AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Aiden gave Mama puppy dog eyes. “Do you by chance have any more samples of it in the back so we can be extra sure?”
“I think I can manage grabbing a few more bites for you.” She headed to the kitchen, leaving Aiden and I in cake heaven, finishing up all the bites we didn’t finish previously.
As we were eating, my phone dinged with a new email. I went to open it, and my eyes instantly watered over.
“What is it?” Aiden asked, becoming concerned with my expression.
I turned to him as I choked on my next words. “I got in.”
“What?”
“I got into the master’s program of psychology at Adler University in Chicago,” I breathed out as my heart pounded wildly within my chest.
“Holy shit!” Aiden remarked, leaping up from his seat. Within seconds, he yanked me from my chair and began spinning me around in circles. The moment he placed me on the floor, I saw the tears falling from his own eyes. Because when I cried, he cried. When I celebrated, he celebrated.
“You did this, Jerry!” he remarked, pulling me into the best hug of my life. “Your hard work did this. I’m so proud of you.”
Mama came out with two more pieces of cake and paused when she saw our emotions. “What’s going on?”
“Hailee got into the master’s program at Adler,” Aiden said with so much glee in his voice.
Mama’s eyes widened as she shouted with excitement. “Oh, my goodness! Let me go in the back and bring out the whole freaking cake. Karl! Get out of the office! We are celebrating!”
Dad came out right away and when we told him the news, he started jumping up and down with joy, too. When Aiden let me go, I fell into Dad’s arms. The first man who’d ever taught me what love looked like, what it felt like.
“I had no doubt in you and your abilities. I’m so proud of you, Cinderella,” he whispered as he kissed my forehead. “I love you forever.”
“I love you longer than that.”
46
Aiden
One Year Later
I wasn’t havinga panic attack.
Truth be told, I hadn’t suffered from a panic attack in a while. Not since Hailee helped me discover paths to my happiness, and I got into therapy. It turned out, getting help could lead to a happier life.
And my life was becoming happier and happier each day.
That morning, I felt the calmest I’d ever felt in my life. It was the day of my wedding. The day I looked at my very best friend and said, “I do”, and I’d never felt surer about anything in my whole life.
Loving Hailee was something I’d do for the rest of my life, and it felt like an honor to say those two words to her when we’d reach the end of the aisle in front of our family and friends.
“You look good,” Damian said, walking over to me as we waited in the dressing room. The ceremony was going to be starting any moment, and I had my three newest brothers with me as groomsmen. Connor, Jax, and Damian became instant brothers to me. They were the definition of family, and they welcomed me with open arms.
Damian straightened out my bow tie and I smiled. “You don’t look half bad yourself.”
“Must be genetics,” he joked before patting me on the back.
“Okay, Connor, Jax, the photographer needs you all out in the hallway,” Mom said as she walked into the dressing room. The moment she saw us all she teared up. “Handsome, handsome men,” she mentioned. Connor and Jax headed out for the photos as Mom walked over to Damian and me. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed my cheek and then turned to Damian and kissed his as she placed her hands against his cheeks. “You look amazing, son.”
Damian was a tough guy. He didn’t show much emotion, but in that moment, I thought he was on the brink of tears.
“What is it?” Mom asked him.
He shook his head a little as a half-smile slipped out. “Nothing. It’s just… You called me son.”
