Page 224 of The Compass Series

AIDEN

ONE YEAR LATER

I wasn’t having a 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.”

“Yes. That’s what you are to me.”

He cleared his throat and stood straighter. “I just always wanted that.”

“Wanted what?”

He sniffled, trying to stay strong. “A mom.”

Mom smiled. “I always wanted another son for my Aiden, so I think it works out perfectly. Meet Jax and Connor outside for pictures in a minute, okay?” She gave Damian another kiss on the cheek before leaving the room.

I smirked as I looked at my brother.

He grimaced and brushed away his tears. “If you ever mention me crying to anyone, I will punch you in your balls,” he grumbled.

I tossed my hands up in surrender. “Your secret is safe with me.”

He patted my back one more time before leaving the room to join Connor and Jax for photographs, leaving me alone with myself and my thoughts.

I stood in front of the mirror, smoothing out my suit, thinking about how I was minutes away from the biggest moment of my life thus far.

“You look good,” someone said from behind me. I turned to see Karl standing there in his own tuxedo.

“You don’t look that bad yourself.”

“What can I say? This old man knows how to clean up well.” He walked over to me and brushed his thumb against his nose. “Are you nervous?”

“Not at all. Just ready.”

He smiled. “That’s how I felt on my wedding day to Penny.

Just ready. When you know you’re marrying your person, there’s a calmness that comes over you.

” He glanced at his watch. “I must get to Hailee to get ready to walk her down the aisle, but I wanted to stop in quick and let you know that I couldn’t think of a better man to be marrying my daughter.

I’ve seen the way you love her, and that only makes me love you more.

It is an honor to be your father-in-law, but if you’d like, you are always more than welcome to call me dad. ”

I was seconds away from crying like Damian. Who knew a heart could feel more and more happiness with every passing second?

Karl patted my shoulder before he pulled me into a tight hug. “I love you forever, son.”

He used the saying I’d heard him use with Hailee my whole life growing up. I choked on my words but managed to get them out. “I love you longer than that,” I replied.

Hailee

I had the wedding of my dreams with the man of my dreams. I couldn’t imagine a better way to celebrate the love that Aiden and I had for one another.

It was a night filled with love, with laughter, with joy.

There was something so refreshingly wholesome about watching everyone come around to witness my happily ever after.

I’d never felt more loved than I had that evening.

The champagne was poured all night long, leaving everyone in a giggling fit as we sang and danced the night away.

Mr. Lee brought a plus-one to the ceremony, his son Lin.

Lin was in his mid-sixties and was considering moving to Leeks, Wisconsin to take over his father’s business.

He was such a dapper, kind man, and I couldn’t help but take note of the way he’d spent the whole night complimenting Laurie.

As Aiden and I slow danced, I gestured toward Lin and Laurie who’d found their way to the dance floor, too. “What do you think of that?” I asked him.

He looked over to his mother and raised an eyebrow. “Is he hitting on my mom?” he asked, alert. “I’m going to go stop him.”

Before he could pull away, I tightened my grip on him. “You most definitely will not. Look at her. She looks happy.”

Aiden grumbled. “Yeah, she does. But if his hands move any lower, I’m going to rip them off.”

Overprotective son was in full force. “You’re ridiculous.”

“And yet you still married me,” he joked, kissing my nose. “Hey, you want to do something with me? You want to get out of here?”

I narrowed my eyes. “Out of our wedding?”

He nodded. “I bet no one would notice we were gone. Everyone’s too champagne drunk. Besides, I want to go somewhere with you. I think it will be nice. Just say yes?”

I glanced around, took a deep breath and shrugged. “Yes.”

Wherever he would lead, I would follow.

He took my hand, and we snuck out of a backdoor without anyone noticing us. Then, we began walking down the streets of Leeks, under the perfectly clear sky. It was a beautiful night, and the weather was more than perfect for a scroll in an expensive tuxedo and a stunning wedding gown.

As we reached our destination, my heart smiled almost more than my lips had.

We stood at the spot between the two homes that raised us.

The for-sale signs sat in front of both houses, and our parents had moved most of their things out from the homes.

“In a little while, these houses will be places for someone else to create memories, but I figured maybe we can have one last night of counting the stars,” Aiden explained as he walked me to the space between our two childhood windows.

The love I had for this man was unmatched.

We lay between the trees, and I cuddled up closely with him. He held me close and kissed my chin before he gestured toward the sky. “One…two…three…”