by Sam Ayers
“Aiden, my baby, you’re awake! How do you feel?”
I opened my mouth to reply, but my voice wasn’t audible. Had I lost my voice?! When I didn’t reply, she looked at Dad with a sad expression. He came closer, placing his hand on her shoulder.
“I’m here, guys, can’t you hear me?”
Still no luck. Only one person caught my faint voice that was a mere whisper. Adele came to the other side of the bed and held my hand.
“I can hear you,” she whispered, barely audible to anyone but me.
I moved my hand to her face. How can this be possible? She was fifteen, but she looked older. I looked around and saw Ashton standing next to Uncle Will, a little taller now. Alex was nowhere to be seen. A toddler stood near dad, looking at me with curiosity, holding his leg tightly. Dad bent down and picked her up before moving closer.
“Aiey,” she called.
I turned around and saw Adele’s expression, mine reflecting hers perfectly. Curiosity – lots of questions popping in my head. “Who is she?” I asked Adele.
Her face fell. “No . . .” she whispered in shock. I didn’t know why, but my head hurt and I was drifting off into the darkness of sleep again.
* * *
I woke up screaming, holding the sheets tightly. Part of my memory came back. But what good did it do?!
This was the worst spasm I had in weeks. It was exactly one week since I had woken up from the coma. I got up to call someone for help, but fell back down. My legs weren’t supporting me. Pain ripped through my body as if tons of metal had collided at top speed with me, all over again.
“Aiden!” Adele yelled as she came to me. “You’re alright, everything is fine.” She pulled me closer and hugged me tightly, slowly helping me back to my feet.
“It’s getting worse, Adele,” I cried. “I can’t hold on much longer.”
“You will be just fine. You need to fight this!”
Aiden woke up with a jolt. He was completely drenched in sweat. Another nightmare, parts of his memories. The pain, the fear and the betrayal. Betrayal was a new experience, but when did that happen to him? He pinched himself to make sure he was actually awake this time, instead of being in another part of the loop of dark memories.
He turned around to see little Aubrey still sleeping peacefully while holding onto his arm tightly. He slowly pulled his arm out of her grip and got up to see Ashton sleeping in the other bed, the bedding messed up with his foot sticking out from under the comforter near the pillow and his mop of auburn hair at the foot of the bed. He looked at him with a smile on his face as Ashton grumbled before shuffling a little so his head was back on bed and the only part of him visible was the one foot still propped on his pillow; the rest of him was lost under his sea blue comforter.
Aiden walked towards the bathroom to freshen up. He was out in ten minutes and went downstairs to see Adele sitting in the living room.
“Couldn’t sleep?” she asked him, concerned.
He shook his head and made his way to the couch she was sitting on.
“Bad dream?” she asked when he sat next to her.
“Memories, I guess.” He sighed. “We need to leave in an hour. Are you ready?”
“No! I’m scared.” Adele looked at her brother, who was smiling now.
“Wedding jitters?”
She groaned and swatted Aiden on the arm, her expression stating all too clearly that that was the last thing on her mind. She leaned over and rested her head on Aiden’s shoulder. Smiling, she started talking about their childhood and Alex’s pranks and Aiden and her getting caught as well. The mood relaxed as they sat there, talking about anything and everything. Adelynn walked down the stairs a little while later to see her kids chatting happily.
“Hi there, my cute little babies,” Adelynn called cheerfully.
“Not a baby,” the twins said simultaneously.
“My cute babies,” Adelynn cooed and hugged them both before placing a kiss on their cheeks. “Look at you two, all grown up,” she said, her face portraying her happiness and sadness all at once as she faced Adele and said, “And now you are leaving Momma.”
Adele pouted. “I’m not leaving you guys. Remember, Gabe is human and he isn’t taking me to Mars.”
“Nice one!” Aiden chuckled and gave her a high five.
“Alright, Aiden, I want you to take my car and your siblings to the lake house,” Adelynn said to Aiden. “Your dad and I will join you later.”
“You have a date with daddy, don’t you?” Adele giggled, raising her eyebrow.
“What? I don’t get some alone time with my hubby?” Lynn chuckled as Nick walked towards her.
“Ah! Perfect,” he said, wrapping his arms around her waist and giving her a small peck on the lips. “Aiden, park your car in the garage. Lynn’s Mercedes will be big enough for the four of you.”
Aiden nodded. “We’ll just keep the bags in the car then?”
“Yes, but come back soon. It’s breakfast time.” Lynn smiled as she went to the kitchen, pulling Nicholas along with her.
He waved his kids off with a huge grin on his face. The twins shook their head at their father’s antics and walked upstairs to get the bags from their rooms. Grabbing their own bags as well as Ashton’s and Aubrey’s, they made their way to the car. Once the entire luggage was secured in the trunk of their mother’s car, they stood next to it, chatting.
Ashton walked downstairs to see his parents making out in the kitchen. He groaned and stepped out to see the twins standing near the car. Both looked tense and he had an inkling why.
“I know why you guys are so down,” he called, walking towards them. “Is it because Alex plans to be a vampire at the wedding?”
“Wait, what?” Adele asked, horror etched on her face at the thought.
“Calm down, Twin. He’s going to dress up as a vampire at Gabe’s bachelor party,” Aiden explained. “And this kid here wants to be a werewolf.”
“You both have decided to destroy my wedding!” Adele groaned, glaring at her younger brother. “Gabe will run away before I walk down that aisle.”
“I won’t let that happen,” Aiden assured her. She huffed uncertainly, but relented. Catastrophe averted, they made their way back in for breakfast.
Aubrey was already downstairs, seated next to her dad, happily munching her toast.
“Aidey!” she called eagerly when he walked in.
“Good morning, angel! You are up already?” He smiled, placing a soft kiss on her brow and he joined her.
The invitation cards had already arrived from the printer, and Pierre had taken off to France to invite his friends to the wedding. He caught a flight back to Paris the earlier night, but Danielle didn’t go with him this time. She was already at the lake house with Abigail; she had wanted to see the arrangements personally, making sure that everything was perfect for her granddaughter’s wedding. Aiden guessed that Alex would be there too. After breakfast, they left to join their grandmother at the lake house.
Adele sat next to Aiden in the passenger seat, so Ashton and Aubrey had no choice but to sit at the back. Adele turned around to see Ashton playing a game on his phone. She groaned when she saw him not wearing a seatbelt.
“Ashton Reid! Seat belt. Now!” she warned in a grave tone. That tone of voice usually meant you did what she said or you would feel pain, so Ashton, having enough self-preservation, hurriedly put on his seat belt. The weather was nice and sunny, a huge contrast from the cold of the previous night. With the morning sun streaming through the open windows and the air warm against their skin, the journey had become a lot more enjoyable. Traffic was light, and they managed to reach the lake house pretty soon.
The minute the car stopped, Aubrey got down and ran towards her grandmother. Aiden smirked as his suspicion was confirmed when he saw Alex lurking behind Abigail. He couldn’t help but admire the setting around him. Fairy lights hung from the branches and flowers covered every available surface in a beautiful symphony of co
lors and nature. The chairs, covered in white satin with a single rose intertwined at top, were artistically placed along the aisle near the lake. The aisle itself was covered with flowers, the blooms mixed and matched to make an enchanting arch under which the happy couple would say their vows. Graceful drapes covered the area near the tables where the reception would be held, giving the area a surreal atmosphere. The table, chairs, aisle, every element had been carefully thought and placed, and he admired Abigail for the amazing job she had done. She had turned a beautiful lake house property into an ethereal wedding venue and they were all amazed with the result.
Aiden turned around to see Adele walking away towards the house. Ashton was standing with Alex, both of them busily arguing about something. Alex waved to Aiden when he saw him. Aiden waved back and walked inside. Adelynn and Nicholas hadn’t arrived yet, so Aiden and Aubrey spent some time with their grandmother, who was telling them about her own wedding. It was funny to hear that Pierre proposed to her with a cat. He gave her his pet and said that he loved her more than his cat. It was an unusual proposal, and they were both rolling in laughter as Danielle did a very apt impersonation of Pierre, “Imagine my surprise when he says, ‘Thiz iz mi catz, mi loveli french catz. I love thiz catz more zan anyone in ze world but you I lovez now, more zan even mi catz. So you muzt marryz me, for I givez you mi catz.’”
Aiden chuckled and smiled at the thought that his grandmother remembered exactly how Pierre had proposed to her even though it was years ago. He wanted that sort of love – unconditional and forever, and he hoped that he had found it in Jo.
Aiden decided to check on Ashton and Alex. He didn’t trust them enough to not start a silly fight right before the wedding. When he came out, he saw Ashton running towards the house.
“Where are you going?” Aiden asked. “And where is Alex?”
“Am I the only one who can smell the amazing aroma of grandma’s brownies? Alex is going to get pizza. He forced Abigail to join him. I’m going in. Bye,” he said and jogged off.
Adele sat on the deck, her legs barely touching the water below. The water wasn’t too cold or warm, and moved pleasantly over her toes. She heard a noise and quickly turned around to see Aiden walking towards her. He was wearing dark blue shorts and a black tee just like her, but she had a black-and-blue checkered flannel shirt on too.
“Hey, Twin,” he said smiling cheerfully. Aiden only called her ‘Twin’ when he was extremely happy or concerned.
“Hey,” she grinned. “Come sit here.” She patted the wood, asking him to join her. He removed his flip-flops and sat down. His feet sunk into the water, way deeper than hers because he was taller.
“Need some alone time?” Aiden raised his eyebrow.
“No, just thinking about stuff. I feel so nervous. What if I mess up? What if I trip while walking down the aisle? What if Gabe runs away?” Adele sighed deeply.
“I highly doubt that you would trip; I see no stones on the aisle. And Gabe loves you, so he will neither run away nor let you fall while he is there,” he teased her, looking towards the aisle. She mock-punched his arm.
“Aren’t you excited?” Adele grinned. Aiden had changed so much recently; he was much more relaxed and open, and it felt good that she got her brother back the way he was before the accident. “You know what they say, ‘He who returns from a journey, is not the same as he who left’. Did something happen to you?”
“Jo happened!” He smiled a secretive smile. “I can’t believe how perfect it is with her. I was wondering if it would be alright to propose to her.”
“You want to get married?” Adele shrieked.
“That bad, huh? You kinda inspired me, Twin,” he winked at her.
“It’s not a bad thing.” She chuckled. “It’s scary, but I think you’ll survive. When do you plan to ask her?”
“At the wedding.”
“Whose wedding?”
“Your wedding, genius.”
“Seriously? That’s gonna be awesome!” Adele shrieked again, hugging her brother tightly.
“The water feels so good. I think I’m going to swim for a while,” Aiden said, looking down at the ripples caused by the movement of their feet. “Join me!”
“And die of hypothermia? You know that I’m getting married this week, right?”
“Oh, c’mon, scaredy cat!” When he tried to get up, she pulled him down.
“Don’t!” Adele groaned.
“C’mon, Ads! It’s gonna be fun,” Aiden insisted.
“Oh no, you don’t. I am not risking a runny nose on my wedding day just because you think something is fun,” she said, backing away from him.
Just then, it started to drizzle. Aiden laughed and said, “Ha-ha! Even the heavens agree with me.”
Adele sulked and stood up, all set to get back in the house.
Aiden grinned at her, stretching his hands wide and started to sing ‘Why does it always rain on me?’
She laughed when she heard him. Her laughter seemed to urge him to continue, and he started to sing louder. He pulled Adele’s hand and spun her around silently, asking her to join him. Adele got into the mood right away and she continued with the song. Aiden laughed when she got the tone right. It had been a long time since they had just let things go and had a blast.
Adelynn and Nicholas returned from their beautiful date. Nicholas had planned to take her out to lunch. They completely lost track of time when they were together, and today had been no different. They had had a splendid lunch, enjoying the scrumptious food.
And now they stood looking at the twins in surprise. They were jumping and dancing and singing, seemingly lost to the world. They watched in surprise as Aiden pulled Adele into a waltz, which didn’t really work as Adele slipped a little; laughing the twins continued, “Sunny days . . . Oh, where have you gone? I get the strangest feeling you belong!” they shouted at the top of their voice, completely off-key and looking like they were having loads of fun. The rain was still coming down heavily, but neither seemed to care. Adelynn saw Aiden pull off his shirt, and couldn’t help the sound of surprise that left her when he suddenly dived off the deck into the water.
“Nick, he jumped in the water!” Adelynn exclaimed, holding his arm tightly.
Adele looked down at her twin, who was beckoning her to join him. “No way, Aidey! I am not going swimming in this weather.”
Aiden sighed in defeat and stretched out his hand so she could pull him out. She leaned over to pull him up, but instead, he pulled her in, causing her to scream as she fell into the water. She rose to the surface, spurting water and glaring at Aiden.
He gave her an innocent smile, and soon enough she was laughing right with him.
Adelynn looked at them in shock; the water was cold at this time of the day, yet they were swimming. She turned around to face her husband. “Nick, I’m going to get some towels for them. Please tell them to get out of the cold water.”
“Sure, hon,” he said, walking towards the deck.
Nicholas stood on the deck and watched his kids playing around in the water. They looked like two wet puppies.
“Hey, kids,” he called cheerfully.
“Daddy!” Adele grinned. “The water is amazing. Join us for a swim?”
“I don’t think so, Princess. You’ll catch a cold. Come on out. You too, Aiden,” he said, and helped Adele climb up on the deck. Then he held his arm out to Aiden to get him out of the cold water. As soon as the twins stepped out, they started shivering.
Adelynn and Danielle came running towards them with towels in their hands. Ashton and Aubrey trailed behind them, a little sad because they missed all the fun. Danielle put a huge towel over Aiden’s shoulders. Adelynn did the same with her daughter before going to see if Aiden was all right. Nicholas was already walking towards the house with a protective arm over Adele’s shoulder.
“What do you think you were doing?” Adelynn asked Aiden.
He grinned. “We were having fun!”
“In you go, and don’t come out until you are warm again,” she said. “You too, Ashton. Inside. Now.”
Ashton groaned and walked in. Aubrey picked up Aiden’s t-shirt and ran towards him. “Aidey, I’ve your t-shirt.” She grinned.
“Thank you, my angel,” he said and placed a soft kiss on her temple.
“Ooooh . . . cold!” She complained and ran towards her mother. The twins took a warm shower and Adelynn made hot chocolate for them, but they ended up being grounded for what they did. It was funny since they weren’t teens anymore, and they had both Aubrey and Ashton laughing at them, but they loved their mom and if she said they were grounded, however old they were, they were grounded.
Later that evening, Nicholas decided to step out for a while. William was coming home, so Nick decided to wait for his brother. He looked around and admired the wedding arrangements. He still couldn’t believe that his little girl was getting married. When Adele first told him that she was getting married, he saw a three-year-old toddler telling him about how much she loved Gabriel. Pushing his thoughts away, he saw William parking the car and getting out.
Nick waved to his brother. William came closer and shook hands with him. “Hey, Nick, how are you?”
“I’m good. How’s it going?”
“I’m fine. You know, the Knights are keen on getting their hands on the project, but we’ll take care of that,” William replied. “Where are the kids? Where’s Alex?”
“The kids are inside. The twins are grounded for swimming in this weather, so they’re all watching a movie.”
“They were swimming in this weather? Wow! Talk about fun! And Alex? I’m pretty sure he would have either talked them into it or would have joined them.”
Nicholas looked around for a minute before answering, “I haven’t seen Alex all day. He wasn’t there when we arrived. Ashton was the one who saw him leave. He said Alex was getting some pizza.”
