Page 8 of The Ties that Bind
We had consulted and agreed to allow about an hour to run all our errands. This wonderful, late spring day blessed us with short lines and quick shopping, so we finished up in about fifty minutes instead. “We’ll be kinda early,” I decided, glancing at the time on my phone. “Zoe won’t mind, though. If she’s not home yet we can always chill in the living room and talk to Aiden.”
“Sounds good.” Marty settled back in the passenger seat, along for the ride.
To get to Aiden’s house, I had to drive past a very, very familiar place. I couldn’t resist pulling up in front of the building and sitting by the curb just for a moment to look at the columns and large Greek Kappa Omega Epsilon letters.
“Do you miss it?” Marty asked.
“No, not really. I loved the sense of community and family and all the girls I met there, but all I feel is happiness when I think about my experiences here. No regrets whatsoever.”
“You’re almost making me wish I had gone to college,” Marty joked.
“It wasn’t all good. Late nights, insane amounts of homework, tons of reading, stress-”
“Okay, I get it. I don’t wish I’d gone to college.”
We went for yet another kiss and continued on to Zoe’s. As expected, we got there a little early, but still…no big deal. Just a little waiting, if anything.
I knocked on the door, Marty standing beside me with an arm around my waist. No answer. I blinked at him and knocked again. This time I thought I heard something, like the loud thump of a door shutting or something falling. “I think someone’s home?” I ventured.
Just as I was about to peek in through the glass panes to the side of the large wooden door, a lock turned on the inside, and it creaked open. Zoe stood there, tugging at the door handle with one hand while hastily fiddling with her blouse with the other.
“What are you…” I stopped when I realized she was doing up buttons. “I thought you were leaving your mom’s house at 5:30?”
“Uh… I thought I would be home and showered by 5:30, but Daddy showed up early for dinner.” I didn’t miss the mischief in her eyes.
The floor creaked behind her, and I glanced past to see Aiden crossing the hallway, shirtless, his hair tousled in a manner very unlike the professor’s usual look. He shot us a shameless grin and disappeared up the stairs.
“Showering, huh?” The suggestiveness in my voice finally wrung a blush out of Zoe.
“Hush, you. Just come in. Aiden will be down in a moment, and then we have something we want to talk to you about.” Zoe started to lead the way inside, then wheeled back around. “Wait a minute! You were supposed to be here at 5:45. You’re early. This is your fault,” she insisted teasingly.
I adopted a look of pure innocence. “What’s my fault? That we interrupted your ‘shower’?”
“Okay, okay. Sit down. I’ll be back in just a sec’.” Zoe took the stairs two at a time and followed Aiden.
I turned to see Marty staring at me, wiggling his eyebrows as if to say…They’re doing it, so maybe when we get home..“No!” I insisted. “After the wedding. You have to help your mom out with the new shop. I have wedding planning to do - there’s so much to get done. After, okay? After,” I insisted one more time.
Marty sighed. “Fine. We still need to find somewhere to actually have the wedding, too.”
“Actually, we were thinking we might be able to help with that,” Zoe said as she came down the stairs with Aiden, both of them properly dressed and groomed. They sat down across from us, each taking a chair.
“Really?” I perked up. I valued Zoe’s suggestions, whether they involved fashion or locations.
Zoe looked at Aiden, who clasped his hands together and spoke up. “We were talking, and Zoe told me some of what you were looking for … the perfect wedding venue. She mentioned, outside space, a large indoor space in case it ends up being too hot… And oh, yes, character… the place has to have character.” He turned to Zoe and smiled. “We were thinking, We know a place that has all of that. This house… my house right here.”
We turned our heads as if they were on puppet strings when Marty and I suddenly saw the house in a whole new light.
“I think - we think - that it would be perfect. The backyard is large and fenced in for privacy. The house is big enough for any number of people you want to invite, and I’m sure the private school down the street will allow your guests to use their parking lot for the wedding since its on a Saturday.” Aiden glanced at Zoe, probably trying to think if he had left anything out.
“And it’s got character, and connection to us,” Zoe pointed out. “It’s like a little slice of New Orleans history, and all of us and our families are from Louisiana.”
I glanced over at Marty, hoping he could see my feelings in my eyes. He did, and he said to me as he took my hands, “See? Everything works out. Aiden, I haven’t had as much time to get to know you as I would like, but it’s incredibly generous of you to offer your house for the wedding, and I think I speak for us both-” I smiled as Marty shot me a glance, using the motion to hide a sudden well of tears that had no place in this wonderful moment. “-when I say that we would be absolutely thrilled to have our wedding here.” The two men shook hands, and I felt a friendship formed in their firm handshake.
“It’ll be perfect,” I told all three of them happily. “We plan to keep the guest list to close friends and family, so everyone will fit just perfectly here. And I’ve seen the backyard. There’ll be plenty of room for the seating and for the band. Oh, and the gazebo… you have a beautiful gazebo! Thank you both so much.” I also shook Aiden’s hand, then threw myself into Zoe’s arms, unable to contain my excitement any longer.
“Sit back down,” she ordered me, laughing. “We aren’t done with you yet.”
“What?” I shared a look with Marty, but he only shrugged.
