Sneak Peek
Anika Palmer
“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you… Happy birthday, dear Lee. Happy birthday to you…”
After the candles were blown out on the two-tier custom-made birthday cake, all eyes rested on Katie Palmer, my bonus mom and the only maternal figure I’d known since my birth mom passed when I was eight. The private dining room at the pricey steakhouse in West Midtown Atlanta held a little over twenty close family and friends who all looked at her expectantly. Pushing away from the table, Katie rose to her feet with a smile worthy of a pageant queen.
Off to the side, I leaned back in my chair while raising my champagne flute to my lips. I shook my head and giggled discreetly while keeping my eyes ahead. Katie didn’t even try to steal the spotlight. It just always seemed to follow her. Even on my dad’s birthday. My eyes scanned her from head to toe, admiring how she made perfection look so easy. Even if she wanted to, she could never blend into the background of a room. Her makeup was perfect and not a hair was out of place as her fresh silk press rested on her shoulders. The designer dress complimented her trim figure, and the blush color contrasted perfectly with her smooth milk chocolate complexion. I wasn’t the least bit surprised at how well my mom was pulled together because appearances were always so important to her. From her younger beauty queen days to being a prominent figure on the city’s social scene, Katie Ann Palmer certainly knew how to uphold an image.
With a glass of champagne in her hand, Katie’s smile expanded as she began to toast to my father, Lee Palmer.
“To my dear, sweet Lee… I wish you the happiest of birthdays, baby. May this new trip around the sun bring you the most abundant blessings. We are all so privileged to have such a caring and compassionate individual in our lives, and I am truly the luckiest woman in the world to have a front row seat to all that you achieve through your hard work and dedication. Anika and I couldn’t have asked for a better man to lead our family. It is my greatest honor to be Bonnie to your Clyde and continue to ride through this life as a witness to all that you are and all that you will accomplish.”
Throughout the room, smiles expanded as many admired the couple. My lips stretched into a half smile as I fought the urge to grin even harder. The love between the two was infectious and radiated through the room.
Katie raised her champagne flute. “Everyone raise your glass and toast to the man who has brought us all together tonight. Lee, we love you, and we wish you the best birthday ever. Salud.”
Maintaining eye contact with my father, Katie tapped her glass against his and took a small sip before taking her seat beside him. Though the two often carried on like newlyweds, they began dating when I was ten and married shortly after I turned fifteen. They were over ten years deep into their marriage and holding on stronger than ever.
A genuine smile spread across my face as I watched my father give my mom a quick peck on the cheek. There was no doubt that they set the example of the loving marriage I aspired to have in the future. As I took another small sip from my glass, my attention was diverted to my vibrating cell phone.
Cori
9:53 pm
Hey girl… we’re headed to the club with Mo and Shug. Are you and India still coming through?
I smiled at the text message from my best friend, Cori Ramsey. Thanks to our parents, I was close to all the Ramsey children. As well-known figures in the metro Atlanta community, our parents grew close from their involvement in various social and professional networks. Our families were so close that over the years our lives became heavily entwined. Not only were Cori and Zyon my closest friends, but my dad was the Chief Financial Officer at Ramsey Holdings for several years before suddenly retiring months earlier. As an only child, I often viewed the Ramsey children as the siblings I never had. Outside of my cousin India, there was no one I spent more time with during my formative years.
Anika
9:54 pm
Yeah, girl. Mom just gave a little toast, and we’re about to cut the cake. I should be outta here in about thirty
Right as I placed my phone down on the table, an unexpected voice caught my attention.
“Beautiful toast, Ms. Katie. It’s going to be a tough act to follow, but I’ll do my best.”
The room fell hushed as all eyes turned toward the entrance. My eyebrows arched in confusion when I noticed my boyfriend, Marco Gibson, entering the room.
“Wh-what are you doing here?” I questioned as he approached my table. “I thought you weren’t coming to visit until next week.”
Marco leaned down to place a kiss on my cheek before quietly speaking into my ear. “I came into town early to surprise you. Also, your mother isn’t the only one with a speech to make tonight.” Underneath the table, he placed a hand on my thigh, squeezing ever so gently while a perplexed look covered my face. He glanced over at my parents, who beamed broadly.
My dad nodded in our direction. “Go ahead, son.”
Turning towards the dinner guests, Marco cleared his throat before addressing the room. “If you all don’t mind, I actually have a few words of my own that I’d like to share.” The room grew quiet again while expectant eyes rested on him. “I know we’re here to celebrate Mr. Lee, and I thank him and Ms. Katie for allowing me to steal a little bit of their time tonight. I originally intended to be here earlier in the evening, but unfortunately, my flight was delayed. Now that I’m here, I wanted to take a moment to recognize Mr. Lee’s daughter… this incredible beauty seated next to me. She’s been by my side these last several months supporting me and encouraging me through a pretty stressful time in my career, all while she was tackling her own professional obstacles.”
Turning in my direction, he continued, “Baby, none of this past year would’ve been possible without you. Since we’ve met you’ve been my compass. You center me while supporting me and pushing me to reach my greatest heights. I just want to continue adding to what we’ve built for many years to come… with you by my side for better or for worse. Til death do us part.”
“Amen,” Katie commented, drawing a few smiles and laughs from the group.
Stifling a laugh of his own, Marco reached into his pocket to retrieve a small box, lowering to one knee. Instantly, friends and family members were pulling out their phones to capture the moment that left me in a state of utter confusion. Sure, we practically lived together during the last few months I lived in D.C. for a work assignment. And yes, we briefly discussed the possibility of him relocating to Atlanta. We never explicitly discussed marriage. Becoming a wife was the last thing on my mind.
So, when Marco flipped open the box to reveal a three-carat cushion cut solitaire in a pavé setting, I released a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding. The ring was gorgeous and very much my style. Marco knew me well. I should’ve expected that he would at least get the ring right, even if I weren’t expecting the proposal itself.
Taking my hand, Marco’s smile spread from ear to ear. “Anika, baby, will you do me the great honor of agreeing to be my wife?”
The room fell completely silent, anxiously awaiting my response. I blinked rapidly, wondering if there was a way to buy myself time. Was it possible to avoid answering without causing a scene or embarrassing Marco? The truth was that I didn’t know if I was unsure about marriage so soon or if I was unsure about the person on bended knee. I loved Marco, but I wasn’t entirely sure if he was my happily ever after. He was a good man. A solid one. I just wasn’t certain if he was my one. All I knew for sure was that the immediate reaction I had when Marco went on bended knee was not ideal for someone who was receiving a proposal from the supposed love of their life.
“She’s shocked, y’all. Marc, you caught her off guard with that one.”
My cousin’s voice provided a much-needed break from the silence. When my eyes quickly scanned the room, they rested on my mother. Katie Palmer’s facial expressions were legendary and always readable. The tightness in her jaw and the slightest of arches to her eyebrows spoke louder than any words ever could. I received the message the woman who mothered me for most of my life was sending—loud and clear. This was the moment Katie spent years preparing and molding me for. I knew it was always my parents’ intent to marry me off to someone like Marco.
Good on paper.
A man who would take care of me and provide me with the same quality of life my parents always did.
It also didn’t hurt that Marco was also the son of one of my dad’s close fraternity brothers. Yes, this was the moment Katie spent years waiting for. There was no way I could let her down.
Was there?