I would like to dedicate this short story to Sweetiedee and Belladuke. Y'all keep me moving forward. With y'all in my corner, I may be able to finish these stories. Thank you for continued support, empathy and sisterly love.

Four Weddings and a Couple of Births 01

Cheri and Stevie * Valentine's Day Theme Wedding * Feb 15-2014

She wasn't really showing yet, but she certainly was feeling the pregnancy probs and the stress of the day made it even harder. She put her family in a special section - a section blocked off with stanchions and red ropes, so that none of them could move about and make any type of trouble. She had a white aisle runner on the floor of the ballroom that she had rented out for the occasion, which practically blended in with the floor, but that wouldn't matter when her red carpet was rolled out. Jane, Stacie, Mercedes and Mama T were with her up until it was their turns to get out there.

Her father felt slighted that she wanted Dwight to bring her down the aisle, like he had done Mercy (and Sam) at their in the woods wedding. She'd missed that because she was tied up with cheer camp, but the photos and videos were lovely and she wanted everything for her special day to be perfect.

She explained to Champ, yet again that she was closer to Dwight and that he didn't even have to come, if he felt like he couldn't celebrate with her. He'd made some comment about Dwight "gifting both of his sons with black trophies," and she decided then that if he DID come to the wedding; he, her mother, her grandparents and any other Robinsons or Waymyers that they might try to slide in with them would not be allowed to move freely, bothering guests and most of all - her and Stevie.

Dwight asked, "Are you feelin' alright? Having second thoughts?"

"Would that make you happy?" She asked.

He shook his head, "That wouldn't make anybody happy. Stevie'd burn the building down, most likely with all of us inside. What's wrong?" She was closer to Dwight, but still could never tell if he really approved of her, or not. She often got the sense that he felt stuck with her and just tolerated her. It saddened her a little bit - that she chose this man who probably just puts up with her to walk her down the aisle, because her own father barely even did that her whole life.

"I'm ready. I want this. That's not the thing. There is no doubt in my mind that I love Stevie and want to spend the rest of my life with him. This is a physical issue. My belly is bubbling, my womb is gurgling, my loins are turning flips."

"Like stagefright?"

"Like pregnancy nausea!" She hissed, then held herself.

He smiled, understandingly. "Need some crackers or something?"

"That's your response? Not - 'so you ARE pregnant again, you irresponsible baby-making machine'?"

"Nish has been pretty adamant that you are, so I was just waiting to see if you were ever gonna confirm that or prove her wrong, for once. You're getting married. You're an adult. You and Stevie live on your own. You can make however many babies your little body can tolerate, as far as I care."

"For what it's worth, I was trying not to get pregnant. Stevie should see a doctor. I think his sperm is hyperactive."

Dwight laughed and nodded his head, "Men in my family usually are pretty fertile. Gene missed me and Sammy, I guess. Though, to be fair - I didn't have a lot of intimacy with my ex wife, so I don't know if maybe that's why it took us 8 years between kids and I certainly was barely touching her after the twins. They drove her… two at once was a lot for her and I wasn't very helpful at that time." He looked off into space, going somewhere that Cheri was curious about visiting.

"Papa Dwight… Stevie talks about your family a lot. I understand his viewpoints when he feels like bad stuff happened to him and I even understand when he feels like you didn't love him a lot. But, I'm glad that you could be here for this. Thank you for everything you've done for me and for Cowboy while Stevie was gone and thank you for today. I don't know if your kids express to you enough appreciation. They don't know what it's like to have TWO parents that you can't really depend on for anything, so they might take whatever helpfulness that you did give for granted."

He smiled and pulled her in for a hug. Kurt peeked inside and said, "We're about to release the carpet." She quickly rushed to grab her bouquet and latch on to Dwight's arm as Kurt and Blaine rolled out a red carpet, then went to their seats, out of the way.

They'd come in Stacie/Sam, Mason/Jane, Marley/Mercy, holding Heaven, as he was still very young and small, Joe/Tanisha and were followed by the "Flower Fairies."

The Flower Fairies was a big stroller, decorated with red, pink, and white flowers, holding the twins Sherwood and Sheva, and Cowboy, pushed by Beth, with Babs near her throwing the petals, both of them with pink tutus and wings and Cheri's children all dressed in pink and white, inside of the stroller. All Beth had to do was get it from the doorway to her mother, up near the altar, and she and Rachel would make sure that the children were fine the whole ceremony.

Standing near Stevie were Stacie, Mason, Marley and Sam, in their red groom's party tuxedos. On the other side were Joe, Jane, Mercedes and Tanisha, in their white bridal tuxes. Cheri was the only one in a dress today, and had even asked in all of the correspondence leading up to that everyone wear tuxedos, suits, pant suits, slacks, etc, as to not outshine the bride and reminded everyone that the photographer is instructed not to take any photos of any persons outside of her in a dress, just as a power move, and also lowkey seriously, she did not want to see anybody but herself in a dress for this event, with the exception of the children.

When Kurt and Blaine rolled the red carpet out, Jake was next to enter, causing a little bit of laughter, some confusion, some impressed sounds, with his half and half tux - one side red and one side white, because Stevie and Cheri were splitting him as Best Man/Man of Honor and he had a ring in each pocket. He simply held his hands out to his sides with a smile as he came up the aisle and when he met Stevie with a hug he said, "She looks effing amazing."

Stevie gave him a 'duh' face, but when the music started and everyone looked to see Cheri coming in on the red carpet, with her shimmering princess gown, tiara, and holding her bouquet low enough where you could see the way the A-line made her cleavage pop but not bulge out, Stevie whispered, "Fuuuuuck." Jake laughed and nodded his head. "How did she get prettier for this? I don't understand," Stevie said, unable to even glance away. Sam rubbed him on the shoulder and looked over at his own wife, smiling out into the room, holding Heaven, in a red floral decorated holder, on her shoulder. He was looking all over the room, with wide eyes and jumped at every single sound made. She was standing close enough to where Quinn was, if he began to get fussy and they had to sit him aside, but Cheri didn't want Mercy to have to part ways with her bundle just to be in her wedding and felt it was even more special because Mercedes had a baby bouquet to march in with. "She's so fucking beautiful," Stevie's whisper brought Sam out of his wife gazing as Cheri and Dwight made it to them. Stevie rushed to Cheri and took her and kissed her and the officiant playfully said, "Hey, young man… That comes later!" Stevie jumped and nodded. Of course it did! "Sorry," he told him. He winced and whispered, "Don't be mad at me," to Cheri. But, she was smiling and trying not to cry. This was the best that she had felt all day. She looked at flowers that Stevie was holding, "What… are those?" He looked down at them like he had only just noticed them and then gave them to her.

"I realized at the bachelor party that I never gave you flowers before and I didn't wanna start a marriage that way, especially because I grew up seeing my mama get flowers a lot. It's like… saying to you that I care more about seeing you smile than seeing nature mind it's own business and live unbothered."

She laughed and accepted the pink tulips from him, then handed her bouquet to Mama T. She'd prefer to hold these sweet little tulips than the expensive arrangement that she ordered.

People were going to have to stop trying to convince her that she couldn't do certain things - like have a Valentine's Day themed wedding, with red, pink and white hearts and such. They claimed it would be tacky, but she wanted what she wanted and loved how it turned out. They told her that she couldn't ask guests not to wear dresses and gowns… How? On her day? She had done it and the few people who didn't listen were kindly told at the door that they were not within the dresscode, by a bouncer, like at an upscale nightclub. They insisted that she couldn't put Stevie in a pink tux, and she cackled, looked at him and asked, "You're wearing whatever I say, right?" And he shrugged his shoulders, and looked delicious in that goddamned pink tux, on this day.

Both most of all, what they used to say - that she wouldn't be a wife, wouldn't be a mother, couldn't find or keep a man, couldn't build a family… She laughed with joy at all of the proving wrong that she was doing today, and all on camera, no less, openly admitting the fears and worries and showing everyone that despite those, she had become a Missus.

That wasn't everyone's goal and many women felt like they didn't need a man or didn't want one. That was fine for them. She had a man and he liked it enough to put a ring on it.

.

Mason, Jane, and Jake spent most of the reception dancing, in between cake, speeches, traditional reception observances and whatnot. Stevie wasn't much of a dancer. He hadn't even wanted to do that "First Dance," but it was just slowly moving in a circle and staring at Cheri be the most beautiful that he had ever seen her and be shocked all over again that even she had an 'upgrade' setting.

This had been her day. She had so many plans of what she wanted to happen and they worked really hard, as a family to make it come together. He wished that she felt better. "Hey, how are you?" He asked as she checked on the twins, in the stroller, near their table. Cowboy was out there dancing with Babs, Beth and Rachel. Mama T had Dwight, Shelby, Rhadja, Champ, Aphasia and Matt standing around her telling some kind of story and all at once they all roared with laughter, along with her. Mercedes and her crew were at their table, passing the baby along, as this was his first time really out of the house and they all wanted their share. Kurt and Blaine insisting that they needed some, now.

She smiled and said, "Everything is perfect right now. My parents and yours are laughing together. Jake and my friends are dancing. Our child has other child friends to spend time with. I have a family now, officially and friends, real ones. Just a couple of years ago, my own parents didn't even show up to wish me a happy 16th, and today I got to marry the one person who did show up for me…"

He sniffled and wiped away a tear, casually. "I will never ask you how you are in public, again." She laughed and beckoned him with her finger for a kiss. He stared at her up close. Still amazed… "I didn't really care about a marriage license, or a wedding, or being a husband or having a wife. Even when I proposed, I kinda did it just because I knew that you wanted it. But, I can't, at this moment imagine ever having a life where you're not my partner, and I'm really happy that I made this decision. I don't know. When the dude said that you're now my wife… Something just awakened. I was just like - it's official. This woman is really yours, on paper, in spirit or whatever… before God and everybody, y'all just said we've got each other's backs for as long as we live. I didn't think that was a powerful declaration. It is, though. Now I know that." He watched the room, too. Now, Stacie and Joe were dancing with Mason, Jane and Jake, and Sam was with the older folks, the center of attention now, with Mama T laughing at whatever he was saying and pushing him on the chest as she did. "We've got a family now, Babe. A real one. And real friends and each other…"

Aphasia and Matt came over to the table and Aphasia gave Cheri a hug, "How are you, Lil' Mama?"

"I'm good. Thank you for coming!"

"You know, Rutherfords and Robinsons…" She glanced at Stevie, fought rolling her eyes and looked back to Cheri, "Last time I saw you, you were in bad shape. I HAD to see you doing well and you look beautiful. You're glowing. Be blessed, Black Woman. Best wishes." Phai squeezed her shoulder and Matt patted the same shoulder, as they headed out.

"Did you invite them?" Stevie asked.

Cheri nodded, "Um, yeah. They got me out of a mental institution that I was unlawfully put inside of!"

"I know. I just… I didn't know that they were friends, or whatever. They didn't even acknowledge me."

"It's not like you ever have to really see them much." She moved in for another kiss, then grabbed his hand, "Our friends are all dancing. This is our party!"

"Can I just stand there and you kinda dance in circles around me?"

"That's literally the description of every dance that we have ever danced!" She laughed and pulled his hand to the center of their circle and she and Jane immediately got in step doing some dance that Stevie wasn't familiar with while Mason and Jake watched for a moment and quickly got on board too.

Stevie pulled out his phone and began recording her as he narrated, "So… Whoever you are, there's your mom, and you're here too, in there. In case you're wondering what we're doing… Your mama just made me the happiest that I have ever been in my entire life…"