The day before her wedding, Keeley invited her out-of-state friends to a dinner she insisted on cooking herself, despite being exhausted from recently completing midterms. Aaron suggested catering, given her fatigue, but she was adamant. Lydia, Jeffrey, and their partners were "normal" people, and she wanted a "normal" dinner. However, the evening began awkwardly; Keeley's friends, visibly apprehensive, seemed terrified to be in Aaron Hale's house.
Keisha and Collin, unfamiliar with Aaron from high school and not hailing from New York, were more curious than scared. Their knowledge of him came solely from Lydia and Jeffrey.
"Hey guys, come on in!" Keeley greeted cheerfully, hugging everyone.
Aaron, standing aside, offered handshakes instead. Jeffrey's handshake was barely perceptible; dressed casually in jeans and a navy blue long-sleeved T-shirt, his nervousness was palpable, radiating a distinct chill. Only Keeley seemed to notice this icy demeanor. "Ah, poor misunderstood Aaron," she thought.
"Thanks for coming," he said stiffly. "It's nice seeing you two again."
"Yeah, it's been a long time," Lydia replied faintly, making a visible effort. "What have you been up to the past seven years?"
"College. Work. About the same as you, I would reckon."
Lydia and Jeffrey exchanged a glance. About the same? No way. This was Aaron Hale!
At that moment, Dinah, Aaron's cat, appeared. Keisha, an animal lover, immediately rushed to pet her. "Ooh, Keeley, when did you get a second cat? She's so cute!"
Keeley breathed a sigh of relief. "I didn't; Dinah is Aaron's. He got her a little over a year ago."
Everyone stared at Aaron, who shrugged nonchalantly, despite his obvious discomfort. Keeley recognized his efforts to connect with her friends for her sake.
"The apartment seemed a little empty, so my friend recommended adopting a rescue pet. Keeley helped me pick her out."
"She adores him," Keeley added helpfully. "It's really cute."
The tension eased, and they moved to the dining area where Keeley had prepared lemon and garlic chicken, oven-roasted potatoes, and brownies. Collin and Keisha's contributions to the conversation were invaluable. Collin's marketing background and Bay Area tech experience kept Aaron engaged, while Keisha kept the others relaxed and laughing.
Lydia and Jeffrey gradually realized the "Ice Demon" they knew was gone, replaced by a calm, engaging man chatting easily with Collin. They were astonished by the transformation. This was especially evident when Aaron gazed at Keeley with genuine affection as she sliced the brownies, boasting about how delicious they were—a boast she found slightly embarrassing.
"I think you're biased," she said.
He squeezed her hand. "Maybe a little, but they'll always be my favorite anyway."
Keisha found this adorable. "You two are the cutest! Why don't you like my baking this much, Jeff?"
"Because you can't bake to save your life."
She kicked him under the table; he winced, eliciting laughter from Lydia. "Tactless as ever, I see."
Jeffrey, annoyed by the teasing, quickly changed the subject to the couples' post-wedding plans: a Sunday matinee Broadway show.
Collin suggested Aaron and Keeley join their next couples' vacation to Florida the following winter. The details were still being finalized.
Keeley nervously glanced at her fiancé; he disliked vacations, especially with others.
To her surprise, he responded warmly. "That sounds fun. We might want to wait until the baby is a little older, so we'll feel comfortable leaving it with Keeley's dad for a few days. Maybe the year after?"
"Yeah, that would work. We usually go somewhere together about once a year anyway."
Lydia smiled, relieved. "The three musketeers and their spouses, together on vacation at last."
The conversation drifted to vacation destinations—cruises versus resorts—a somewhat dull discussion that found Keeley yawning repeatedly. It was nearly 8 PM, her usual bedtime.
Aaron noticed and put an arm around her. "I think Keeley is about to fall asleep, so we should call it a night. Thanks for coming over, everyone."
Their guests departed, offering congratulations and farewells. Exhausted, Keeley remained on the couch while Aaron cleaned up. She was impressed by his handling of the evening; his support of her friendships was genuine. In their past life, they had never socialized with her friends, and she'd never understood why.
"You did really well with my friends tonight. Why didn't you ever want to hang out with them before?"
He paused cleaning. "I would have thought it was obvious. They were terrified of me. It isn't exactly pleasant dealing with people who think you're the devil."
Keeley realized the extent of others' fear impacting him, a fact she had never considered. She had been so unaware of his true feelings.
"Then why—"
"I promised you would have the life you want. If you want to spend time with your friends, I'll gladly make it happen," Aaron said firmly. "I really don't mind much of anything as long as you're there."
He resumed cleaning, leaving her awestruck. His words were surprisingly romantic. She embraced him from behind.
"You're too good to me," she murmured.
He patted her arms. "Just doing what I should have done all along. Let's get you to bed; we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."
Keeley, heading upstairs for a shower, felt significantly less anxious about the future. Marrying him hadn't been her first choice, but it was looking increasingly appealing.