Aries

Epilogue

One Year Later

Aries

Leila and Aden's wedding was beautiful. I didn't think a grown man like me could look at a venue filled with flowers and white lacey cloth and use that word to describe it, but it was. They had a garden wedding, and the spring weather was beautiful. Not too cold and not too warm.

They were holding the reception at the house Alex had for The Sinners to use however they wanted. It was the same place Darla and Ricky and Alex and Rosie held theirs, and Leila and Aden wanted to follow tradition.

When I would marry Nova, it was where we would hold ours as well. The garden was fresh, and clean, with rows of white chairs where our family and friends sat.

Alex and I stood behind Aden, who was in a crisp black suit and across from us was Rosie and Nova in their olive-green bridesmaid dresses. The ballad of the bride played on the piano loudly and Ariana and Alias stepped down the aisle throwing flower petals with their beautiful mother walking behind them.

Our father was the one walking her down the aisle and once his little kids reached him, Aden bent down with fresh tears in his eyes as he held, hugged, and kissed them both before handing them over to my mother who walked up to grab them.

My father hugged Aden tightly, and then Leila took his hand, and he brought her closer. Her dress was elegant, an off-white dress with little embedded crystals and pearls, and a veil that Aden was now trussing over her head so he could view her face.

The priest cleared his throat and opened up his bible, but I doubt Leila and Aden were even paying attention. Leila was crying and Aden was trying to comfort her by wiping away her tears, and in the process, I swear my brute of a brother started crying as well. The priest spoke, they exchanged their rings, and before they could kiss, Aden put his hand up.

"I actually wrote my own vows," Aden said, and Leila gave him an odd look.

"Wait, I didn't know we were writing our own." She whispered loudly.

"It's okay." He reassured her and with one last squeeze, he dropped her hands. He pulled out a piece of paper from his suit pocket and cleared his throat. "As you all know, I'm a man of few words. I prefer to grunt or glare my way out of every conversation."

Some of our family and friends in the crowd laughed. "My life had two factors. My first is my work life. It was steady and I was used to the set routine I created for myself over the years. My other factor was you." He gave her a look and her chin trembled.

"You weren't steady. You were you. A beautiful, strong, and resilient woman who shined so brightly, it hurt to look at her for too long. You shined, Leila, and you took my very breath away, hell woman you took my sanity."

Leila was sobbing and I could see Nova and Rosie crying as well, a tissue in their hands as they heard Aden say his vows.

"I never want it back. I want to drown in the unsteadiness that is you. I want to love you forever, raise our children together, grow old together, and give you the life and love you always deserved. Leila, I love you and I can't wait to spend eternity with you."

"You asshole. I didn't write my own vows." She sobbed, and he chuckled nervously as he reached for her hands. He kissed both of them and held them to his chest.

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride." The priest declared and Aden grabbed her hips and yanked her to his mouth.

They kissed fiercely and he dipped her body, and everyone whistled and clapped loudly as they laughed. Once inside the house, we had dinner, and the married couple shared their first dance together. Nova was tucked by my side as she watched them dance slowly.