Left at the Alter

“Cassidy you are brilliant. Your work is amazing – I have no idea how you remained a hidden gem as long as you did. Yes, the moment this thing hits the sky your life will be unrecognizable. You are exactly where you should be right now.” 

I teared up, again. This was just proof that it all was happening. 

 “What you about to do?”

“I guess go home and await the festivities of tomorrow.” I wiped me face with a Kleenex.                   

“Pull an all-nighter with me Cass.” 

“Alright your friend card is going to be revoked.” I half laughed and tried to blink away the tears.

“Im serious. Not on no weird shit. Come down to the park and watch them install it. Watch how delicate they are with your special piece. Your first piece. You should watch at least your first piece being erected into the sky.”

I thought about it for mere seconds. I needed to see this. 

“I’ll go. I owe it to myself to go. I will ride. But add that to the list of words you cannot say to me.”

“What?” confusion was etched across his face. 

“Erected.” I laughed. He. Did. Not. “It was a joke because you had said…”

“I will suck every syllable of that word off of your lips if you ever say it to me again.” He made eye contact with me and walked closer and closer until I was against the studio. “Then, I’ll show you what an appropriate erection looks like. I stared into his eyes until I was unsure, I would be able to physically walk away from him if he really did try anything. 

“The flirting has to stop.” I said after he backed up some and I had enough space to walk away/ I could feel his eyes on my ass. 

“Mmmhmm. Your wish is my command. Just remember you are not, despite what you told me the day when we first met, married. Eli ain’t no fool though and one day he will pop the question. Make sure you have everything out of your system before you give your life over to be a wife. He ain’t never gone forgive a cheating wife.” He shrugged his shoulders and went to climb in his car. 

I pondered a question I had been wanting to ask for a while. I was almost positive that it was not a joke when he said these things to me. But why would he stay with Anna if he was ok with cheating on her. Not my fine ass man, not my problem. 

---

We pulled up and they had already begun. It didn’t take away from the magic though. I sat In Jeremy’s car after he got out just to sit in my awe. They used ropes and tarps to make sure they could support her whole weight and carefully, with the help of a lift they got her piece by piece off of the truck’s bed and begun to make her whole.

I got out of the car and sat on the hood. It was a nice night – seemed perfect for the occasion. My phone vibrated and I ignored it until it vibrated two more times. Reluctant to take my eyes off of my masterpiece I checked it and read the three messages from Eli. 

<Hey baby make sure u get sleep tonight.>

<big day tomorrow >

<love you>

I sent him back a heart emoji and placed my phone on DND. I then used it to take as many pics as made sense. I wish it was not covered as they were putting it up there. Those would have made some dope ass pics for the gallery.

After about an hour Jeremy was back to join me.

“Before you say shit, I am very connected to my art.”

“What could I say?”

“The tears.” I said.

“The passion.” He replied. I am not sure when he grabbed a camera, but he brought it up to his face and snapped a photo of me and then another. 

I licked my lips; they were dry from me not properly hydrating and sitting out in the wind. It was faint but it was there. That is how I existed until now. I would no longer be faint.

“Everything else I do will be in reach of me topping this moment right here.”

He smiled and snapped another photo and another until I held my hand up.

“You bring a girl to the heart of Atlanta and there ain’t even a drink for the celebration.” I joked. 

“O ye of little faith.”

“He sat his camera down on the hood of the car next to me and disappeared behind me. When he returned, he had two Dollar tree wine glasses, painted with leprechauns, and a bottle of red wine. 

“Didn’t peg you for a wine drinker. You never drink with us.” 

“You want me to sit around with yall women as yall bash the very men yall going home with tonight. Nah I’m good.” 

“Is that what you think we talk about.” I looked at him feeling my eyebrows furrowing I straightened my face. “We are highly intelligent women. I guarantee you if anyone of us was sitting around male bashing that male would be gone.” I sipped some of the wine he gave me, and it was subtly sweet. 

“Mmmhmm.” He said, sipping his. “School me then. What would yall be talking about right now.”

“Well,” I began, “We just finished a major project. Now we celebrate and talk about what comes next. This project has forced me to forge new connections. To take the limitations off of my creativity. To…”

“To level the fuck up.”