106 | the taste of happiness-2

Sienna is still snapping my pictures with her phone. I don't even want to know how many photos she has taken. When she finally comes to hug me, it's so tight that I can barely breathe. We sway as we hug each other. She pulls away, grabbing my shoulders. A look of determination crosses her expression. Now, she's the one who looks like a woman on a mission. "We need to talk about your wedding reception as soon as possible," she urges. "About the kind of wedding dress you fancy, I've been looking all over Pinterest and, oh God, you need to look at some of them. I can't wait to see you in a wedding dress. And about the color and theme for the party, have you decided? At least for the color palette?" she starts blabbering with so much enthusiasm. She's talking so fast that I can't even focus on a single thing she's saying. Even though the grand ceremony and reception will only happen next year, she's more excited than me, the bride herself. My phone rings, and I take it out of my purse. Ash is requesting a video call, and I answer it with a grin on my face. "Congratulations!" four loud happy voices greet me. Ash, Maya, Flynn, and Kai are all in the frame. Are they having a double date? Ash squeals. "I'm so, so happy for you. I want to see the recording of the ceremony." "Aiden finally stepped up his game, huh? Good for him." Flynn smirks. "Please send my regards to your mother and Gorilla." "You look really happy, Nevaeh." Maya beams with joy. "Congratulations, Nevaeh," Kai says genuinely, smiling at me. "Thank you so much, guys," I say, feeling so much warmth in my heart. "I can't wait until next year," Maya says giddily. "Speaking of it, do you remember the dress preference that you told us?" Ash asks me. "Maya actually drew something based on your description. I think you should see it." Again, my girls are so damn excited about it. Maya bites her lower lip, as if she feels a little bit shy about the drawing, but then Ash moves the camera so that I can see what Maya has been working on. There lying on the coffee table is her drawing book, and when Ash flips the page, the wedding dress comes into view. I stare at the drawing in awe. "Oh wow. I love it--" "Wait. What is that?" Sienna quickly grabs my phone, and her eyes zoom in on Maya's drawing of my wedding dress. "Oh, my God. That's fucking gorgeous." Before any of them can respond, Sienna adds, "By the way, I'm Sienna, Nevaeh's cousin. I think we need to talk more about making that dream wedding dress come true." She continues blabbering, getting the same enthusiasm from Ash and Maya. Flynn and Kai throw a side glance at each other and slowly disappear from the frame, probably knowing that it would take forever before the girls stop talking about the dress. I laugh, shaking my head. When I turn to walk, I see Luke standing with his back against the wall and his hands in his pockets. He's watching Aiden talking to Uncle Vaughn. Luke's gaze shows how much he is proud of his son, I can even see Luke's eyes turning glassy. The sound of someone sniffing catches my attention, and I see my dad facing the other direction. His shoulders are shaking. He's crying. Slowly, I approach him. I touch his arm, causing him to turn around. The moment I see his face, I almost burst into tears. "Oh, Dad." I wrap my arms around him, and he hugs me back. He doesn't say anything, but I know what he's feeling. "I'm happy, Dad. I really am," I whisper through tears. "And it's all because of you too. Thank you for accepting Aiden." I pull away and stare up at him. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm still your girl. Forever. Remember?" He nods, closing his eyes as he lets out a soft cry. I smile sadly, and when I turn my body, I see Mom walking in our direction. I step away to leave them together, and that's when I notice Aiden's eyes on me. He gives me a knowing smile. While my legs are bringing me closer to Aiden, I meet his mother and Luna along the way. "Nevaeh." Cassie holds my shoulders gently. Tears are rolling down her cheeks. "I don't know what to say." Her voice is barely above a whisper. She doesn't need to say anything. Her face says it all. She engulfs me in a warm embrace, and when we finish hugging each other, she says, "I'm so glad. I'm very glad that Aiden found you. Thank you, for just being you." I'm the one who should be thankful because she brought him into this world, because she gave birth to a boy who became such an amazing man. The man who loves me endlessly. Behind Cassie, Luna steps forward. Although she also has tears in her eyes, her smile is so big, from ear to ear. "I'm so happy that I have you as my sister, Nevaeh." We squeal before we know it and then hug each other tightly until we sway. Cassie and Luna make their way across the room to talk to Luke, and I walk closer toward Aiden. His back is facing me while Max is talking to him at his side. "I can't believe that Nevaeh and you got married earlier than me and Luna," Max says, sounding slightly annoyed. "How the hell did you manage to convince my uncle?" Aiden chuckles, and I can sense that he enjoys teasing Max. "You want to convince my dad? Say something to him?" He leans closer to Max while their gazes follow Luke, who is now talking to Cassie and Luna. "Let me tell you a secret." Aiden is about to whisper something to Max, but then he seems to change his mind when his eyes dart to his baby sister. He grips Max's shoulder instead, shaking him. "Nah. Don't worry about that. For now, just finish college and find a job first." He only claps Max's back as support, earning a scowl from Max. "Whatever." Max rolls his eyes and walks away. Just as I'm about to approach Aiden closer, his phone rings. He greets whoever it is from the other side of the line, and when he turns around, he looks surprised to find me already in front of him. "Nevaeh." He smiles. "Someone wants to talk to us." My eyebrows shoot up. Aiden shows his phone, and I see Ashton. "Hello, you two. Enjoying this happy day?" Ashton's lips curl up into a wide grin. "Absolutely," Aiden says. I laugh, for two reasons. First, I am truly and extremely happy. Second, I laugh to prevent myself from crying again. Looking at Ashton makes me remember everything that we went through. Ashton never stops believing in me and Aiden. He has helped me stay with Aiden throughout his journey to healing. "Good," Ashton says. "We can't wait to welcome you back here with us. Nevaeh, you're officially a part of the Klein family now. Congratulations, both of you. Someone here wouldn't stop crying, though." Ashton moves the phone, and there in the frame is Ian sitting at the kitchen counter. He's wiping his eyes with a handkerchief and sneezes.