Chapter OneMid-JuneMartha swept the sandalwood fan in her hand back and forth, not to cool her brow but to tame the nervous energy brewing inside her. Although almost everything was going according to plan, she couldn’t shake the notion that things were about to get messy. Martha placed her mason jar on the coffee table and scooted closer to Oji. His constant reassurance had proven right so far. The day had gone exactly as he said it would. And now they were in the homestretch, chatting on a sofa like they did most evenings at his home or hers. But their surroundings were different on this cloudy late-spring evening as they sat on a rented sofa that was part of the lounge vignette at her aunt’s outdoor wedding reception near the lake pavilion on the Gardin family estate.
“The Garden and Games theme is a big hit,” Martha said, mindlessly repeating the same comment she’d just made as she slowed the speed of her fanning and scanned the east portion of the property. The wedding planners had turned the area into a floral wonderland in shades of pink and orange. Flowers lined the walkways leading to the pavilion and cascaded down its posts from the ceiling.
Oji gave her a comforting smile. “Want to go for a walk around the grounds to let off some steam?” he asked.
Martha coyly held the fan, a favor from the wedding reception, up to her face like a woman in one of the Regency-era dramas Oji pretended he didn’t like to watch with her. “I would love to go on a promenade with you around the grounds, sir. But when we pass by one of those big lawn games, I’ll have to beat you again. Which game do you feel like losing
this time?” she asked.
“I kept letting you win because I’m a gentleman,” Oji replied, smirking.
“Whatever you need to tell yourself to make it okay,” Martha teased.
Oji burst out laughing, and Martha joined in, reveling in the serotonin release.
He always knows what I need, she thought.
“That’s all right. I’d prefer to stay here and talk with y’all,” Martha said, accounting for her sister and her cousin by marriage, who sat chatting among themselves across from Martha and Oji. The women maintained an easy balance of having their own conversation, engaging with Martha and Oji, and watching the other attendees enjoy the festivities.
With only ninety-six guests, the reception felt like the laid-back Juneteenth cookout the family hosted each year, except both the venue and the attendees were more spiffed-up. Following a dress code described as “comfy cocktail attire,” wedding guests looked chic as they posed for photos in front of a massive floral wall. A few groups of people congregated at the reception tables or at one of three lounge vignettes overlooking the lake, but most rotated among the array of giant games—checkers, Jenga, Connect Four, and Etch A Sketch—spread across the grounds. Bursts of laughter filled the air as some men and women played like children, and other adults introduced their kids to the games they grew up with. But Martha fretted because the joyful occasion served as the first meeting for her family and Oji’s since the couple began dating three months prior. And Martha wanted it to go perfectly.
Laughing with Oji assuaged Martha’s anxiety for a couple of minutes, but it soon returned. She folded the fan and placed it on her lap as she leaned toward him. “I didn’t expect your mom to talk so much to the other guests,” she whispered. Her deep-brown skin glowed against the tangerine dress she wore. “I was looking forward to bonding with her as she got to know my family, but she’s spent the whole reception meeting people instead of spending time with us.”
“Since she and my dad don’t get out as much as they used to, she can’t help herself. She’s just doing her thing,” Oji replied in a hushed tone. “She likes you. I promise,” he continued, squeezing Martha’s hand.
“Okay,” Martha replied as she caught a glance of her sister. She swung her head to her right, where Mary leaned back in a burnt-orange wingback chair that faced the lake. “What are you laughing at?” Martha asked in a perky voice. The long swoopy layers in her pixie cut framed her oval-shaped face perfectly.
“You two are cute together. It’s good to see you happy,” Mary said. Her hair cascaded down her back as she readjusted her body in the chair and smoothed the fabric of her flowy magenta midi dress.
“That’s sweet of you to say,” Martha said, blushing.
Because of their similar physical traits and fashion tastes, the sisters had embarked on extensive discussions regarding their maid-of-honor dresses and hairstyles for the wedding to ensure they didn’t end up with similar looks. This was intended to prevent guests who didn’t see them regularly from confusing them as the same person. But mostly, it was important to Martha that everyone was clear about which Gardin sister was dating Oji Greenwald. She and Mary had the same complexion, prominent eyes, and pouty lips, but Martha was two years older at thirty-eight.
Oji stood and lifted Martha’s mason jar from the table. The ice clicked against the otherwise empty glass. “Thanks, Mary. She makes
me happy too,” he said with a big smile. “I’m gonna get Martha another lemonade. I’ll bring one for you and Ruth if you’d like.”
“That would be great!” Mary said.
“No thanks,” Ruth replied from the vintage chair positioned next to Mary. “I’m still working on mine.”
As Oji walked away, the women made kissing faces at Martha behind Oji’s back. Martha blushed and playfully rolled her eyes, but she didn’t utter a peep to her sister and cousin-in-law until Oji was a safe distance away.
“Y’all are so embarrassing!” Martha whined. “You would swear I’ve never had a boyfriend before.”
“It has been a while,” Mary teased.
Martha turned her head to the side and narrowed her eyes at her sister.
“I have no plans to stop picking on you anytime soon. This is too much fun,” Mary said, twirling her hair around her finger.
Ruth smiled. “I like that he’s being so supportive. I’ve still got my eye on him, but he might be okay after all.”
Martha sighed, but it wasn’t because she was upset by the comment. She appreciated that Ruth was still willing to look out for her. The woman was a model of forgiveness in action, given Martha’s previous attempts to wreak havoc in Ruth’s professional life as well as in her personal one. She and Ruth were still in the rebuilding phase of their relationship, but they were on solid standing. “He’s a good guy. I’m not worried about him. It’s his parents. How do y’all think it’s going?” Martha asked.
“It seems like it’s going fine to me,” Ruth responded. “It’s not like the Greenwalds are total strangers. Well, today was our first time meeting Adam, but we met Eve at the Gardin Family Enterprises Christmas party. We got along smashingly then, and she’s been just as personable today.”
“I know, but I wasn’t there when y’all met. It’s different this time,” Martha grumbled.
“You really should calm down. You don’t want Oji to see the snappish side of you, do you?” Mary teased.
“Oh, I bet he knows. She hasn’t changed that much,” Ruth said. The curls in her Afro shook as she laughed.
“Ha, ha, ha . . . Yes, he knows,” Martha said. She attempted to hold it in, but she laughed too. And it felt good to let go. Even Martha could admit that she’d mellowed out since dating Oji. Her family teased her about it every chance they got. As proven by her stress over the meetup between the Gardins and Greenwalds, Martha hadn’t totally abandoned her high-strung personality. But she was much more bearable, and her family was grateful.
“Mrs. Greenwald has always been kind to me when Oji takes her calls while we’re hanging out,” Martha continued. “And we’ve picked up his parents for lunch a couple of times too. It’s gone well, but she’s never invited me inside or had me over for dinner. It’s odd because they’re such a close family. I think Oji would’ve at least hinted if his mom didn’t like me at all, but maybe she’s saving a home-cooked dinner for someone she likes more.”
“It’s just been a few months. Give it a little more time,” Ruth said reassuringly. The confidence in her voice should’ve calmed Martha down, but it soothed her only a little.
“How much time does she need? It’s not like I’m expecting Oji to propose anytime soon, but I don’t have time to waste,” Martha bemoaned.
Copyright © 2025 by Rosey Lee. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
