Post by Being Ready And Stable (BRAS) (@brashub)

NNEKA'S DIARY XXVII

The Witnesses were Philip of course — Kunle's best friend, his rock, the man who had stood by him through everything.

He shook my hand and said, "Welcome to the family, officially. I've been calling you 'sister' for months. Now it's legal."

Priscilla stood beside him. She wore a lovely yellow dress and hugged me like I was her own sister.

"I'm so happy for you both," she whispered in my ear. "You deserve this."

I almost cried right there.

Kelvin flew in from England the day before. He looked different — more relaxed, more at peace. He hugged me and said, "Ineka, you chose well. I'm proud of you."

"Thank you, Kelvin. I said.

He nodded. "You were always going to end up here. He smiled.

Mrs. Chucks was there, of course. She sat in the front row of plastic chairs like she was the mother of the bride. She wore a beautiful Ankara dress and kept dabbing her eyes.

"Mrs. Chucks, you're crying already?" I teased.

"These are tears of joy. Let me be."

And Grace. My Grace. My loud, chaotic, wonderful sister. She was taking pictures of everything — the door, the chairs, the bored government official, the dust on the window.

"Grace, stop taking pictures of the dust."

"This is for posterity, Sis. One day your grandchildren will ask, 'Grandma, what was your civil wedding like?' and I'll show them the dust."

I wanted to kill her. I also wanted to hug her forever.

The registrar called us forward. He said.
"Are you both here of your own free will?" he asked.
"Yes," we said together.

"No one is forcing you?"

Kunle laughed. "No one is forcing me. I've been waiting for this day."

The registrar looked at me. "And you, ma'am?"

I looked at Kunle. At the man who had loved me through my fears. Who had waited. Who had been honest about his past and open about his future.

"I've been waiting too," I said. "I just didn't know it."

The registrar nodded and began reading the legal vows. Standard stuff. Nothing poetic. Just words about commitment, about legal union, about the responsibilities of marriage.

But somehow, even the boring words felt sacred.

To be continued …

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