better is his muse. You’re somethin’ special, Aiden, and you don’t need me, your mother, your friends, nobody, to prove that to you.
“If you don’t think you’re special, nobody else will, either.” Aiden shifted around in his seat, his face flushed. “You don’t hate your mother; you hate what she doesn’t do, and how it makes you feel. You have to see value in your own self, son. Now, as far as your mother and visiting, that’s up to you. But if you insist on it, she might get the courts involved again. If that happens, then you’ll have to tell some guy, or gal, in a big black robe why you’re doing this and a bunch of other stuff, ’cause you’re still a minor.”
“I’ll do that if I have to.”
“Don’t make any rash decisions, son. I know your mother is difficult, but I also know that you love her, and sometimes you even like spending time with her. Just give it a while. Maybe take a break… but don’t write her off completely until you’ve thought this through.” After a slight hesitation, Aiden nodded. “All right. I got something I want to tell you.”
“What?”
“I’m thinkin’ about asking Lauren to marry me.” His body went hot and his emotions soared as he said the words. Aiden’s eyes grew large and his mouth flopped open like the bridge to a castle moat. “What do you think about that?”
Aiden shifted his gaze and ran his hand up and down his arm. After some thought, he gave him a small smile.
“I like Lauren. She’s nice.” Aries nodded. “You’ve been happier since she’s been around.”
“Definitely happier. You okay with it? The idea of me asking her to marry me? We’d be living together, all three of us, if she says yes. I want you to feel comfortable. I know it’s just been me and you all this time, but—”
“You think… you think you and Lauren would have kids?”
Aries mulled on that for a bit.
“I know that she wants at least one child, Aiden. We have discussed it. She knows I wouldn’t mind having one or two more.”
“I never knew you wanted more kids.” Aiden’s voice faded away.
“I never knew I did, either. Well, I mean, I never gave it much thought because I figured between work, the shop, raising you and the club, I may not ever get married again.” Aries sighed and hung his head. “Actually, let me tell the entire truth. I didn’t want to get married again, Aiden, for the same reasons you never wanted to see your mother again. I felt like the bad feelings could come again. That, uh, I could let someone get close to me and then they’d turn around and do what your mother did to me, maybe times three. I loved your mother a whole damn lot. When that didn’t work out, no matter how I tried to make it work, it changed me.”
“I know…” Aiden began to play with a beaded keychain that was on the table.
“But, when I met Lauren and got to know her, I realized she was exactly the type of woman I wanted if I could get out of my own way. She was hardworking, smart, real easy on the eyes, fun, helpful and sweet. No wonder I fell in love with her. It was just a matter of time. And I realized that in order to get what I wanted, I had to give up something, too. I had to do a trade.”
“What did you give up?”
“I had to give up my bitterness, son. I’ve had it since the day I realized, as a little boy, that my father didn’t want me. A man I never met, who must’ve not thought much of me because he knew I was alive, and never even stopped by to say hello. That bitterness grew as I got older, and when I’d mix it with alcohol, I’d get into some pretty nasty fights. Even when I was sober, I fought, and I was never really fighting the man on the other end of these fists, son. I was fighting myself. Then, I met your mother. I realized, deep down at the time, I was attracted to women who were broken. Women I could fix. Just like the bikes. But women aren’t like motorcycles, Aiden. They’re people. I desired women I felt I could love enough to do the right thing.
“But see, that’s not how this works. People are who they are, Aiden. Like