Chapter Twenty-Nine
Ria
“Left a bit… no, right… no, a bit higher,” I shout at Ali and Gabby, who are standing on my kitchen bar stools, trying to hang the bunting on the fence in the backyard.
“Girl, I love you, but I am this close to choking you out with this damn bunting,” Ali grumbles.
“Sorry, sorry, I just need it to be perfect,” I sigh.
“Aaannd, it’s perfect,” Gabby announces as she climbs off the stool.
It’s not, but I can’t make them do it again.
Ali appears next to me. “Ri, it’s perfect. You”ve done an amazing job.”
I look around the backyard and it does look pretty good. I’ve set up a blanket area for the babies, hired a bouncy house, and made a table where the kids can do some crafts. This party is my first big celebration as a single mom. I just want it to be perfect for her.
“Thanks, I just feel on edge. Jack’s coming and so are Alex’s parents and God only knows if my mom will show and I don”t know if I made enough food and what if the bouncy house deflates with the kids in it and what if someone gets sick? Maybe I should have done a gluten-free cakes, and wha—”
“Ri, you”re spiraling, honey. Take a breath.” Ali mimes a deep breath in and out, waiting until I do the same.
“The bouncy house will be fine, we have enough food to feed a small army, and thank fuck you didn’t get a gluten-free cakes, because those things taste like shit.”
I nod because I know she’s right.
“I know you”re nervous, but the party will be great. We”ve got you, girl.”
I give her a small smile, grateful for my girls.
We finished setting up the backyard. Thankfully, the summer doesn”t seem to have left the outskirts of New York just yet. Everything is pink and Minnie Mouse themed. I know Elle won’t remember this, but I will, and I just want it to be a day filled with love.
The sound of tires crunching tell me that a car is pulling up on my driveway and Nugget starts barking. I wince, knowing Elle is taking her nap and I’m not ready for her to wake just yet.
“Jaaaaccckkk,” Lexi squeal from inside the house. I head back indoors, breaking into a slight jog to open the front door, but Lexi is beating me to it.
She’s dressed in a pink and white Minnie Mouse dress with matching ears and pink, glittery heels. Before I can stop her and grab Nugget, she flings the door open and runs down the porch steps towards Jack’s car.
Jack, Harry and Brad exit his black Audi, and holy shit… they are a sea of muscles, Ray-Ban sunglasses, and t-shirts that hug in all the right places and I think I may have to physically lift my jaw off the floor.
Lexi launches herself at Jack and he picks her up, his bicep muscles flexing as he swings her round, throwing her up into the air, catching her so effortlessly. Her giggles and squeals fill the air, and he brings her in for a hug and my heart flutters.
“Hello, princess. Are you excited for the party?”
“Uh huh. Did you bring me a present?”
“Of course I did,” he says as he rubs his nose against hers. If I wasn”t already melting into a puddle, that right there did it.
Brad and Harry say hi to Lexi as Jack sets her on her feet and heads to the trunk of the car, taking out a big pink gift bag. Her big blue eyes go wide with excitement. He bends down, and she takes the bag, leaning in and kissing him on his cheek.
My heart is now ready to burst. I can tell how much that meant to Jack by the big smile on his face and the way he’s looking at her. She turns, clutching her bag with her little hands, running back towards the house as Jack reaches back into the trunk of the car pulling out a large box.
“Mommy, Jack got me a present.” She doesn’t stop, running into the house. I swear that girl never stops running.
“What do we say to Jack?” I call.
“Thank yooouuuuu,” she shouts, her voice fading as she heads to the backyard, no doubt showing Ali and Gabby her present. I turn back around to see the three men walking towards me. Brad and Harry greet me first and I direct them towards the backyard.
Then it”s just us. I haven”t seen him all week and those familiar flutters in my stomach and tingles in my fingers work their way into my body and I can’t help but look at him and smile.
He takes a step towards me and sets the gift down on the porch, removing his sunglasses before hooking them into the collar of his shirt. Cupping my face, he presses his lips to mine, and I melt into his touch.
Breaking our kiss, he licks his lips and doesn”t take his eyes off mine. “Hey, sweetheart. I’ve missed you.”
And suddenly everything I was worrying about felt so insignificant. He`s here, he showed up, he came, and that was all I needed.
“You didn’t need to get them gifts. You being here is enough. What did you buy her?” I gesture to the box that has Elle’s name on it, which is almost as big as me.
“Not a chance I was turning up at my baby girl’s birthday party and not getting her a gift.”
My baby girl. My heart flutters at the idea of her, of us being his.
“I asked the assistant to help me pick something for a one-year-girl who loved Minnie Mouse, so now Elle is the proud owner of her very own Minnie Mouse Club House.”
My mouth falls open. “A what? You got her a playhouse?”
“Yeah.” He shrugs like it is no big deal.
“Jack, those things are like hundreds of dollars. That”s too much, she—” He presses his index finger to my lips to stop my talking and I still.
“It’s not too much, and I’d buy her five of them if it made her smile.”
I peak my tongue out and lick the pad of his finger, not sure how else to react to his generosity.
Heat flashing in his eyes. “Fuck,” he groans under his breath before he adjusts himself in his pants and swipes a hand through his hair.
“I”ve got plans for that tongue later, sweetheart,” he whispers against the shell of my ear.
“Can’t wait,” I whisper back, excitement coursing through me.
We head to the backyard, and I see Gabby and Brad sitting with Lexi, helping her build her princess castle Jack brought her. God, he really has spoiled them. Brad furrows his brow as he reads the instructions, as Gabby helps Lexi click together what looks like the towers of the castle.
I glance over to find Harry and Ali blowing up pink and white balloons at the end of the yard. I can’t quite hear what they are saying, but Harry deflates the balloon he was blowing up in Ali’s face and she smacks him with her inflated balloon. It bursts with a loud bang, making everyone jump.
“That’s his fault,” she shouts, pointing at Harry and I roll my eyes.
I”m not getting involved.
“Guess who’s here?” I turn to find Alex’s parents standing by my back gate.
“Grandma, Grandpa,” Lexi squeals, heading towards them, jumping into Steve’s waiting arms.
“Thank you for coming” I greet them both with a hug, relaxing a little when I feel their familiar warmth wrap around me. They are the best people I know. This will be fine.
I let out a breath. “Steve, Anne, this is my friend, Jack,” I say, anxiously wringing my hands together as they meet Jack, who is hovering close behind me.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Jack.” Anne smiles, before giving him a hug. It seems to take Jack by surprise, but he returns the hug.
“It’s lovely to meet you both,” he says, extending a hand to Steve, who takes it with a friendly grip.
“Pleasure to meet you too, Jack. Any friend of Ria’s is a friend of ours.”
“Jack is really fun, Grandpa. He plays Barbies with me, and does ballet and makes pancakes, and he sleepover on our couch,” Lexi rambles.
Oh, dear God.
An awkward silence falls over us and I have never been more grateful for Jack when he says, “Can I get anyone a drink?”
“That would be lovely, dear. Thank you. I’ll take an iced tea, please. Steve will take one too.”
Jack nods, giving my shoulder a squeeze before heading to the house.
“Well, Jack sounds like a good man,” Steve says. I give him a small smile and a nod, and he does the same. And that right there means everything to me. To have the approval, I didn’t realize I so desperately needed.