He shakes his head and chuckles.
“I knew I could get you to crack a smile. All it took was me looking like a dumbass in this suit.”
He lets out a proper laugh.
“Admit it. No one makes you laugh like your little brother.”
He laughs even harder.
“Now admit that you want aDumb & Dumber-themed wedding and that you’re going to wear an orange tux just like me.”
Aidan shakes his head, still laughing. “Over my dead body.”
I walk back toward my dressing room. “You don’t really think I’d show up to your wedding wearing an orange tuxedo, did you?”
“Anything is possible with you.” He pulls at the black tie of the suit he’s trying on. “You showed up naked to one of your house parties in college. I wouldn’t put it past you to do the same at my wedding.”
I stop right at the door of my dressing room. I hold up my right hand. “I swear, I won’t do that. I promise to wear clothes.”
“Good,” Aidan says. “Now quit screwing around and try on the suit I set aside for you.”
I walk into the dressing room and do what my big brother tells me. I grab the black trousers from the hanger in the dressing room and pull them on. “Fuck, these are stiff.”
“I don’t wanna hear it,” Aidan says from outside my door, his tone more relaxed. I assume he’s examining his wedding suit in the mirror.
I pull on the white dress shirt and button it up, then I slide on the suit coat. “I’m gonna need your help with the tie,” I say as I open the door and step out.
Aidan frowns at me. “You’re twenty-nine and you still don’t know how to tie a tie?”
I shrug. “I wear hockey gear for a living. How should I know how to tie a tie?”
He rolls his eyes, then steps up to me and starts tying my tie. “You have to wear a suit before every game you play. You should know by now.”
“I always get one of my teammates to tie it for me.”
“You’re a child.”
I laugh. “How did the tux fitting with Dad go yesterday?”
“It was good. He complained about the trousers being stiff too.”
I laugh again. I take in the relaxed look on my brother’s face as he fixes my tie.
I think back to all those times during their estrangement when I mentioned our dad, how Aidan’s demeanor would instantly change. His expression would turn hard. He’d shut down and refuse to talk about him.
So to see him act genuinely happy when talking about our dad now—to know that the two of them are spending time together one-on-one and genuinely enjoying it—is amazing to see after so many years of them being apart.
When Aidan finishes with my tie, he steps to my side.
“Hey, I know I’ve said this before, but I’m really happy you and Dad are on good terms now,” I say in a serious tone. “I know it was hard for you to look past the way he hurt you. I really admire you for that.”
Sincerity flashes in my big brother’s eyes. “Thanks for saying that.”
“I’m just glad that he’ll be there for you on your big day.”
Aidan smiles. “I am too.”
Together we stand in front of the mirror and look at our reflections.
