Empathy

23- Epilogue

I looked around at my friends and smiled, thinking back to when I was all alone. I’d thought I would never fit in with anyone, but that certainly wasn’t the case anymore. Now I had Aiden as well as his family and all of our friends.

Remembering how I used to walk around school with my head hung low, wondering why my parents hated me, made me angry. I was only a kid when they made my life hell. My parents- at least my adopted ones- had left me all alone when they were supposed to take care of me. But now I had more than enough people that I loved, and they all loved me back.

“Ten minutes left,” Aiden spoke from right behind me. I twirled around, surprised and he grinned at me, holding out a glass of wine.

I set down the drawing of him I was working on so I could take the glass. After I graduated high school I became a self-employed artist. Someone once said ‘if you love your job, you never have to work a day in your life’ and I lived by that saying. “I know.”

“What were you thinking about?” He asked as he sat on the couch, pulling me onto his lap. I barely managed to not spill my drink everywhere. Alexis would kill me if I got red wine all over their new, white, couch.

I moved around until I got comfortable. “I was thinking back to before I met you.” I admitted and he leaned in. I thought he was going to kiss me, and he did, but not where I wanted. He placed a simple kiss on my nose and then leaned back.

“Don’t think about that right now. I don’t like to imagine you being lonely and getting picked on,” he complained, taking my hand in his free one. “Besides that was four years ago.” His fingers played with the ring on my finger.

“I know.” I replied shortly. I was going to say more but we were interrupted by an excited yelp. Alexis was standing in Dylan’s arms, her tummy spilling out. She was seven months pregnant and it was showing.

Dylan smiled with amusement at his wife (they got married two years ago) and asked, “What is it?”

“Two minutes left,” she replied, her eyes glued to the muted television. If Vanessa were here she would’ve laughed at her friend, but as it was, she was currently in Australia with Caleb. He’d graduated college last year and now wrote reviews on different places and hotels. He was always traveling and since the couple didn’t want to be separated, she went with him everywhere. It was sweet but I missed her.

Kate did it for her, saying, “You don’t have to start counting down until the one minute mark.” And her mate shut her up with a kiss.

Jared was a nice guy that Kate met in Florida. He was human, but he accepted all of us and it was easy to see how in love he was with Kate. They were perfect for each other. She was snobby and sarcastic and he was funny and sweet. They’d dated for six months before getting married. His six year old daughter was surprisingly happy about it. Kate and she got along wonderfully. Now Mandy was spread out on a blanket on the floor, fast asleep.

“I’m tired,” I complained, leaning my head against Aiden’s chest. His shirt was soft, making up for the hard muscle.

“I’ll carry you to bed after the clock strikes twelve,” he promised with a smile in his voice. I smiled as well and started thinking about him carrying me to bed… Suddenly I wasn’t very tired and my thoughts were completely inappropriate to have in the same room as a six year old.

Thankfully, my thoughts were cut off as the room broke into a count down, “Ten, nine, eight, seven, and six…”

I yawned and joined the count in a mumbled voice, “five, four, three, two, one-” I never got the chance to say zero because Aiden pressed his lips firmly to mine. I kissed him back the same way, my engagement ring feeling comfortable on my finger. I was going to marry him. I was going to marry the guy that I thought was a dog when I first met him. Literally. It’s funny how things change. However, throughout this whole thing, I’d never stopped loving him. At first it was as a friend and a pet, and then it was romantically.

Thinking back on the way things went, I realized how crazy this whole thing had been. But if someone offered to take me back in time and make it so I never met Aiden I would kill them for even suggesting it. This life might keep me on my toes, but it was so worth it.

Aiden pulled away from me and placed his forehead against mine, speaking quietly so no one would over hear. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” I’d never said anything more honest.

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