I held my breath because of this moment. This moment that, in a way, I had just imagined on the ride over. This moment that I never expected. This moment that I wanted to remember forever.

"I love you so much, Ginger Latrice Allen. And my greatest prayer now is that you will do me the honor of being my forever wife. So, will you? Will you marry me?”

"Yes, she will," my mother spoke her first words and everyone laughed.

Jeremy’s eyes were still on me when he said, “Thank you, Mrs. Allen but I kind of want an answer from her.”

I struggled to swallow the stone that had settled in my throat. It took a moment because I wanted my voice and my words to be totally clear. “Yes, Jeremy. Yes, I'll marry you.”

He slid the ring onto my finger, then kissed my hand before he stood. He kissed me, then held me and as our friends and family applauded, I closed my eyes and thanked God. If I hadn’t pushed aside my fear, if I hadn’t started moving in my faith, I wouldn’t be here right now.

So as my future husband held me and as my family and friends jumped up from the table to congratulate us, I said a heart prayer over and over: “Thank you, Lord. Thank you, God. Thank you, Lord.”

PART TWO

The Present

Chapter 7

August, 2018

Dru held the hand mirror in front of me. “You good?” she asked.

I glanced at my reflection and turned my head from side to side. Marietta, my makeup artist, had my face beat once again, so I nodded. “Thanks, Dru.”

My best friend, who’d held the title of Executive Assistant with me for the last seven years, was much more than that. She was my project manager, my idea generator, and my brain. Dru stepped over me and did the same for Jeremy.

But he held up his hand before she could hold up the mirror. “I’m good.”

She nodded, turned back to me, then gave me a smile and a thumbs up before she moved behind the camera.

Jeremy snapped the French cuffs of his tailor-made shirt, then adjusted the gold and onyx cuff links that had his initials engraved in the center, before he turned to me. “You ready for this, baby?”

"I am," I said with the smile that I always wore.

"Okay then." The petite woman, whose short blond bob bounced with every word she spoke, swiveled in the chair and turned facing Jeremy. "We’re ready, Pastor Williams."

My husband said, "Then, let’s go."

Angela Wiley grinned at my husband, then gave a nod to me and her cameraman. "We’re ready."

I wiggled my hips a bit to get settled on our sofa as the producer of the show gave the countdown.

Then Angela began, speaking into the camera. “Hello everyone, and welcome to Abundant Life and Abounding Love. I’m Angela Wiley, your host, bringing you the best in gospel news from across the nation. Today, I’m very excited about our guest, Reverend Jeremy Williams.”