There Is No Black or White

I was standing outside her door, sort of nervously dancing around. Tonight was going to be our special night. It was our one year anniversary since we had first met.

I rang the doorbell and she had let me in. She told me to wait a minute as she wasn't decent yet.

So here I stood fidgeting about.

I heard the chain come off the door, the dead bolt slide back. My anticipation was reaching its crest.

The door swung open and there stood my cocoa colored muse. She was dressed in a powder blue mini skirt. Her hair was tied up in small braids. She had recently dyed them blond and it made her look sexier then ever before. She had on some high heeled sandals.

We moved toward each other and hugged each other as was our custom. I hugged her like I hadn't seen her for a month.

We finally let go and she took a look at me in my blue pinstriped suit with white shirt and red tie.

"You look so handsome Mike"

She ran a finger under my tie and flipped it out from behind my suit jacket.

I thanked her humbly.

"Shall we go Tonya?"

"Yes let's!"

I took her arm in mine and we went outside to my car. I pushed the key tag with my free hand and unlocked the car door. I opened the door for her. She sat down and slid in lady like.

"Thanks Honey." She said

"Your welcome." I said as I closed the door behind her.

I climbed in the driver's side and off we went to our favorite upscale place in New Haven.

We looked over the menu for quite some time and couldn't decide. She placed her hand on mine.

"Let's get a pizza shall we?" She said.

Once we ate our anniversary pizza, we went over to West Haven and walked on the broad walk for awhile.

We walked out to one of the peers and watched the remains of the sun doing down.

"End of a perfect day!" She said.

"Yup and the beginning of a perfect night I hope?" I said.

She eyed me suspiciously "Mike what are you up too?"

"You'll see dear, you'll see." I said.

We walked over to one of the benches. She sat down and I sat next to her. She shivered a little as a cool breeze started to come in from the ocean. She wrapped her small white shawl tighter around her shoulders.

"Tonya tonight is our first year anniversary, and I have been thinking about something."

I moved off the bench and knelt.

"Tonya will you marry me?" I asked her.

She bowed her head a little and closed her eyes.

I knelt there holding my breath wondering if I had said the stupidest thing in my life or the best thing

She ran a hand across her eyes

"Oh Mike yes I will marry you." She squealed.

She stood up and took my hand

I stood and she leaned in and kissed me. I kissed her back.

I don't think either of us could remember what we said after that moment.

We walked a little more on the beach and then I took her back to her Apartment.

Once inside we sat on her couch and just held each other.

Next thing I knew I was looking at her TV screen and saw that Saturday night live was just ending.

I slid my arm out from around her and placed a pillow under her head as I got up. She groggily opened her eyes and smiled at me. I leaned over and kissed her.

"MMM I had a nice dream, you proposed to me on the West Haven beach and I accepted." She told me.

I took her face in my hands. "It wasn't a dream Tonya, I did propose to you on the West Haven beach."

She leaned into me and kissed me again.

"I need to go so you can get some sleep love." I said

"You could spend the night on the couch and go with me to Church in the morning you know.´ Her mouth faking a little pout.

"In due time Tonya, in due time." I smiled at her as she smiled back at me.

"Well how about coming over for dinner then?" She asked.

"Ah you mean, tell your family that we are engaged and then have to go through the third degree with your Dad?" I asked her.

"Not Dad you got to worry about its mom. She's going to rake you over the coals love." Tonya said. She poked me in the ribs

"Alright best to get it over with then." I feigned a sigh.

"Yes baby you are right get it over with. " She said as she kissed me good night

I went home and slept fairly soundly.

I wasn't really nervous as I had met Tonya's parents and brothers and sisters. We had gotten along and I had run the gauntlet

You know job, family etc. The typical family stuff. But today it was going to different I knew it. Once Tonya and I made the announcement, Mrs. Kennedy was going get me alone and read me the riot act.

Mr. Kennedy and I had talked a few times before and he was pretty cool with it. He had told me that if I ever hurt his baby girl he would put a major hurt on me. He had gripped my arm as he said it. I knew he meant it. It felt like a vise had been turned on my arm.

Once we had things clear we became friends.

So here we sat at the dining room table.

"We have something to tell you all! "Tonya said

"Son of a Bitch, you got my little girl pregnant." Mr. Kennedy growled and started to get up.

"Sit down James!" Mrs. Kennedy said.

"Mike has asked me to marry him and I said yes. " Tonya said.

"Good man." Mr. Kennedy said after finally calming down.

"Oh my word!" Mrs. Kennedy exclaimed. Mike comes in the kitchen with me please." She said to me.

Tonya gripped my arm," It will be okay baby. Just tell her what's in your heart."

So off I went with Mrs. Kennedy.

She closed the kitchen door behind her.

"Do you know what you are doing boy?" She asked.

"Yes Mrs. Kennedy I do' I love Tonya with all my heart and soul. Nothing more important in this world to me." I told her

"But Mike you are white and she is black. You know you are going to get grief from friends and family not to mention outsiders calling you names". "And they may not like it when you have children."

"Let people think what they want Lois, if they don't like it tough. I want to marry Tonya no matter what anyone thinks or says."

"Well you say that now, just hope you have the guts to stick to your words!" She said.

"I do Lois I do!" I said.

We talked for a little bit more then she called Tonya into the kitchen.

"Tonya do you love Mike?" She asked her daughter.

"Yes Mama I do." Tonya said.

Her mother knew that look in her eyes.

"Just be happy you two." Mrs. Kennedy said.

We said that we would

We have a simple wedding since Tonya and I agreed there was too much fuss with weddings these days.

For our honeymoon we went to Cancun and spent our days just sitting on the beach and such.

At night we would lay in each others arms, loving each other.

About a year after we were married we got our special little gift. The day that Marlene Marie was born was one of best days of our lives.

Now we have been married for 5 years and still as happy as the day we met