A few days later.....

“Alex, should I take this dress or this dress?” Destiny held up two dresses for AJ to see.

“Take them both,” he said.

“I have so much already, though.” Destiny looked at both dresses then shrugged. “Oh, might as well.”

Just as Destiny was about to put them in an already full suitcase, AJ grabbed her around the waist and spun her around. When he put her down, she turned around and smiled at him before giving him a kiss.

“I’m so happy, Alex,” Destiny said, as she held him close. “I can’t wait until August. An August wedding. That is so unusual.”

“We’re an unusual couple, my love,” AJ said. Finally he let Destiny get back to finish her packing. “Do you think you have enough for the trip? Remember, we’re going to be in New York for two and a half weeks, then we’ll be in Los Angeles for a week, then off to Europe for three months.”

“I know. I think I have enough clothes to last me for two months before I have to do laundry.”

“Okay, just making sure you’re taken care of. Don’t want you to have to run around naked. Wait a minute, maybe I do.”

Destiny hit him playfully in the arm. “You be quiet. That will never happen.”

“A guy can dream, can’t he?”

Just as Destiny was about to kiss him, the doorbell rang.

“Whoever that is has really bad timing,” AJ said with a sigh.

The two went downstairs, holding hands like a new couple. AJ opened the door without looking to see who it was. Destiny and AJ were surprised to see AJ’s mom standing there.

“Mom, what are you doing here?” AJ asked her. He stepped aside so she could enter.

“I wanted to talk to you and Destiny before you left for New York,” she said, walking in.

The three of them walked into the living room and sat down before anything was said. Denise looked at her son and his fiancee for a while before finally speaking.

“I know how hard it was for you to tell me the truth about yourself, Destiny,” she started out. “And it was really hard for me to believe it. But no one, not even the most imaginative person could come up with a story like that. Also, there’s the newpaper clippings and the other hard evidence to consider. I’ve thought about this long and hard....”

“So, you believe us?” AJ asked.

Denise held up a hand. “I need to get this out. I am so glad you and my son have gotten a second chance to be together, Destiny. I know how much he loves you and I love you as if you were my own daughter. If God can gave you this chance to be as one in marriage, then I thank Him whole-heartedly for this opportunity to gain at least one of the daughters I have lost.”

“I know about your daughters, Denise,” Destiny said, tears in her eyes. “They watch you from above as I have. And they love you.”

Denise started crying softly as she and Destiny hugged each other. “Thank you,” she whispered in her ear. Destiny’s tears started to fall. When they pulled apart, Denise wiped her tears and smiled.

“Now, I did a little searching myself,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind, but I tried to locate your parents.” Destiny’s eyes widened. “I found them and had them flown out here.”

“They’re here?” Destiny asked hopefully. “Do they know the truth?”

“They know everything. I had a long talk with them and yesterday your brother and sisters arrived. They’re waiting outside. I’ll go get them.”

Destiny left the room and Destiny stood in place, stunned. AJ went to her and put his arms around her. She looked at him and he saw fresh tears in her eyes. She held onto AJ as tight as she could.

“My family is right outside, Alex,” Destiny whispered.

“It’s gonna be all right, Destiny,” said AJ calmly. “I’m sure they’re thrilled to be here, about to see you.”

“What if they’re not?” Destiny said. “What if they don’t believe it’s really me? What if....”

“Don’t say that,” AJ said, looking her in the eye. “If they didn’t believe, they wouldn’t have come here.”

AJ was still trying to calm Destiny down when Denise walked back inside with five people. AJ saw Destiny’s mother looked a lot like Destiny, only a little older. Her sisters was also similar, but had their own distinction of beauty. Her brother and father looked alike as well. Destiny turned to face them. Her family all looked at her with amazement and hope.

“Dee Dee?” her mother said quietly.

“Mother?” Destiny said. She looked at the rest of her family. “Father? Sean? Hope? Star?”

“Destiny,” her father said, tears in his eyes. “My little girl....”

Destiny pulled out of AJ’s arms and ran to her father. She threw her arms around him and started to cry. Her whole family wrapped their arms around the pair and started crying. It was a while before any of them dared to let go. When they finally did, they all headed towards the couch and sat down. Destiny brought AJ to sit next to her and on her other side was her mother. She held onto their hands tightly.

“You don’t know how good it is to see you, Dee Dee,” her mother said. “To be able to hear your voice and hug you again.”

“I know, mom,” Destiny said. “I missed you all so much. You and dad, Sean, Hope, and Estella.”

“When Mrs. McLean called us and told us you were marrying her son in a few months, we thought for sure she was either crazy or playing with our minds,” her father said. “Then your mother had a dream about your grandmother. She told us to hop a plane and get out here.”

“Mrs. McLean met us at the airport and took us to a hotel,” said her mother. “She told us everything that has happened.” She turned to AJ. “I’m sorry to say this, but we completely forgot about you, Alex. It was just the hurt and grief the family was going through over losing Destiny, we didn’t think about anything else.”

“That’s okay,” AJ said. “I totally understand.”

“So you really believe that God gave Alex and I a second chance?” Destiny asked.

“Not only you and Alex, but with us as well,” her mother said. She hugged her daughter again. Then Destiny remembered she still hadn’t introduced AJ to her family.

“I am so sorry, honey, but I totally forgot to introduce you,” she said to him.

“That’s okay, Destiny,” AJ smiled. “You’ve just been reunited with your family.”

“Mom, Dad, Sean, Hope, Star,” Destiny began. “This is my fiance, Alex McLean. Alex, these are my parents, Aerial and Justin Morningdove, my older brother Sean, my older sister Hope, and my younger sister Star. We call her ‘Estella’.”

“Nice to meet you all,” Alex said as he shook hands with them. “Destiny told me all about you.”

“This is the young man my daughter is going to marry in a few months,” Justin said. He looked at AJ and shook his head in amazement. I should’ve known Dee Dee would pick someone with a bunch of tattoos and hair of all colors.”

“It’s just my style, sir,” AJ said. “I can’t have the same look for more than a few weeks at a time.”

“Be nice, daddy,” Destiny said. “Alex is a very caring, loving man. He can take of me and I can take care of him. I love him very much.”

“I can see that,” he said, smiling. “Welcome to the family, Alex.”

“Thank you, sir,” AJ said, returning Justin’s smile.

“Please, call us Aerial and Justin,” Destiny’s mother said.

“Oh my god,” Estella gasped. Then she covered her mouth.

“What is it, Estella?” Aerial asked.

Estella looked at AJ. “Aren’t you AJ McLean of the Backstreet Boys?”

AJ smiled. “You are correct. But my mom and Destiny call me ‘Alex’.”

“I saw you at the Grammys,” she said. “I was there. I was hoping you’d win ‘Best New Artist’, but kinda hoping you wouldn’t. You know, that whole curse thing the news was talking about.”

“Yeah, I know. So you were there?”

“Yuppers. With some friends.”

“Cool. Destiny was there, but she sat in the back most of the show,” AJ said. “You mean, you didn’t see her?”

Estella blushed a little. “I saw you with her, but I thought it was just someone that looked like my sister.”

“Wow,” Destiny said. “To think, I missed seeing you again three months ago.”

“Destiny, I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” AJ said. “I always thought ‘Morningdove’ was a really interesting last name. How’d you get a last name like that?”

“Well, my grandmother married a Native American named Joseph Morningdove that she met while going to high school in Santa Fe, New Mexico. They had my dad and four other sons, who are half Indian. Then me, Hope, Estella, and Sean are a quarter Indian.”

“That last name is really cool,” AJ said. “I thought it was really neat when I first met you.”

“I’m proud to have it as my last name. And I will be proud to have your last name.”

AJ gave her a kiss on the cheek. Destiny’s family continued to get to know AJ and Denise. They found out Estella was a really big fan of the Backstreet Boys. Destiny invited her to go out on the road with her and AJ. Estella jumped up and hugged her sister. She’d join them later that week in New York after a tutor for schoolwork could be assigned to travel with her. Destiny was now the happiest person on earth. She had her family with her and she was about to marry the man she loved. She looked at AJ and smiled.

AJ caught Destiny looking at him and smiled back. He was so glad everything had worked out. He hugged his mom and whispered his thanks for making this happen. AJ looked around him and saw the family he was about to become a part of. He couldn’t have asked for anything more.