26. Ends are the Real Beginnings

Song: BWU- Tegan and Sara

It was on the fourth of July that Eric finally proposed to Aunt Carrie, under the fireworks and the stars. Aunt Carrie said yes and they kissed for a while before my friends and I broke them apart. The blush on both of their cheeks was so adorable.

He had also suggested an idea that involved me, and that was that they should adopt me as their own child since they were getting married. Aunt Carrie, who was legally my guardian was happier than ever and said that she would love to call me something other than niece, a daughter. I didn't mind it either, as long as Aunt Carrie was happy, I was too.

The tenth of July came by and Eric Hunter broke out the news that Zeke and I would be his best men at the wedding. Well, we both agreed but not before we shared a good laugh when Zeke pointed out that I was a girl and Eric embarrassingly nodded before scratching his head.

The sixteenth of July was when Claire finally told me that she was going to be one of the bridesmaids at the wedding, not that I didn't already know about it. Aunt Carrie had already told me that she wanted Amanda and Claire to be her bridesmaids. I thought it was a great idea and I was loving the way how my two favorite girls were bonding together. Amanda and Claire were also getting closer to each other as friends and it made me happy to finally see them getting along.

The eighteenth of July was a traumatic day for us friends when we, by accident, walked in on a make out session between Kyle and Amanda, inserting gag here. Jordan and Zeke were the first one to gag before Josh and Clayton joined in, well Claire was really happy for some unknown reason which she later on told me. She was happy because now she didn't have to worry about Amanda ever stealing me away from her.

Well, that wasn't all that happened that day. Claire and I managed to find Kyle and Amanda again in a compromising position in the bathroom and it didn't make it any better that Claire and I wanted to use the bathroom for the same reason.

The twentieth of July came as fast as lightening when Eric took Zeke and I to the tailors for a suit made for our sizes. The theme of the wedding was black suits for the males and white dresses for the females. Well, Eric thought it was a good idea to make me wear a white suit with a black collar shirt so that I'd be wearing just like the girls but still a little black.

Aunt Carrie had taken Claire and Amanda to try on dresses for the wedding. We had all reached back home, where everyone was staying because of the marriage preparations, tired and hungry, and six large pizza boxes were ordered. It was a long night for everyone.

And finally, the day we had all been waiting for arrived. The twenty-fifth of July, everything fell into place as Eric Hunter and Carrie White joined hands in holy matrimony.

..............................................................

It was a small and calm place where the wedding was to be held. Surrounded by trees and nature was what made the place more beautiful and magical. Everything was covered with flowers; the seats, the buffet table which was Eric's idea, the altar, everything.

Kyle and Jordan were helping out on the final touches while Josh and Clayton were helping the guests into the place with Eric. The venue was open and it was a good thing the weather wasn't humid or even hot.

I was standing beside the small room that was made for the bride, it was away from the venue and closed off a little which gave perfect privacy to the bride.

"Hayden!" I heard someone yell from inside the room and I rolled my eyes again before entering the room with my eyes closed. Claire and Amanda were also inside the room getting Aunt Carrie ready which was taking a hell lot of time because she kept insisting that she was looking bad, they didn't want me to look at either of them in their dresses so I obliged.

"What now?" My annoyance was pretty much evident in my tone of voice but I couldn't help it. This was the sixth time she called me in here with my eyes closed.

"I don't think I can do this."

"Nonsense. Stop being such a baby and get your butt ready." I scolded her with my eyes still closed and a second later I felt someone smack the back of my neck.

"Ow."

"Be nice to your aunt." I heard the girl I fell in love with say and I awkwardly scratched the back of my neck muttering a low 'sorry' under my breath.

"You're looking beautiful, Carrie." I heard Amanda speak to Aunt Carrie and I nodded my head. "Yeah, I would say the same if I could see you." Another smack was delivered to the back of my neck and I again muttered 'sorry' under my mouth.

"Don't mind Hayden, you look amazing and I know that Eric is a really lucky man." Claire spoke and I heard a little sniffle come from somewhere in the room but I heard it loud and clear. I knew where it came from.

"Amanda and Claire, can you please go out of the room. I need to talk to Aunt Carrie alone."

"Okay." Amanda dragged out the word before leaving the room, I think because I heard the door shut.

"I'm opening my eyes now." I spoke before I hesitantly opened my eyes to find Aunt Carrie sitting on a chair in front of the huge mirror which was situated on the far wall of the room.

I sighed before I walked over to where she was sitting and I got down on my knees in front of her, not minding my white pants.

"What is it?" I asked gently as I placed a hand on her knee. To say that Aunt Carrie was looking beautiful was the understatement of the day. She looked beyond beautiful. But she'd look even better if she had a smile on her face and that was why I was here. To make her smile on her big day.

"What if he doesn't like me in this dress?" I rolled my eyes secretly as I sighed again. "Woman, you overthink everything a lot. He would love you in this dress just the way he loved you in every other dress you wore."

"But-" I cut her off before she says anything else.

"He asked you to marry him, right?" When I got a nod in agreement, I continued. "He wouldn't have done that if he thought you looked good in dresses or not. He asked you to marry him because he saw something more than a woman in a dress. He saw your soul." I was face palming myself so hard just because I was here talking such sappy stuff.

Claire was right, I really did get cheesy.

I looked up to see Aunt Carrie smiling at me. She raised her hand and patted my head, I know she did it lovingly but I couldn't help but feel like a dog. "You'll make Claire really happy one day."

I smiled back at her before getting up off the ground and dusting off my pants which now had stains. "I am really certain that I already make her happy." Aunt Carrie rolled her eyes at me before she got up off her chair as well.

A knock on the door brought our attention towards it from where Kyle and Jordan peeked in with hands over their eyes. I rolled my eyes at their behavior while Aunt Carrie giggled.

"Everything's set up. We just need the bride." Jordan spoke before he raised his hand and peeked with one eye open at us. "Yeah, we're coming."

Both of them went out just as I finished and I laughed at their stupidity.

"Come on now. Let's get you married." I spoke with my arm out for her to take. I was going to walk her down the aisle and that was a great big deal for me.

She took my arm and we got out of the room together before we made our way towards the venue.

I could hear the piano playing as murmurs were heard from the place. Aunt Carrie stopped for a moment making me stop as well. I looked at her and saw that she was giving me a smile that showed affection and pride.

"Your parents will be so proud of you. You've come such a long way." I gave her a watery smile as I nodded my head. "They'll be proud of you too. You're the one getting married." I smirked when she blushed at the thought with her head bowed down.

"You should always remember what I told you before." She raised her head up and gave me a confused look. "That if Eric ever hurts you, I'll hurt him where the sun doesn't shine."

She gasped before she hit my forehead with a frown gracing her face.

"Hey, no abusing me or else who'd walk you down the aisle." She huffed at me while I gave her a cheeky smile. "Now, let's do this."

We reached the venue and then we began to walk out into the carpet that lead to where Eric was standing with Zeke beside him. I smiled at Eric, who reciprocated the smile before I sent a smile Zeke's way.

When we had finally reached the altar, Eric held out his hand for Aunt Carrie and she took it, letting go of my arm. I smiled at the couple before I took my position next to Zeke.

"Yo, little brother." I joked as I whispered in Zeke's ear which made him roll his eyes at me. "We made it clear that you're gonna be the one younger than me which makes you the little sister."

"Nope, you decided on that. I didn't." I laughed when he groaned to himself.

My eyes drifted to Claire's who was already staring at me with a blush and a small smile. I smiled back at her with a little wink at the end which made her blush more.

The ceremony carried on and, Eric and Aunt Carrie exchanged vows with each other which were really sweet and heart touching.

I was staring at Claire the whole time as the vows were being exchanged and she was busy awing at everything that was being said. I felt myself the luckiest because I was in love with her, and she was in love with me.

"Now, you may kiss the bride."

Eric and Aunt Carrie kissed each other and the whole place erupted in cheers and occasional whistles. I laughed when Zeke also wolf whistled from beside me.

Smiling towards Aunt Carrie, I knew that this was the start of something great.

.......................................................

Laughter was coming from each direction as chattering was also heard, but I must admit. The loudest table of the whole place was definitely table 5 since it was a table occupied by my friends and I.

Aunt Carrie and Eric were sitting at the first table with Eric's parents and close relatives while the other tables were occupied by Eric's relatives and friends. Aunt Carrie only had me as her family and she had a few friends invited.

"Ew, put your hands on the table, Clayton. Gross, man." Jordan glared at Clayton, who grinned sheepishly before putting his hands on the table. "On second thought, go wash your hands." Clayton smirked before he turned to his boyfriend, who was sitting beside him with his face all red and flushed.

I disagree to even think about what was happening under the table. Nah uh, I won't even think about it.

"Come on, Josh. You know where the bathrooms are, right?" Josh could only nod in a daze as he got up from his seat. "Avert your eyes, mi lads. He's sporting a boner." Kyle spoke as he was the first one to avert his eyes away from Josh, who was so much embarrassed that he quickly grabbed Clayton's hand and rushed towards the bathrooms, I believe.

"A hundred-dollar bill saying that they are gonna have sex in the bathroom." Jordan spoke as he smiled at each one of us. "One fifty says their just gonna wash their hands and then return back to their seats like civilized people." Amanda spoke and immediately the table erupted in 'oohs'.

"This shows that you don't know Clayton at all." Jordan smirked before shaking hands with Amanda, as if they had just closed a drug deal.

I just shook my head at my friends' behavior. Seriously, my aunt just got married and they were betting and having sex under the table. No shame at all.

"What you thinking about?" I heard Claire whisper in my ear as she grabbed a hold of my hand and squeezed it lovingly. "About how shameless our friends are." I whispered but it wasn't quiet enough to not get heard by the four sitting with us.

"We love you too." Zeke blew a kiss my way and I sent a gag his way. Zeke and I had become great friends as the days passed and now, we were closer than anything. Well, Kyle was still my best friend but Zeke could easily give him competition.

"Yeah, we love you too." Kyle spoke as he came over to sit next to me and draped an arm around my shoulder.

"Ew, go away." I pushed him off of me after he kissed my cheek slobbering it with his saliva. He just laughed hysterically, high fiving Jordan before going back to his seat beside Amanda, who was laughing at us.

"Only I am allowed to kiss Hayden, okay Kyle?" Claire spoke in a deadly voice and a sweet smile sent his way, and immediately Kyle nodded his head frantically before apologizing to me.

I smiled at Claire before pecking her cheek lovingly. "Keep those hands where we can see them." Zeke warned as he crossed his arms across his chest. "We don't need to see anything else indecent." He mumbled under his breath and I laughed at him before keeping my hands on the table. Claire pouted next to me and I just pecked it away.

"Do you want to take a walk with me?" I asked Claire in a whisper as I glanced at our four friends, who were now conversing with each other. "With you, I'd do anything." She whispered back with a smirk and I just smiled widely at her.

"We're gonna go for a walk around the place." I informed the four after I got up off my chair with Claire. Kyle and Jordan nodded before going back to their conversation while Zeke stared at the both of us with his eyes squinted. Amanda was ignoring us completely as she did something on her phone without even sparing a glance at us.

"Okay, but be back quickly." Zeke ordered as he pointed a finger our way. I smirked his way. "Okay, dad."

I laughed when I heard Zeke mumble stuff about how I was a jerk, while Claire giggled next to me. Claire and I walked away from the table and towards the arch like door that was the entrance to the place. It was a really beautiful sight to see. It was like a gazebo but bigger and wider, surrounded by trees and flowers of all kinds.

I didn't even know that we had a beautiful place like this in our town.

"I'm happy for you and Carrie." Claire spoke beside me as we walked by the trees and the little bit of light that was coming from the moon and the gazebo like thingy.

"I'm happy for her as well." I spoke with a smile on my face as I held Claire's hand and intertwined our fingers. "And for yourself?" Claire asked as we came to a halt at a tree. "Are you happy for yourself?"

I looked at her with a smile as I brought her hands to my lips, kissing them softly I nodded. "I'm more than happy for myself. The happiest I've been in years, actually." She smiled back at me before she rested her head on my shoulder.

After a moment of comfortable silence, Claire spoke up. "Would you want a son or a daughter?" I laughed at her question getting a slap on the arm. She was glaring at me with a pout on her face and I pecked it away before bringing her body closer to mine by her waist.

"Depends, I'd just like a mini you, to be completely honest." She looked at me with a little smile. "But I would like a mini you, instead."

"Well, too bad. We will have a mini you first." I chuckled when she pouted adorably. "We'll have a mini me later, okay?" An instant smile came on to her face as if I had just told her that she had won a million dollars.

"And as long as he or she has amazing eyes like yours and that adorable pout, I'll be happy." I continued as I pecked her lips.

"You are so cheesy." Claire mumbled as she wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me close to her.

"I've been told." I smirked when she closed her eyes for a minute, and I had the chance to admire her beauty from way up close. Her lips were shining with lip gloss and her cheeks were a bit flushed, the way her hair was tied in a loose bun with little hair sticking out of it looked extremely sexy. But the most beautiful thing that I'd love to see was her eyes that were still closed.

"I'm so lucky that I met you." I whispered to her as I brought her body closer to mine, leaving no more space in between us. "I was closed up and broken before I met you and you came into my dark world with your smirks and persistence, and showed me that there was another world that wasn't so much as dark as mine was." I stopped for a minute when I saw her open her eyes to look into mine, just looking at her green eyes made me smile.

"You fixed me up piece by piece, step by step; and the most amazing thing that you managed to do was make me fall in love with you, and then catch me before I hit the ground." I continued and her eyes turned glassy as she smiled at me.

"You caught me too." She whispered as she brought her face closer to mine, so much that I was able to feel her breath against my lips.

"Yeah, but not the way you caught me. You caught me when I was in pieces." I emphasized the word as I looked into her eyes to convey what I was trying to say.

"And then you fixed those puzzle pieces together to make me a better person to everyone around me, not just to myself." She giggled when I kissed her nose. "I not only love your beauty but I love your soul, your whole being; Claire Brown. Everything that has anything to do with you." I whispered to her as I became a little teary eyed.

"I don't even know what to say to that, my simple 'I love you too' would look stupid in front of what you just said." She frowned and I laughed before I pecked her nose.

"Your simple 'I love you's' are what keep me going." I smiled when she scrunched up her face cutely. "You are really really cheesy, you cheese ball."

"Now can we have sex against this tree?" I asked her in a hopeful tone which made her gasp out loud. "I'm just kidding." I laughed when she blushed bright red, her ears turned red as well and I was just enjoying the view.

"Idiot."

"Your idiot." She giggled when I licked her cheek playfully.

"We should get back before they start to think that we came here just to have sex." I nodded my head completely agreeing to what Claire said. They would've been thinking about that.

The walk back was peaceful and comfortable as I kept glancing at Claire. The way her eyes were shining bright and the little hair that were sticking out of her bun were being pushed back by the wind, were a beautiful sight to see.

The silence that consumed us was speaking words that were unheard but still so understandable. The silence spoke words that were never heard before, words that were calming and soothing. The silence with her beside me was the best silence, I had experienced. It was silent, obviously, but loud in a sense. It was comforting and loving. It gave a sense of security just because she was beside me.

The silence does have a lot to offer, I realized, even love. You just have to listen closely.

'I had never found love like I had with her and every moment was amazing and magical. She broke away my silence and the walls that I had built high and strong. She came in and never left, just like the way she gave me her heart and never took it back. So, I think I can say that the best of loves are found in the silence; when you listen and you truly care, when you understand even when there's nothing to understand. When you truly love despite the fear of what type of pain and difficulty it might bring.'

Listen close and listen hard.

Isn't it crazy, you let someone in and they refuse to leave?

Silently watching them, as they fix you back into what you had once been.

A friend, a family member, a lover, an unfamiliar being.

The same but a little different, I believe.

Isn't it amazing, you let someone in and they stay there for as long as you breathe?

Isn't it amazing? Isn't this what they call love?

Well, then love is crazy and truly amazing.

-Hayden

The End

********************************

Babam, it's over. Sorry for the bad wedding ceremony, I tried my very best at writing it better. But it ended out bad like really bad. Don't forget bad. Oh well, vote if you liked the chapter, and thank you all the readers that sticked with me till the very end. I hope you all a great life.

Hope to meet you in a different book. Have a great day. XD