Chapter 26 #2
“Hi Mal. Hi Sue,” I wave.
“Happy birthday, sweetheart,” Sue smiles.
“Thank you so much for the beautiful bouquet.”
“Glad you liked it, Sugar. How’s the weather down there? It must be getting warm by now?” Mal asks.
“Yeah. It’s like August weather in Virginia already,” I reply. “I can’t wait to see you tomorrow!”
“We’re excited too, sweetheart. Your friend Seb called me earlier in the week and asked me to tell Mal you would call a bit early today, so I figured I would stop by. I tried a new recipe yesterday for strawberry squares and thought I would share with Mal.”
“They’re fantastic, Sugar. You’ll have to try them tomorrow,” Mal replies. They fill me in on what’s been happening this week, then leave me to talk to Jake. I get a little melancholy while speaking with him. It’s not as hard as my first birthday after the accident, though.
Sue and Mal come back after half an hour, and I say my goodbyes.
I text Seb I’m done, and Nick enters my room a few minutes later, taking a seat on my bed.
“15 minutes,” he says before relaxing back and closing his eyes.
I shake my head at him. Deciding to pack, I pull out a suitcase and fill it with clothes for the trip.
“Nick,” I call. “I need to pee before we go out there.”
He cracks an eye open and raises an eyebrow at me. “So?”
“I’m not allowed to look,” I reply.
He rolls his eyes and gets up. Opening the door, he waves for me to go by. “Don’t look,” he says with a smirk.
It’s my turn to roll my eyes at him as I enter the bathroom.
I’m assuming there’s some type of party out there, so I wash my face and fix my hair before tying Jake’s hoodie around my waist. Nick is standing with his back to me when I open the door.
He moves aside when he hears me and grabs my hand, leading me out towards the dining room.
Movement is visible behind the curtains pulled over the patio doors.
Nick reached through and slides open the door, pulling me behind him.
“Happy Birthday!” Is yelled by my family and friends as I step outside.
My heartbeat picks up at the boisterous greeting.
A kaleidoscope of blue, green, and purple balloons sway in the breeze, interwoven with shimmering streamers.
Large warm bulbs drape from the roof to poles nestled in overflowing flowerpots at the deck’s edge, casting a magical glow.
A wave of warmth washes over me as I scan the cheerful faces of friends and family.
“Thanks, everyone,” I say, my voice exuberant.
Zander is at the grill cooking hotdogs and hamburgers. He hands Troy the tongs and comes over to give me a hug. “I hope you have fun, darling,” he says with a kiss to my hair before returning to the barbecue.
E is fussing with platters of food on a side table, a bright, colorful birthday tablecloth slightly askew beneath it.
Besides the food, a smaller table holds a collection of beautifully wrapped gifts.
The outdoor dining table is sitting on the grass beside a folding table, green cloths draped over both, a gentle breeze rustling the edges.
“Summer. Summer!” Is yelled at me. I look around and see Olivia coming up the stairs with something in her hands. “Look, I made you a flower crown,” she smiles, holding it up for me to see. “Bay and E helped me pick the flowers, but I made it,” she tells me.
I smile down at her. “It’s beautiful, Olivia, thank you,” I say, taking it and placing it on my head. Bay hands me a few bobby pins to secure it in place. I get hugs from the two of them before Holly, Gabby, and Jaxon step up. “Hey guys,” I smile. “Thanks for coming.”
“We wouldn’t miss it, girl,” Holly replies. “The guys did a nice job decorating,” she comments.
“They did,” I smile as Seb comes up behind me.
“What do you think, Sunshine?” he asks.
“It’s perfect, Hurry. Thank you so much,” I reply, hugging him.
I say hi to David and Troy before Zander announces that the food is ready.
“The birthday girl goes first,” Seb yells.
I shake my head with a smile before going over to E, who hands me a plate so I can grab my food.
It looks like E has been busy. I take a cheeseburger, coleslaw, baked beans, and salad.
Seb leads me to the head of the table and pulls out a chair with balloons tied to it.
Everybody fills their own plates, then joins me on the grass.
Olivia quickly grabs a chair on one side of me, and Seb takes the other.
The food is delicious as always, as the table fills with conversation and laughter.
Most of the guys go back for seconds as I sit and listen to Olivia tell me about a stray cat that she found a few days ago near the shop.
A wave of happiness washes over me as I gaze upon the picturesque scene; the feeling of warmth from the sun, a gentle breeze ruffling tree branches, the comforting sounds of familiar voices, and the delightful scents weave a tapestry of bliss. What a transformation from last year.
Once everyone has finished eating, Zander and Troy collect the paper plates into a trash can, as Seb and E bring the extra food inside.
Seb’s joyful singing of “Happy Birthday” catches my attention, and I glance over to see E emerge from the house, balancing a beautiful two-tiered cake decorated with vibrant flowers.
As the rest of the group joins in, their off-key voices fill the air.
I blush, but a happy grin stays fixed on my face.
A deep sense of gratitude fills me; I feel truly blessed.
Olivia reminds me to make a wish as E carefully places the soft, green cake, adorned with delicate, fragrant flowers, onto the table before me, the scent of vanilla and buttercream filling the air.
I ask Olivia to help me blow out the 17 brightly burning candles.
She immediately gets onto her knees on the chair and helps. “Did you make this E?” I ask.
“Yeah, I did. It’s dark chocolate cake with a caramel and chocolate mousse filling.”
“Oh, that sounds amazing. Thank you.” He smiles at me and takes the cake over to the table on the deck to cut up, and Seb offers to bring the slices over to us.
I’m not sure what E did, but the chocolate is so rich tasting, and the caramel is still soft while the mousse is silky.
The icing is a Swiss buttercream, and it’s divine.
“E this is absolutely fantastic,” I tell him.
The others praise his baking as well. He blushes, but he’s smiling at the praise.
E takes the few slices of cake that are left back inside as Seb and Troy carry the table of gifts down from the deck and set it between Olivia and me. “Present time, Sunshine,” Seb says excitedly. Zander drops off the garbage can nearby before retaking his seat.
Seb hands me the first gift. I check the tag, seeing it’s from Holly and Jaxon. Untying the ribbon, I unwrap the paper and hand it to Seb. They bought me a pair of shorts and a tank top for running. “Thank you, guys,” I tell them.
The second gift is a Sephora gift card and a hair dryer from Gabby and Troy.
David and Olivia give me a bag of hair clips, hair ties, and headbands.
Olivia made me a card, and there’s a certificate for a free oil change inside.
Zander’s gift is a certificate for the nursery down the road and a new laptop.
I try to scold him for buying me gifts when he’s already flying us to Virginia, but he just smiles and shrugs.
My guys are up next. Nick gifted me a pair of boxing gloves, pepper spray, and a multi-tool.
I smile at him, then continue. Alex’s gift is an apothecary magazine subscription and enrollment in a herbal medicine course for this summer.
“Oh, that’s exciting. Thank you, Alex.” Seb’s present is a locket on a necklace.
Inside are Mom, Lily bee, and Jake. I need a minute after seeing that and thank him with tears in my eyes.
E gifts me a beautiful set of ceramic mixing bowls and has signed us up for three classes with a pastry chef.
“That will be awesome, E,” I smile. Bay had a photo album made that says ‘Year One South Carolina’ on the front.
I open it to see pics of me and the guys from when I first met them all the way through prom.
I didn't notice anyone taking most of these pictures. There’s a couple of me and Zander as well, and from the track meets.
“It’s perfect,” I say to Bay. “I’m so spoiled.
Thank you, everyone. You all made the move here so easy. ”
Olivia helps Seb take the presents inside as I weave a crown with the ribbons from my presents. When she comes back outside, I tie it on her head. “Daddy, look, I have a crown too,” she says excitedly, twirling around. Nick lights the fire pit as we sit around chatting.
Soon people start to leave as I thank each one for the wonderful gifts and for coming today. When it’s just me, Zander, and the guys left, I go inside to look through my presents again. I’ve never gotten so many gifts before.
Seb puts my necklace on me as I ask him where he got the picture. He took a photo of the one in my room and had it zoomed out and cropped to fit the locket.
Nick shows me how to use the multi-tool and the pepper spray, making me promise to always carry it with me. He also offers to set up my new laptop this weekend.
I open my set of mixing bowls from E to inspect.
They’re made in Spain and are a glazed ceramic.
E says they’re great for making raised goods since you can warm them in the oven, and they’ll keep warm or cold for you.
The pastry classes are with a French-trained pastry chef, who will visit in July to train other chefs.
Alex tells me that the magazine will be delivered to the house every month, and the shop I order my herbs and oils from recommends it. The course is self-paced and from an accredited naturopathy college on the west coast.
Finally, I grab my photo album and sit at the table to go through the pictures, and Zander joins me. I notice there are lots of blank pages in the back to keep adding new photos. “Bay, did you take these?”
“No, not all. They’re from all our phones. I had the guys send me what they had and had them printed,” he replies.
“Okay, movie time,” Seb announces, walking into the room carrying a white sheet in his arms. “Come on, Sunshine.” I follow him outside where E and Nick are spreading blankets out on the grass. Bay helps Seb hang the sheet from the deck rails, then Alex sets up a projector.
“Choose your spot, Summer,” E waves his hand.
I take a seat on the middle blanket after kicking off my sneakers as Zander brings out bowls of popcorn, then goes back inside for a tray of sodas.
We relax and enjoy a comedy movie outside on the grass. What a wonderful day!