Epilogue

S everal weeks later, the judge decided to let Carter choose which parent he wanted to live with. As expected, he picked his father. His parents worked out the schedule and signed the agreement. Chris was certain Lucinda would never speak to him again. At least not directly, which was totally fine with him.

The following months were a flurry of wedding plans for Chi-Chi and Cullen. Members of her family were traveling from Nigeria. Luna, Chi-Chi, and Ellie incorporated Nigerian traditions into the celebration and hired a special chef to prepare authentic food. Chi-Chi wore a traditional aso oke outfit made of thick fabric with long sleeves that widened at the wrists. A kaftan-like skirt was tied at the waist. Luna appreciated why Chi-Chi wanted to get married in the fall. It was a lot of clothing, including the gele headpiece. Cullen chose a customary agbada , a four-piece outfit with a matching hat. He wanted to assure Chi-Chi's family he was respectful of their culture and show how much he loved her.

The garden was filled with hundreds of white orchids, white hydrangeas, and white roses, with a long red silk carpet. There were over one hundred guests. Chi-Chi's auntie acted as the alaga , also known as the master of ceremonies. A drummer was positioned up front. The coming together of two families commenced, with many introductions and lots and lots of dancing. And that was just the beginning.

When the festivities moved to the atrium, there were more vibrant-colored flowers throughout. The tradition of "spraying" the bride and groom with money continued through the night, with Luna collecting the stash in bags made specially for the occasion.

At the end of the evening, Chris brought Luna over to the only quiet corner of the center. "I didn't want to say or do anything to distract from Chi-Chi and Cullen's big day. But there is something Carter has been asking about."

"What?" Luna couldn't imagine what his son wanted from her, or why it was so important to have this tête-à-tête now.

"He wants me to marry you."

"He what?" Luna had had several glasses of champagne, but she knew she'd heard him right. "I guess the next question is, do you want to marry me?" Luna's legs were trembling.

"More than ever." Chris stared at her. "Will you?" He opened a small box with a diamond ring inside.

"More than ever."