Rewriting History

I’m overwhelmed by the attention, but it still hasn’t sunk in that Eli bought us a house. Oh my God…Eli and I are going to live together. I’m getting married. It’s all so surreal. If it wasn’t for the giant rock on my finger, I’d convince myself I was dreaming.

“Would you mind sharing Jill?” Jules asks my parents. She pulls me into a hug. “You have made my brother a very happy man. Thank you.”

We smile at each other. His relationship with his sisters took a turn for the better over the year, completed by the inclusion of Aaron. Both Eli and his sisters adore him.

A knock sounds at the front door and the smell of pizza wafts through the house. The champagne is uncorked and poured into plastic cups. Aaron is handed a can of Coke.

“Hey, why don’t I get champagne?” he complains.

“Because you’re not old enough, dipshit,” Eli laughs, smacking him on the back of the head. He looks at me and the cup in my hands. I grin, because I know exactly the smart response that’s about to come out of his mouth.

“Watch it, Aaron,” I say narrowing my eyes. “Just remember you’ll be at my school next year.”

He laughs at my empty threat and throws his arms around me. “Seriously, Jill. Eli is one lucky guy. I’m happy for you guys.”

Aaron…what can I say about Aaron?

It took a few months after his dad died for Eli to feel ready to start a relationship with his brother, but finding out about Aaron was the best thing that could’ve happened to him. Since his brother came into our lives, the change in Eli has been unbelievable. He is with Aaron everything he felt he couldn’t be with his dad. Being able to build a relationship with Aaron has helped Eli forgive his father and accept that some good might have come out of a terrible situation. Next year Aaron will be living with us while he attends UC on a soccer scholarship—something I know Eli is looking forward to.

I feel so lucky having all the people most important to me in the one room to celebrate this with us, and even luckier to have found someone who loves me as much as I know Eli does. Tomorrow it’s exactly three years since I set up that profile. I never expected to find the guy I would marry, but I did.

I’ve changed so much in that time—we both have—but the one constant has been him.