wonderful father. I have no doubts in my mind. My son loves you, after all, and he actually listens to you better than he does me some days. Right, Benny?”
Benny was sitting on Jason’s lap, a piece of bread in one hand and a fork held awkwardly upside down in the other, mashed potatoes clumped onto the end. He looked at me, hearing his name, and then held out the fork to me. “I gots ’tatos. Want some, Mama? Have some ’tatos?”
I couldn’t help laughing. “Thanks, buddy. I had some. Do you love Aunt Nelly and Uncle Colt?”
Benny nodded. “Yep. Colt is a horsey. Gived me ride the horsey.”
“What about Nell?”
He glanced at Nell, thinking. “Yep. Nelly, you got more candy? More nem-in-ems?”
Nell laughed and leaned toward him. “That was supposed to be a secret. You weren’t supposed to have candy.”
I glanced at Nell, who blushed and acted innocent. “It was just a few M&Ms,” she admitted.
I shook my head. “So that’s why he couldn’t sit still yesterday.” I grinned at her. “Just remember this when I give you your kid back someday. I’ll hop them up full of candy and send ’em home, and we’ll see how funny it is then.”
I had opened my mouth to resume my speech when a loud fart echoed from Ben’s general direction. He looked around in surprise, as if wondering where the sound had come from, then turned to me. “Mama, I go poo-poo.”
The audience howled.
I covered my face with my hand, mortified. “It looks my speech has been hijacked by a certain little stinker,” I said. “I’ll end it with this. Nell, I love you. I’m proud of you, and I’m happy for you. Congratulations.”
After changing Ben, I came back to the tail end of Robert Calloway’s speech, the last one of the evening. After that, the cake was cut and consumed, and the dancing began. Nell and Colt ended the reception by performing their song “Falling Into You,” which had received national radio play since their proposal show in New Orleans.
I danced with Jason and Ben, holding my two men close, and watched as Nell strummed her guitar, her wedding dress pooling on the floor at her feet, her voice capturing the audience, joy on her face.
The newlyweds left soon after, and I hugged Nell just before she got into the limo.
“Thank you, Becca,” she whispered to me. “I don’t know what I would have done without you, some days. I can’t wait to be mommies together.”
Jason shook Colt’s hand, and then wrapped his arm around me, Ben held on his opposite hip. “So Nell is preggo, huh?” Jason mused. “It’s about time. Maybe we should think about number two, what do you say, babe?”
I turned to look up at him, an apprehensive smile on my lips. “I think I’m down with that plan.”
Jason's eyes lit up. "So, Benny, what do you think about Mommy having a baby?”
“A baby? I not a baby. I a big boy,” Ben declared.
“I know you are, bud,” Jason said. “There’d be two kids. You and another baby.”
“Two babies?” Benny asked, confused.
“Two babies,” Jason answered.