1 Chapter 1
“You know I’m an ordained minister, right? We can get two of your friends over tomorrow, set up in your living room, and get this whole wedding situation nipped in the bud,” Leah Tubman’s office manager said while the two stood waiting for the office coffee maker to finish brewing their morning salvation. The mechanic purring of the twelve-cup appliance punctured her offer. Completing its task, the deliverer of all good things hot and black sat waiting.
“I mean, I’m not trying to be all up in your business, but I hear you on the phone, trying to coordinate everything. Some days, you make me want to pull my hair out. That is saying a lot, considering how much I paid for this sew-in last month.”
“I appreciate the gesture, Stephanie. But, after the work Patricia and I put into getting a rabbi and a Baptist minister to agree to co-officiate a lesbian wedding, I think we are going to stick with the plan.” Leah poured her first cup of the day into her blue and white sorority mug. “I will say, the fact you mentioned doing something to your hair is a major indication of how serious you are. We both know how committed you are about your ‘dos.”
Stephanie responded to the wide smile on Leah’s espresso face with a gap-toothed grin. Even though technically Stephanie worked for her, Leah valued Stephanie for reasons beyond her work ethic. The Charlotte, North Carolina, marketing firm Leah cofounded with Stephanie’s husband and another business school classmate of theirs was an hour away from opening. Leah and Stephanie always arrived first so they could start their day with coffee and chit chat. This August morning, the main topic was Leah’s upcoming, mixed interfaith, same-sex marriage.
On the outside, Leah portrayed a sense of calmness and order about her wedding. Inside, however, she churned with feelings of exhilaration mixed with exhaustion. There was so much they had done, but still so much yet to tackle to make sure their special day didn’t end in disaster. Despite the couple being official for close to seven years and participating in a commitment ceremony, the recent Supreme Court decision two months ago had motivated them to have a “traditional wedding.” As if anything concerning Patricia and Leah’s relationship could be considered anything less than out of the norm.
On paper, the two of them would never be considered a match by most people. Leah, a Jamaican-born, Delaware-raised graphic designer, and Patricia, a North Carolinian and founder of an educational non-profit agency, had formed a relationship built on understanding, acceptance, and a belief that love could conquer all. However, the past two months of trying to plan a wedding combining Patricia’s Jewish heritage and Leah’s island roots had taxed Leah to the point of considering adding a little something extra to her morning habit to cope.
Walking down the ash-colored carpet toward Leah’s office, the two continued their discussion. Leah knew her six-foot frame and Stephanie’s five-two measurements made them look odd when they stood side by side. Leah’s shoulder-grazing dreadlocks were a mirror opposite of her former college roommate, whose hairstyle changed on a whim.
However, the height of how much Leah trusted her college roommate with the inner workings of her office and her relationship stood head and shoulders among anyone else at Brown, Douglass, and Tubman. She knew Stephanie’s offer to officiate came from a good place, not an attempt to insert herself where she did not belong.
“Leah, I’m just saying I feel you with waiting to stick with what you have in place, but just know I got you if you need to make an escape. You remember the hell and the high waters I went through with planning my wedding. I know the struggle is real. Then you factor in the fact that y’all are trying to do this with less than two months left before the big day. I pray you have the strength to get it all done.”
“It has been an undertaking trying to coordinate everything, but I must say we have gotten a lot of support from our friends.” Leah settled down behind a desk decorated with pictures, pen holders, and pieces of her daughter’s creative output. “One of my sorority sisters is a caterer. She is coordinating our reception for half her typical fee. Trust me, she is earning every penny. First thing we are going to do during the reception is bless the Challah bread. Then we get down to business with dishes both sides of the family will feel comfortable eating. We are talking curried goat, brown stew chicken, beef brisket, salmon pinwheels, rice, and peas. Then we are having two wedding cakes. For mine, we are doing a traditional Jamaican wedding cake, which is a fruit cake laced with rum. Patricia’s is a lemon cake from a recipe that has been in her family for years. It was like negotiating a peace treaty to get her mom to share the recipe with the caterer. One of my frat brothers from Smith who DJs is doing the reception for a hundred. Plus, one of Patricia’s friends from her synagogue is doing our flowers.”
“Dang, y’all are really going in about this wedding. I’m just glad the two of you decided to do a fall wedding,” Stephanie responded, putting her coffee cup on Leah’s desk. “Everyone tries to get hitched when it’s hot as hell. October 21 is perfect. It’s not so cool that you have to worry about the heat in the place not working, and not so hot that your arm is going to fall off from fanning. I just know your wedding is going to be beautiful. Didn’t you say one of your sisters is doing your dress, the one that was almost on the fashion reality show on TV?”
“Yes, Lily is doing the honors for our big day. The summer is usually her busiest times of the year, so she is always swamped with orders and trying to get them done. I was concerned if she would have it ready, but she sent me a picture last night. It looks gorgeous.”
“So Patricia and you are both wearing dresses? That should be interesting.”
Leah paused for a minute before she responded. She knew Stephanie wasn’t trying to be stereotypical. Even though two women were getting married, Stephanie probably assumed someone had to wear a suit. Since they were both going to be not soblushing brides on their special day, Patricia and Leah planned to don dresses.
