Chapter 21
Two years later
“Come on, Dad, you need to get ready faster. George isn’t going to wait all day, you know.”
“Be quiet, Angelica Lynn.”
Angie rolled her eyes. “I’m serious, Dad. You’re already almost a half-hour late.” She let out an exasperated sighed, pushing herself off the dresser she was sitting on and walking over to Alex, who was standing in front of a mirror in agitation as he tried and failed to make his dark-red bowtie look like anything other than something a two-year-old could do. “Here, just let me do it, Dad. Jesus, I don’t know how you and George ever get anything done in the house with it just being you two. I mean, seriously, Dad. At least get a goldfish or something."
"We had a goldfish, remember? I went out of town for the Anderson case and George let it die."
"Well, then get a cat. You know how much George loves Misty." Misty was the kitten Angelica adopted the same day she and her brother moved into an apartment by their college.
"Let's just make it through today and then we'll see about getting anything else."
"All right, fine." Angelica finished fixing the bow tie and patted her father's chest. "There. All done."
Alex turned and looked at himself in the mirror. He was pleased at what he saw, but he couldn't help but fidget with his hair and with the cuffs of his tux. "Do I look okay?" he asked nervously, patting his thighs and chewing on his bottom lip.
"You look great. Now come on!" She reached down and grabbed her father's hand, interlacing their fingers and pulling him out of the hotel suite that he had been getting ready in. She led him down a flight of stairs and down a hallway, coming to a stop by the doors that led to the hotel courtyard where there was already a group of people waiting for Alex to come down.
Eliza was the first one to notice Alex's arrival. "There you are," she moaned in exasperation, throwing her hands up before lowering them back down to her side. "We were beginning to think that you'd changed your mind."
Alex gave a dry chuckle and tried to stuff his hand into his pockets, but Angelica wouldn't let him. She tightened the grip she had on his hand. Phillip came around and did the same thing on the other side.
Eliza let out a long breath and glanced at the clock that was across the hall. "Can we start now? Please?"
The butterflies exploded as Alex nodded. He was beginning to shake, the nerves melting into anxiety and making their way towards an anxiety attack as Eliza opened the door and began to walk, her long lilac gown brushing against the red rose petals that were littering the ground. He tried his hardest not to look around the corner, to save that moment for when he was walking down the aisle himself, but it was difficult. He had waited so long for this day, and now that it was here, he just wanted to see George and get this over with so he could get home and spend the evening with his new husband.
*Husband.* Wow. Alex's nerves quadrupled with the word.
Standing there, Alex couldn't believe that he had actually made it to this day. Even more surprising was that it had been *George* who proposed this time, on their new one-year anniversary. Alex considered saying no for all of half a minute, just so George knew how *he* had felt, but the love and devotion he had for George overpowered him and had him saying yes before he fully even registered what was happening.
Alex blew out an anxious breath as Eliza reached the end of the aisle. It was just him and his kids now. The butterflies were turning into dinosaurs, and he could feel himself getting light headed as he struggled to get enough calm breaths.
As soon as Alex stepped around the doors and saw George, however, all of his nerves immediately disappeared. George looked *stunning* in a light-gray suit with a yellow button-down and pocket square. He looked just as nervous as Alex had felt, the tremble of one of his hands visible even from the end of the path.
When George saw Alex, however, like him, the nerves seemed to go away. His face lit up, and the smile that he gave Alex nearly split his entire face in two.
Alex began to walk faster in hopes of getting to George quicker, but Angelica and Phillip teamed up to hold him back. Angelica squeezed his hand to remind him to walk on tempo.
Alex forced himself to follow the beat and finally, he was at the altar with his hands in George's, only half-listening as the pastor spoke and had them repeat their vows, and as Alex leaned in for the kiss, he could have sworn his heart stopped.
This was where he was always meant to be.