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Where did we leave off last?  Oh; that’s right… What could go wrong?  “It’s raining,” I heard Aiden say as I got up to get ready for the wedding.  I looked at him skeptically.  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I replied as I ran to the window.  Sure enough, the sky was as gray as I had ever seen it, and it was pouring like cats and dogs outside.  “I can’t believe it.  It hasn’t rained in almost a year, and Mother Nature decides to rain down today; Linda’s wedding day…  She is going to have a meltdown,” Aiden added.  I shook my head as I struggled to figure out how to solve our problem.  I knew something was going to happen today…  I didn’t have time to sit there and think, so I thought while I got dressed.  Linda was going to have a wedding somehow.  I grabbed my umbrella and Aiden and I headed out to the house.  When we arrived, Linda was freaking out, just as I had expected.  We got inside and Carol and I tried to calm her down.  She was in her wedding dress all ready, and she was yelling at her father for making it rain.  “You never wanted me to get married!” she yelled as she ran to her room.  “That’s not true!  I said I thought no one would marry you!” he countered.

Carol gave him a stern look.  “Go apologize to your daughter,” she warned.  Aiden and I tried to think of some idea.  The guests would be arriving in two hours for a wedding that looked like it was about to be called off.  I stared out the window into the backyard that was actually beginning to flood from all of the rain.  “This is ridiculous,” I stated as I went back to the table in the kitchen.  “What are we going to do?” I asked.  We thought for a moment when Aiden got up and began walking around the whole house.  “Let’s move the wedding inside,” he suggested.  I shrugged my shoulders.  “I don’t know…” I began.  Aiden shook his head.  “Their living room is big enough to fit the chairs in here.  We just need to move all of the furniture into the kitchen.  We even have a piano for the wedding march,” he suggested.  I thought about it for a moment.  “That’s not a bad idea…  We can wipe off the patio chairs outside and set them in here,” I added.  Aiden nodded.  “I’ll go get Chip and we can start bringing them in,” he stated as he went on a search to find Chip.  I headed upstairs to find Linda.

She was sobbing in her room as her wet hair was beginning to tangle.  “Linda, I think we’ve come up with an alternative idea,” I stated as I entered her room.  She looked up at me and wiped the tears from her face.  “Yeah?  I can have my wedding outside?” she sniffed.  I shook my head.  “No…  It’s still pouring outside, but we thought we could move the wedding inside.  It will still be just as wonderful,” I assured her.  She shook her head as the tears began to fall again.  “But I want to have my wedding outside!  There is no wedding if I can’t have it outside!” she began to whine.  I was getting tired of Linda’s whiny attitude.  “FINE!  You can get married soaking wet!” I yelled.  After it came out, I was surprised at myself.  I felt terrible for yelling at her.  It was her wedding after all.  Linda looked at me in shock.  “I’m sorry…  It’s just…  You can’t always have everything you want.  There is always going to be an obstacle.  The key is to work with what you have.  Just come downstairs and see what we’ve created for you and Gary,” I said, hoping to convince her.  She nodded and stood up, following me downstairs.  When we arrived, we found the entire set of patio chairs set up, and Aiden had assembled some of the orchids from outside around the floor where Linda and Gary would get married.  Carol had found some beautiful pink candles and assembled them with the flowers and lit them.  The room had a very intimate feel.

I couldn’t believe how beautiful it all looked.  Linda looked at her wedding and smiled.  “It’s wonderful…  Thank you.  I have been acting terrible lately.  I guess this wedding was just getting to me; it really is wonderful…” she replied.  Then she looked out the window.  “Is it still raining?” she asked.  I guess she was hoping if she gave in, she would still get her way.  I shook my head.  “Oh well…  Let’s get married,” she added.  The guests all arrived and took their places in the warm and dry house.  Linda and Gary were married and after the wedding, we moved out all the chairs and made a little dance floor for the couple to have their first dance.  Everything had worked out; just like it always did.  “Would you care to dance?” Aiden asked as he offered me his hand.  I thought about it for a moment.  “That depends; is it with you?” I asked jokingly.  Aiden rolled his eyes.  “Ha ha… Come and dance with me,” he insisted.  I reluctantly agreed as we headed to the dance floor.

A few days later, I had put away all of my summer clothes and dressed in my jeans and a soft zip-up sweater.  It was time to go back to Chicago; back to the cold, snowy weather.  I was going to miss the warm Arizona summer weather.  We had spent two weeks there, and now it was time to go home.  One thing besides the weather that I was dreading was the plane ride.  As soon as we entered the airport, Aiden started sweating again.  We got there two hours early, so that left Aiden time with his mind to freak out about getting on a plane again. “After the first time, you think I would learn to bring a valium,” he stated as he shifted uncomfortably on the bench.  “Can you distract me?” he asked, turning to me.  I sighed as I turned off my iPod.  Once again, I wasn’t going to get much relaxation on this flight.  “Okay…  I just don’t know what to talk about.  Why did you take the job here in America?” I asked with curiosity.  He could have just stayed in England; why was he the best wedding planner over the pond?

Aiden wiped some sweat from his brow as he thought about my question.  “I guess I’ve always wanted to come to America.  It’s been a dream for my family for years.  I was very close to my father; he had a dream that one day our family would come to America and become successful…  We were going to have money to pass down to our children’s children…  After my father died two years ago, I was devastated.”  Aiden was silent for a moment as he thought about his father.  “I promised myself that if the opportunity to come to America ever arose, I would take it.  Then Kip called me a month ago and offered me this job.  It sounded too good to be true.  It was a sign; I was meant to come to America,” he added.  “Flight 249 to Chicago is now boarding,” came over the intercom.  I picked up my tote and turned to Aiden.  “Come on, Nancy.  It’s time to get on the metal thingy,” I stated.  Aiden looked up at me with fear in his eyes.  “I don’t think I can get up,” he replied.  I rolled my eyes and held out my hand.  “Do you want to sit in this airport for the rest of your life?  Let’s just go; it will be over in four hours, and we’ll be back in Chicago,” I assured him.

Aiden grabbed my arm and stood up.  We got in line and handed our tickets to the flight attendant.  “Have a wonderful flight,” she grinned.  I smiled at her and replied, “You too.”  We found our seats and this time, I sat at the window seat.  Aiden started to hyperventilate a little as I put on his seatbelt.  “Just breathe, Aiden,” I told him as a flight attendant went past.  “We’re moving, aren’t we?  I can tell we’re moving.  What was that?  It sounded like the engine was breaking,” Aiden began to freak out.  I don’t know if I can take this for 4 hours!  I managed to grab the flight attendant; she looked like the one from our last flight.  Then again, all the flight attendants seemed to look alike.  “Excuse me, but can you tell me you have a valium for him, please?” I begged.  The flight attendant smiled.  “Is he all right?” she asked worriedly.  I nodded.  “He’s just afraid of flying.  A valium would REALLY help him out…” I replied.  She looked around and then winked at me.  “I always carry a couple valiums for times like these.  Here; he can take one right now, then the other one for later,” she stated as she handed me two tablets.  “Thank you so much; I REALLY appreciate it,” I replied.

I turned to Aiden and nudged his arm.  “Here; take this,” I offered as I put my hand out.  “Thank you, Anne… You are a saint,” he replied as he took one and swigged it down with some water.  “You are welcome,” I stated.  That’s when Aiden took the other tablet.  I watched as he swallowed it in horror.  “Aiden, you were only supposed to take one,” I told him.  He turned to me in shock.  “What?  Then why did you give me both of them?” he asked nervously.  I threw my hands up in the air.  “The flight attendant gave me two tablets.  I didn’t have anywhere else to put them but in my hand.  You should know how many valiums you’re supposed to take,” I accused.  I guess the tablets were kicking in because Aiden was starting to become loopy.  “What happens if you take more than one?” I asked nervously.  Aiden shrugged his shoulders.  “I guess I’ll beee… I’ll be assssleep forrrr a whiiiiiile…” Aiden slurred.  I tried not to laugh as I watched Aiden’s eyelids grow heavier and heavier.  Aiden began to slump over towards my shoulder.

Four hours later, Aiden was still out like a light.  The plane had landed, and we were one of the last people still on board.  I struggled to get Aiden awake as a flight attendant hovered nearby.  She had all ready told me we had to get off.  “Aiden…  Aiden, wake up.  We’re here…  The plane ride is over,” I stated.  I began slapping him in the face to wake him up.  Finally, some life came back into his face.  “What?” he asked, still half asleep.  “Let’s go; we have to get off of the plane,” I replied, struggling to pull Aiden out of the seat.  He somehow managed to get up, but he slumped over on to my shoulder.  I grabbed my tote and his carry-on and managed to drag him out of the plane and into the O’Hare airport.  “Where are we going?” Aiden asked, still asleep.  His eyes were half closed, and he was barely moving his legs.  We headed out into the cold December air; I hoped that maybe it would wake Aiden up.  I called a taxi and shoved him inside as I followed after.  “Aiden?” I called as he began to slump over onto the seat.  He was falling asleep again…  “No, no…” I stated as I grabbed his arm and began slapping his face again.  “Tell me where you live,” I stated.  Aiden looked at me with confusion.

“194… Something Schaumberg, Illinois,” he answered.  I rolled my eyes as the cab driver gave me an evil look.  “Either we get going, or get out of my cab,” he warned.  I nodded.  “Just take us to 422 Green Street in Pinecrest,” I replied.  I couldn’t believe Aiden was going to stay in my house…  If only he hadn’t taken that second valium…  The taxi pulled up to my apartment building and I pulled Aiden out of the taxi.  He was far from lucid as I grabbed both of our bags and managed to throw a twenty at the cab driver.  I must have had some superhuman powers because I somehow managed to get Aiden up two flights of stairs and into my apartment, on the couch.  When I looked on my answering machine, there were four messages from Kip.  “How did the wedding go?  Call me up and let me know.”  “We just booked two more weddings.  We’re moving up!”  “I know you must be upset about the hotel…  I heard about that.  I guess I forgot to tell them I wanted two beds.”  I rolled my eyes and deleted the rest of his messages.  There was one from Vince too.  I think it was when I was in Arizona…

“Anne… It’s Vince…  I think we really need to talk.  I moved my stuff out of the apartment.  Call me back when you get this message so I can explain.”  That was when I realized that the apartment was emptier.  There were a few boxes near the door; I guess it was the last of his stuff.  I sat down on the edge of my bed as the realization kicked in.  It was actually over….  Vince and I had shared some special moments together.  He met my family, I met his…  I actually thought I was going to marry him.  But I didn’t.  That was the problem.  Every relationship I ever had never worked out.  When was I going to find Mr. Right?  Wasn’t everyone asking themselves that question?   What was I doing wrong?  I must have been doing something wrong, considering I still wasn’t married.  You would think that I would have gained some sort of wisdom, being a wedding planner and all.  Maybe I was meant to be alone…  I plopped onto the bed and let out a depressing sigh.  Aiden began to stir on the couch as he began to snore loudly.  Aiden…  I don’t even want to think about him.  I was far too screwed up to be having feelings for Aiden.  Except…  Everything just came so easy with him.

The next morning, I woke up early and made an appointment at Doctor Keller’s office.  I made myself some breakfast, and Aiden finally woke up.  “Where am I?” he asked, trying to figure out his surroundings.  I plopped some eggs on a plate and put some bagels in the toaster.  Then I got Aiden a glass of water.  I handed it to him and sat down.  “You couldn’t remember where you live, so I was forced to let you stay here,” I answered.  Aiden rubbed his forehead as he stretched from his sleep.  “Oh… I see…  I’m sorry to put you out.  How long have I been asleep?” he asked.  I thought about it for a moment.  “Let’s see… Maybe 24 hours…” I replied as I let out a laugh.  “Would you like some breakfast?  I have to get going, but…”  Aiden interrupted me.  “Do we have to be at work?” he asked.  I shook my head.  “I’m going to meet someone in an hour…  You can stay and have breakfast, if you want to,” I replied.  I sound like some needy little girl who just had her boyfriend sleep over.  Just leave him alone…  “Thanks,” Aiden stated as he got up from the couch.  “But I should be getting home…” he added.  I smiled.  “To 194 Something Schaumberg?” I teased.

Aiden smiled as he gave me a puzzled look.  “That’s all I could get out of you last night,” I explained.  Aiden nodded as he grabbed his bags.  “You didn’t take advantage of me, did you?” he teased.  At first, I felt uncomfortable, but I decided that if I didn’t say something, things would get awkward.  “I tried… You’ve just got too much respect for yourself,” I countered.  Aiden laughed as he opened my door.  “I guess I will see you at work…  Thanks again, Anne,” he replied as he got out the door.  I smiled to myself, but shrugged it off.  “Leave that for your therapist to figure out,” I said to myself as I grabbed my coat and keys and walked out the door.