WILDFIRE
By Aysia Anderson (a.k.a. Nikki)

Chapter Seventeen: Kissing You…Anytime

“Everything wasn’t all peaches with Justin and Camille’s engagement.” JC Chasez explained to the cameras as he sat down for his interview with VH1 for Behind The Controversy. He was scheduled to be in early morning but had made a deal to come in early afternoon instead. Sleep was a hard earned commodity and he was getting his wherever and whenever he could. “There were a lot of external conflicts that erupted from their union.”

“External conflicts? You mean the fans?” Gary questioned, happy to begin the interview process all over again. Since his interviews with Lynn Harless and Nastassia J. he had been itching to get back to work. There was so much story to tell and it had him as well as everyone else that had been listening on the edge of their seats.

“Exactly. Though the fans received their relationship well in the beginning there was a significant overturn when they got engaged. I guess a lot of people thought that Camille would just end up being another girl on the list with Justin but when they realized that the relationship was serious and they were trying to make it a lifelong thing, things got ugly.”

“Reports have said that Camille was assaulted on numerous occasions by crazed fanatics of Justin.”

“It went both ways. If they were ever anywhere alone or away from one another people would talk down to and disrespect them.” JC shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I know that there were one or two incidents in clubs where a few females tried to start cat fights with Cam or guys would approach Justin like they were going to do something. I mean, eventually it died down but it was something that was never forgotten…”

////

Justin sat quietly in the front row of the stadium as his fiancé rehearsed her concert with her dancers and band. She had appeared very distracted the entire time and was unable to give her all during the dress rehearsal because of all of the things that were going on in her life. She had a wedding that she was planning with him, a few more tour dates to complete, and had most recently been under attack by the people that had brought both her and Justin’s music to the forefront of the world - the fans.

“Stan, I can’t fucking hear myself in this earpiece!” she shouted, her sweet side being taken over by the highly irritable one that rarely ever made an appearance. If Justin hadn’t been able to fly out and see her she didn’t know where she would be. She had missed him.

“We’re working on it!” the guy called down to her from his booth as she paced the stage.

Tired of seeing her in the condition that she was in Justin stood from his seat and approached the tour director. After a few words were exchanged the director called for a five minute break. Camille rolled her eyes and dropped the microphone into the hand of one of the volunteers before the feeling of the world spinning overtook her. She glanced into the direction of her fiancé and the tour director as she felt the unsteadiness set in.

“Camille? Camille, are you okay?” The volunteer asked worriedly as the young star swayed unsteadily on her feet and jutted her hands out to her sides to keep her balance. “Ms. Henderson?”

Justin looked up at the stage catching the scene that was about to unfold. As quickly as he could, tour director in tow, he charged up the stairs leading to the stage. Moments before Camille lost her balance and her legs began to buckle he had her in his arms.

“Babe? Baby, look at me.” He ordered.

Her vision was skewed as she tried to get eyes to focus on him. A small crowd of volunteers, dancers, band members, and stagehands had all formed around her. What was going on?

“Is she okay?” one asked.

“I think so but she’s overexerting herself.” Justin answered. “Maybe we should reschedule some of the shows?”

The tour director cringed slightly. “It’s crunch time right now. We’re working around the wedding rehearsals for you two and then the show has to be up and running right after the two of you tie the knot. If we can’t finish the dates then you should let us know now…”

“No, no.” Camille disagreed, the swirling world around her becoming normal as she stood with Justin’s arms around her protectively. “We’re going to do the rest of the shows. All of these people have families to feed and I’m not bailing out on them.”

“Cam, I think you need to take a breather.” Justin wasn’t sure that she was thinking clearly. He understood that a lot of people were depending on her but at the same time he didn’t want her killing herself for entertainment.

“Just give me ten minutes and then we’ll finish the rehearsal, all right? Let’s start from the ballad because up to that point we have everything down.” She broke away from him and wandered off backstage to do a quick change.

“Alright, everyone, you heard the woman! Get ready to do ‘Anytime’!” the tour director announced and everyone quickly set out to get ready with the lighting, costumes, and dance places.

Justin looked out into the direction that Camille had departed to backstage and took in a deep breath. He didn’t like the way that this was going. She had been driving herself crazy since the club a few weeks earlier where a few women had come at her about her getting ready to marry him. She hadn’t told him much about what had been said because he had been talking to an old friend on the opposite side of the club when the incident had occurred but whatever it was had been nasty. All that Nastassia had been able to tell him was that one of the ladies had gone as far as putting her hands on his fiancé. That thought alone angered him to no end.

“Baby?” Camille’s voice interrupted his thoughts and he snapped back into reality to see her standing before him in a cool mint colored dress with microphone in hand. “We’re about to start up again.”

“Oh! Sorry, I’m going.” he started to walk away when she caught his arm. “What’s up?”

“During this part of the show I usually bring a guy up onstage and sing to him. You okay with filling in for right now?”

“Yeah. No problem.”

“Thanks.” She made eye contact with the tour director and nodded her head to let him know that Justin was fine being the guinea pig for the moment. The lights lowered to a cool blue and the band began to play the song by Kelly Clarkson that Camille had done a remake of on her album.

Justin took a seat in the chair that one of the dancers had brought out to the middle of the stage and looked back over his shoulder as Camille headed upstage to her mark. She gestured for him to turn back around to the empty seats of the stadium and he did as told. The next thing that he heard was the sound of her voice singing the lyrics.

Anytime you feel like you just can’t hold on
Just hold on to my love and I’ll help you be strong
But you’re so afraid to lose and, baby, I can’t reach your heart
I can’t face this world that’s keeping us apart
When I can be the one to show you everything you missed before
Just hold on now cause I could be the one to give you more, let you know

Camille was singing words that he wished she would apply to their lives. He hoped that she really did realize that no matter how hard the public was trying to keep them apart he would be fighting just that much harder to keep her. As she belted out the lyrics he could feel her voice filling him up on the inside. She had come a long way from the days of being terrified to open her mouth onstage. Her voice had developed and was better and better every time he heard her sing.

Anytime you need love, baby, I’m on your side (hey)
Just let me be the one, I can make it all right (I can make it all right)
Anytime you need love, baby, you’re in my heart
I can make it all right

“You did really good in there.” Justin assured her as they walked down the backstage hallway on their way out to the parking lot once rehearsals had ended.

“I was so mean to Stan. You think he believed my apology?” she tugged the strap of her duffel bag over her shoulder. She had changed out of her costumes and into a jogging suit with her left pant leg rolled up as well as the sleeves of her sweatshirt. She was dying for a shower.

“You meant it so why wouldn’t he believe you?” He reached over and wrapped his arm around her, rubbing her shoulder as they walked.

“I just don’t know what’s going on right now with me. I’m at this stage in my life where everything is falling into place and I should be so happy but I’m not. I’m just wondering if it’s worth all of this.”

“Hold on.” Justin stopped their pace and turned her to face him. “If what is worth all of this?”

“I don’t mean you and I, J. I mean…I don’t know. This whole line of work. I’m not going to pretend that I don’t feel the pressure or that when girls approach me about you that it doesn’t hurt. I know that the things that they are saying are untrue but it doesn’t stop it from hurting.”

“What have they said to you?”

“I don’t want to discuss that.”

“Camille, I need you to tell me. Whatever is effecting you also effects me. We’re the same person now as far as I’m concerned.”

When I look into your eyes and I feel it coming through
I can’t help but want you more than I want to
So baby, take all of you fears and cast them all on me
Cause all I ever wanted was just to make you see
That I could be the one to give you all that you’ve been searching for
Just hold on to my love and, baby, let me give you more, you know, anytime

Sighing heavily she avoided his eyes as she spoke. “They’re calling me a whore and a bitch. I’m untalented and the only reason that I’m where I’m at is because you’re pulling strings. Then there’s shit about you’re not ever going to make it to the alter with me because it’s all just for publicity and I’m boosting sales…They’re even coming at me with shit like you’re seeing other girls and some of them are pregnant…it’s just insane!”

“Baby, you know all of that is bullshit.”

“I know that but when you keep hearing it in repetition it just starts to hurt really badly whether its true or not.”

Justin nodded. Things had been said to him as well but he was used to letting it all roll off of his back. He thought back to Barbara Walters warning them before they decided to go public. All of the scrutiny was something that he had grown used to but Camille was new to the game and the fans were being vicious.

“It’s just, how can all of these people suddenly hate me when they were supporting me before? Why am I not good enough to be with you in their eyes?”

“As far as the media and public are concerned, Camille, no one will ever be good enough for me or good enough for you for that matter. They think that they own you and that you have to see who they want or just live your life in misery until you realize you’re supposed to be with one of them. There’s no way in hell to make everyone happy.”

“I just don’t think I’m ready for all of this right now.”

Justin swallowed down the lump that had suddenly appeared in his throat. “You don’t want to marry me anymore, do you?”

“Justin, it isn’t that I don’t want to marry you. It’s that I don’t want to marry them.” she shook her head, staring at the cement wall behind him. “It’s a package deal.”

Anytime you need love, baby, I’m on your side (I’m on your side)
Just let me be the one, I can make it all right (I can make it all right)
Anytime you need love, baby, you’re in my heart
I can make it all right

“You’re out of your fucking mind if you think I’m going to let you out of this because you’re getting scared and some bitches that we don’t even know approached you. You’re stronger than that. You love me a lot more than that.” Justin’s voice rose as he headed out of the doors without her. A second later she was scrambling out after him but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw what he had already discovered.

The entire parking lot was filled with fans of all ages. They were holding up handmade flyers and posters in support of their union. Camille dropped her bag as Justin took her hand.

“Are you sure you don’t want to be married to them?” he whispered.

Now there’s no way out and I can’t help the way I feel
‘Cause baby you’re the fire and I’ll be waiting right here
You know my love is real, baby, yeah

Anytime you need love, baby, I’m on your side (you know)
Just let me be the one, I can make it all right (I can make it all right)
Anytime you need love, baby, you’re in my heart
I can make it all right

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

“You missed your out a long time ago.” He continued as they both looked out over all of the faces hailing their praises. “I’m not letting you punk out and neither are they.”

Anytime you need love, baby, I’m on your side (I’m on your side)
Just let me be the one, I can make it all right (I can make it all right)
Anytime you need love, baby, you’re in my heart
I can make it all right (oh, yeah!)

////

“There was actually a point where they almost didn’t make it to the alter? I’ve never heard anything like that before.”

“I don’t think Camille was actually going to call off the wedding. I think she just wanted to postpone it for a little while until she could figure out how to deal with everything. It was all happening very quickly for her.”

“Now where did all of those fans come from? How did they even know that the couple would be in the area?”

“Camille has some diehard fans and they seem to show up at every venue before things even get underway.” JC answered. “They’re not blind. They kept up with things and knew that she was getting a lot of flack from the few bad seeds and it was effecting her. A lot of the time fans can be heaven sent. That was one of those times.”

“That all occurred before or after the show that they did with Oprah?”

“It all went down before the Oprah interview. By then things were quieting down and getting back to normal.”

////

“Camille Henderson exploded onto the scene two years ago with her groundbreaking debut album, Disillusioned. After sweeping the Grammy Awards she took a brief hiatus from her steadily rising music career to play a part opposite George Clooney in the feature film, Flirting With Flowers, and has most recently received a nod for the Best Actress Oscar. It seemed that the charmed life of this rising star could get no better but, of course, it has.” Oprah Winfrey’s voice played over scenes of Camille’s public life onscreen. “While celebrating her twentieth birthday, yes, I said twentieth, Camille received possibly the best present that a woman could ever receive. While cruising the Hawaiian Islands with family and friends, Camille’s boyfriend of one year, none other than music superstar Justin Timberlake, proposed marriage. With no further ado I would like to introduce to the stage America’s reigning princess, Camille Henderson!”

As always, the butterflies that had been in Camille’s stomach when behind stage disappeared once she stepped out in front of the audience. She and her stylist had agreed on a conservative yet stylish outfit for America’s highest rated and syndicated talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show. She was dressed to impressed in a daffodil yellow fitted linen suit over a chocolate dress shirt and ostrich skin sling back heels. Her hair was pulled back tightly into a slicked chignon with a white gold dragonfly hairclip on the side, matching earrings and an invisible pendant necklace. Overnight she had become a fashion icon.

“Look at you! Look at you!” Oprah embraced the young woman and showed her off to the audience before they both took a seat on the plush sofas engulfed by the sound of applause. “I’m glad to finally have you on the show.”

“I’m glad to be here, thank you. I’ve been watching your show ever since I could remember and I always told my family I’d be sitting here with you one day.” Camille replied as Oprah held her hand in hers.

“You’re living proof that dreams can come true. I am so amazed at how far you’ve come in such a short period of time. You came out on the scene, what, yesterday?”

“It feels like it.”

“There are thousands if not millions of people that would die to be in the position that you are in right now. You’re at the top of the music industry, blazing a trail with your first movie role, touring and,” Oprah looked out over the audience, “this may be the best part of all, you’re engaged to Justin Timberlake!” the audience began to cheer and applaud at the tidbit of news. “Everyday you must wake up and say to yourself, ‘how did this happen’?”

“It amazes me how far I’ve come from this little dreamer in Wisconsin to having all of this success and being so well-known. Its something that, from where I’m from, just doesn’t ever happen. If you’re not from a large city then you have no hope, you know? So, everyday I’m just thankful that I received the opportunity to do something like this.”

“Now, tell us about this engagement. You and Justin only recently revealed to the public that you were seeing each other a few months ago and now here you are engaged. What is that like for you?”

“Well, as you know, he proposed to me on my birthday in Hawaii on this beautiful yacht surrounded by everyone we know. My describing it could never do it any justice because it was the most amazing thing.” Camille smiled just thinking about how everything had gone down that night.

“Try, girl. Try.” Oprah tugged her hand excitedly, the crowd voicing their interest as well.

“Justin took me to Hawaii a few days before my birthday so we could spend time together dancing, surfing, and just being cool in our own element. The night of my birthday he gave me this beautiful dress created by Couture and escorted me to a yacht he had rented where everyone was there singing happy birthday to me.” She tried her best to explain what had happened. “Oh, my God, he had Whitney Houston sing for me. I’ll never forget that.”

“That was truly amazing to see her back in top form.”

“Yes, you were there as well, Oprah.”

“The whole spread was absolutely astounding.” The esteemed television personality assured the audience. “Now, Justin proposed to you around the time of the fireworks show, correct?”

“Yes.” Camille nodded shyly, “I actually didn’t believe him when he first asked me to marry him. He just came out with it and I was like, ‘yeah, sure, whatever’.”

“Ego buster!”

“Thank God that he asked again though because I never would have been able to live that down. He said the most beautiful and romantic things to me and had me crying like the biggest baby you’ve ever seen. It was just amazing.”

“Now, you didn’t actually lay eyes on the engagement ring until after you had accepted the proposal?”

“That’s right.”

“I want you all to look at this thing!” Oprah held Camille’s left hand up into the air so that the audience and the cameras could pick up how spectacular her ring actually was. “Can you believe the size of this rock? How many carats is this, Camille?”

“Eight-carats.”

“Eight-carats ladies and gentleman! Do you know how many other ladies have diamonds that large? It’s not even a regular diamond, people! This is a rare light blue diamond!”

“The only other person I know of is Kobe Bryant’s wife. Hers is purple I think.” Camille tried to pass it off as if it were not that serious.

“I want to know your secret, girl. What are you doing to make a man buy you a four million dollar ring?”

“Protecting my chastity belt.”

Oprah and her audience laughed at the young star’s words. “So lets talk about this new album. How does it compare to your first?”

“I think that this album is definitely a step up from Disillusioned. Don’t get me wrong, I’m proud of what I’ve done, but the new album is better vocally and stylistically. Originally I was going to work with a lot of big name producers but decided against it because I came out with my own sound and only really wanted to enhance what I’ve already got. I kept my uncles on as executive producers and introduced Timbaland into the mix because he is amazing and really understood my process. I also did one song with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. Some people break the rules and you have to work with them!”

“On your first album you penned all of your tracks but on this one you let other people write your lyrics?”

“I penned all tracks but two. The first was a cover song of ‘Anytime’ by Kelly Clarkson and the second was one Justin wrote called ‘Breathtaking’. He wrote about three songs on the album with me but the one he did alone is amazing.”

“You’re going to be performing that song later on in the show with him, correct?”

“That’s right.”

“Well, why don’t we bring him on out here too and start pumping him for information? Everyone please give a round of applause to the most romantic musician in entertainment, Justin Timberlake!”

“Oprah!” Justin screeched as he ran over to her and threw his arms around her affectionately. “How have you been, sweetheart?”

“I’ve been great. Here, have a seat.”

“Hey, baby.” He sat down next to his fiancé and delivered her an innocent smooch, placing his arm around her. “How is everyone doing today?”

“Don’t mind him. He’s always working the audience.” Camille rolled her eyes sarcastically and smiled at her fiancé when he winked at her.

“We’ve all seen you in public together and its obvious that you have a very loving yet playful and carefree relationship.” Oprah began after the viewers had settled down.

“Camille is my best friend above all else. Being with her romantically is like an added bonus.”

“A lot of people are saying that this whole engagement thing is coming along too quickly and that you’re both too young to even consider marriage. What do you have to say to that?”

“I can understand why people would say something like that because Camille is only twenty and here I am twenty four but some people really do find true love at this age and sometimes even younger than that. Cam’s great-grandparents were married at fourteen and fifteen years old and are still together and happy with each other. I just honestly don’t believe that age plays a role in what you feel.” Justin explained his thoughts. “As far as how quickly this all came about, I’ve known this woman for two years now and I wanted to marry her the second that I met her. My feelings for her from that day up until now have only gotten stronger by the day. You know from the beginning whether or not you’re going to be with someone for the rest of your life and I knew it then. I know it now.”

“Oh, here come the waterworks.” Camille’s eyes swelled with tears and Justin quickly rubbed them away with his thumb before they could slide down her face and kissed her on the cheek.

“I don’t think that could have been better said, Justin.” Oprah genuinely agreed with his words and rubbed her hand over Camille’s forearm soothingly. “Lets talk about something a little less emotional here. I know you’ve had both positives and negatives arise out of all of this. So let’s get to the fashion! Now, Justin, you know you’ve definitely had some good and bad moments on camera but since you’ve been with this young woman…”

“Cam does not play that.” He chuckled. “She’s got this amazing fashion sense as you can see just looking at her. She’s a very visual person and she knows how to pull things together and make them look good. I don’t even step out of the front door without consulting her anymore. My stylist will put something together but if she doesn’t like it I’m not wearing it.”

“Oh, don’t make this one-sided. He does the same thing to me!” Camille broke in, sitting forward. “’Camille, that shirt is too low…that skirt is too high…what is this supposed to cover, really?’ He does his fair share of ‘consulting’ as well.”

“Have the two of you decided on when and where you’re going to hold your wedding?”

“We’re not sure yet. We’ve talked about a few places but nothing is set into stone yet. Hopefully it will be during or directly after Camille’s current tour. She’s got a really big show going on so I don’t get to see her as much as I’d like to.”

“This is where they play, ‘Cry Me A River’, right?” Camille kidded as Justin tapped her thigh. “Honestly, we’re kind of going back and forth about it. We’re not in a rush but we are eager to get to the alter at the same time.”

“Let’s do it today! Right now!”

“It wouldn’t be the first wedding on my show, now.” Oprah put up a hand.

“Personally I want to do something really low key and traditional. It doesn’t have to be in a chapel or anything but I want it to mean something. I want it to be about two people coming together and not all of the scenery.”

“Yeah, the proposal was enough.” Camille agreed with him. “We’ve gotten past the tropical thing so now we just want to do something average.”

“I don’t think the union of two of music’s top stars could ever be average.”

Justin scratched his eyebrow. “We just want to do something very intimate with a few people. It probably won’t happen that way because, like you said, it would be hard to conceal it and keep it personal at this point. I swear that having no cameras there would be heaven sent.”

////

“The wedding,” Gary began, “was classic from what has been printed in the tabloids. The whole event was top secret and no paparazzi were seen for miles.”

“Justin and Camille did extremely well with preparing that wedding. There were always conflicting reports about where it was going to be held and that worked in their favor. So while everyone was clamoring to get to one rumored spot they were in a different place all together having their private ceremony.” JC laughed at the circumstances thinking back to the many times that he and other celebrities had sent the media out on wild goose chases. When asked about the details they would always drop a name of some foreign island or populated area as a decoy.

“They ended up holding it in Memphis, Tennessee?”

“Yeah, Justin’s grandfather married them which was really nice. They had an outdoor ceremony as you can tell in some of the photos that they allowed to be released to the public. It was a very nice event. Glamorous yet low-key and normal all at the same time.”

////

“Quite a healthy mix of people here, huh?” Linda giggled with Lynn as they sat together chuckling in the front row of the white chairs that had been set up for the guests to observe the union of their children. There couldn’t have been a more perfect day.

“I didn’t expect this myself.” Lynn commented as they both looked around at all of the faces illuminated by the sun shining in the clear blue skies. “There’s a lot more relatives here than I thought there would be and less celebrity figures.”

“Ah, it’s nice to see that our children haven’t gone completely Hollywood!”

“Who is that there? Ha! Plenty of fashion designers here.”

Linda nodded her head in agreement. “Its strange to see all of these designers clamoring over my daughter. Before she got discovered a lot of people said she was too short to model.”

Lynn scoffed. “She looks good in just about everything that she wears. Those people were blind. Oh, it looks like they’re about to get started.” She sighed and lifted her dress slightly as she stood up and embraced the other woman before heading back to her own seat on Justin’s side of the family.

After Justin took his place at the alter the procession seemed to go by quickly. The bridesmaids all looked lovely in long, one-strapped, turquoise dresses. The necklines were twisted with soft pink and turquoise material pinned up at the top of the strap on their right shoulders with faux roses. The groomsmen wore clean charcoal gray suits with stylish shades that they removed once arriving at the alter and striking playful poses before lining up respectfully. The two mothers glanced at each other across the isle and laughed at the scene.

As the opening bars to ‘Kissing You’ began to play by the pianist the guests all stood to their feet. Justin took in a deep breath and as the doors of the white horse-drawn carriage opened he could feel the tears begin to form. Camille stared directly into his eyes from the distance after stepping out of the carriage looking like an angel standing at her father’s side. Her hair was pinned up into ringlets, spirals spilling from the top of the twist, and accented with a single white lily of the valley. She smiled at him, trying to suppress the emotions that she was feeling in that moment, and began to walk the isle with her father as Des’ree began to sing her timeless song in place of the wedding march.

Pride can stand a thousand trials
The strong will never fall
But watching stars without you
My soul cries

Justin couldn’t recall a time where Camille had ever appeared more beautiful to him as she held her bouquet of white roses and lilies. The wedding dress that she had designed with Donatella Versace was breathtaking with it’s intricate lace straps, plunging V-neckline and front slit that succeeded in showing off her two best assets: her bust and her legs. Her delicate toes were accentuated in diamond speckled white strapped heels and as she made her way up the isle slowly with her father her long train swayed behind her on the white carpeting that had been covered in rose petals by the flower girl, one of her younger cousins. He couldn’t believe that he was going to spend the rest of his life with this angel.

Heaving heart is full of pain
Oh, oh, the aching

No one else existed as Camille approached the alter with her father. She couldn’t feel the eyes of all of the guests or hear their whispers about how beautiful she looked. The only thing that she was able to focus on was the man that stood there waiting for her looking more handsome than he ever had in the entire time that she had known him. As she watched a single tear slide over his cheek she felt her own to match and smiled lightly that they were both feeling the same things at the same moment. She wasn’t sure of just how exactly she had gotten from point A to point B in her life, but, she was so thankful to God for bringing her to this place in her life where she was able to stand before the people that she loved and marry the only man in the world that would ever own her heart.

‘Cause I’m kissing you, oh
I’m kissing you , oh

Nastassia and the other bride’s maids all looked on as their closest friend neared the point of no return. None of them had ever imagined this moment to be as beautiful as it was. With Des’ree singing her heart out, the bride and groom taking their first steps into the rest of their lives together, and all of the people around them that supported and loved them there was nothing that seemed out of place. It was sheer perfection.

Touch me deep, pure and true
Give to me forever

Trace put a hand on Justin’s shoulder the closer that Camille and her father became. He knew that the moment was overwhelming him, but not to the point of running away, and that he needed the extra support. Justin took in air through his mouth and nodded slowly that he was okay and Trace pat his shoulder once more before reclaiming his statuesque position.

‘Cause I’m kissing you, oh
I’m kissing you, oh

As Camille and her father passed by the last pew Linda and Lynn exchanged teary-eyed glances. This was the moment that every mother dreamt of for her child. The day that they found the person to spend the rest of their lives with and finally took those vows. It was bittersweet in ways. Their children were no longer their babies. This day legitimized them as adults with their own minds, their own passions, and their own wants. Both mothers smiled gently at one another and cast their focus back on the bride and her father whom had stopped just before the alter.

Kenneth Henderson turned to his daughter proudly and kissed her on the forehead. Whispering to her, he told her that he couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful, intelligent, and astounding daughter as her. He wished her luck and told her that he loved her before taking in a breath to calm them both down and leading her to her fiancé.

Where are you now…?
Where are you now…?

Justin’s heart beat harshly against his chest as Kenneth placed Camille’s hand into his. As he stared into her beautiful dark brown eyes he imagined just how beautiful their life together would truly be. This woman was about to become the most important individual in his life forever. This woman would one day become the mother of his children. He had never been more in love.

Camille blinked slowly as Justin moved his free hand to smooth away the tears that she had cried during the walk to the alter. She had never felt more confident about anything before. She had made a lot of mistakes in the past and had been afraid to let a man into her heart and soul up until she had met him. Some people were just destined to be together.

“I love you.” Justin whispered to her as Des’ree approached the end of the song which would lead into them taking their vows.

“I love you, too.”

‘Cause I’m kissing you
I’m kissing you, oh…

Fluidly everyone took their seats in the pews after the song had ended. Justin’s grandfather, the reverend that would be marrying them, stood proudly before the couple as they turned, hand in hand, to give him their complete attention. This was the moment that they had been waiting for all of their lives.

“Dearly beloved, we are all gathered here today to join this man, Justin Randall Timberlake, and this woman, Camille Marie Henderson, in holy matrimony…” He began the ceremony which neared the end with the exchanging of their newly melded wedding rings. “With the power vested in me I now pronounce you man and wife. Justin, you may now kiss my new granddaughter.”

Justin and Camille laughed lightly before turning to one another and taking their first kiss as husband and wife. Flashing bulbs went off as the hired photographer and guests took snapshots of the loving scene. Everything had gone off without a hitch. As the joyous cheers sounded they smiled and waved cordially, quickly stepped down hand in hand to lead the wedding party off to their reception. They didn’t have any time to waste. Later that night the bride would be venturing out on her own to complete her world tour.

No Honeymoon?