Chapter 32
CHAPTER
THIRTY-TWO
DONNIE
“You met his parents?” Phyllis leans in close, eyes bright with curiosity. “What are they like?”
Since Connor’s working today, I agreed to let Phyllis and Leonard take me out for lunch. None of that thick, cloying foreboding this time though. Just joy and comfort at being able to spend time with two people who are important to me.
“They’re…” How to describe Kathleen and Harold? “Nice?”
Phyllis rolls her eyes. “That’s it? You spend an entire weekend with them and all you come away with is ‘nice’?”
I chuckle and shoot a pleading look at Leonard. He sips his wine, like he didn’t hear Phyllis’s question. He’s no help.
“What do you want me to say? They’re nice people. They have a lot of friends. They might be a little hard on Connor sometimes.”
“Hard? In what way?” Phyllis narrows her eyes, like she’s not sure if she approves.
“It’s not like that,” I say, trying to reassure her, even though my heart warms at how protective Phyllis is over someone she hasn’t even met yet.
Leonard’s over there doing a piss poor job of holding back his laughter.
“They want the best for him and sometimes, you know, it gets to be too much.”
“Hmm.” Phyllis makes a show of thinking about what I said. “I suppose I can understand that. And how is Connor’s film project going?”
It’s been like this all lunch. Connor, Connor, Connor. I’m going to have to introduce them soon so Phyllis can send her questions directly to the source.
“Good, I think. He’s met a few people who want to help him make it.” I conveniently leave out the X-rated way Sebastian got his start in filmmaking.
“That’s lovely. I can’t wait to watch it when it’s ready.”
“I’ll let him know.” I just hope Sebastian doesn’t talk him into including too many naked men in that haunted house.
After lunch, I swing by the cemetery to pay Roger a short visit.
No risk of getting caught in the rain this time.
The sky is blue and there isn’t a single cloud in sight.
It doesn’t hurt the way it used to. I don’t feel like I’m being torn out of my body.
There’s a sadness that things didn’t turn out the way Roger and I had envisioned for ourselves.
But also, a joy that we had the time that we had.
“Connor took me climbing yesterday,” I say to Roger’s headstone. “To Leon and Tucker’s gym. I haven’t been since, you know. They’re doing well. The gym is thriving. They made me promise to go back more often and Connor had a really good time, so I think we will.”
The sun shines down on me, warming my back like it’s giving me a hug.
“We went foraging after. Yeah, you heard me. Foraging for mushrooms and plants and stuff. In the middle of Prospect Park. Can you believe it? All part of my healthy eating thing, according to Connor. It was fun though. Not something I ever thought I’d do.”
There are birds chirping in the distance.
“I saw your Mom and Dad for lunch. I’m going to bring Connor out to their house soon. Maybe next month. They really want to meet him.”
I put my hand on Roger’s headstone. It’s warm from sitting under the sun all day and I let that warmth seep into me as well.
CONNOR
I peer out of the frosted glass window of our front door, then check my watch again. Where the hell is Donnie? Phyllis called me more than an hour ago saying they were leaving the restaurant and it should’ve only taken Donnie forty-ish minutes to get home.
Behind me, a houseful of people have already cracked open the booze, so he better get here before the party really gets started.
My phone buzzes in my hand. It’s Phyllis again.
“Hello?”
“Still no sign of him?”
“No, and I don’t want to message him and accidentally tip him off.”
She sighs into the phone. “Maybe he went to run errands or something.”
Who the hell runs errands when they’ve got a surprise party waiting for them at home? Argh.
A deep voice speaks in the background. “Leonard’s asking if you’d like us to come in. We’re parked down the street.”
“Yes, you might as well. No point sitting in the car if we don’t know how much longer he’ll be.”
“Okay, we’ll be right there.”
An older couple with matching heads of white hair come up the steps a few minutes later and I fling the door open for them. Phyllis immediately engulfs me in a hug so crushing that Mom would’ve approved.
“Oh my! Look at you!” She squeezes my arms a few times like she’s assessing a piece of meat. “Donnie didn’t mention how big and burly you are!”
“Um, thank you?”
“Come on, Phyllis, let’s not block the entrance.” Leonard shakes my hand quickly and escorts his wife inside.
I’ve spoken to them a few times over the past weeks. When I told them about my plan, they jumped at the chance to lure Donnie out of the house.
I “left for work” this morning and waited for the coast to clear before sneaking back in.
Sawyer and Sebastian both came over early to help clear out the backyard and get all the food and drinks set up.
Then all of Donnie’s old friends—including Leon and Tucker—came pouring in.
Any doubts I might’ve had about whether this party is a good idea were eradicated as one after another said how much they missed Donnie and how excited they were to be at his birthday party again.
A movement through the window catches my eye and I yelp in excitement. I run into the kitchen where everyone is mingling.
“He’s coming! He’s coming! Everyone hide!” I wave my arms frantically, only to realize there isn’t really anywhere to hide in the open-plan kitchen. They all look around at each other, then back at me. “Uh… never mind. Just, shh!”
The front door cracks open and then closes again with a rattle. Donnie’s footsteps sound in the hallway, then stop. Silence. Nothing.
I hold my breath. Come to the kitchen, Donnie. Why isn’t he coming to the kitchen? It’s the first thing we do when we get home.
Someone snickers behind me and I throw a glare over my shoulder. Footsteps again, very faint, like Donnie’s creeping down the hall. Then he pokes his head around the corner.
“Surprise!”
He jumps and almost hits the ceiling. “Jesus fucking Christ!”
The look on his face is totally worth every minute it took to plan this party. It’s absolutely priceless. Donnie sags against the wall, hand on his chest.
“Oh my god, are you okay?” I ask, rushing up to him. “You’re not going to have a heart attack, are you?”
He glares at me but he’s smiling. “No, but not for lack of trying.”
I giggle. I can’t help it. This has been so much fun.
“Stop hogging him already!” Leon nudges me aside and drags Donnie into a circle of friends.
I drift back and let them take him. The house is filled with laughter ringing out above the music.
Guests spill out of the kitchen onto the back patio and down into the backyard.
It’s really nice to see the space being used like this, packed with people who love Donnie.
This is what it was designed for, I realize.
For parties, for people to come together and celebrate each other.
It’s sat empty for too long, but not anymore. Not if I have anything to say about it. It’s going to be the party house again—every birthday, every promotion, every new relationship, or new child. We’re going to fill it with people who are important to us.
I meet Donnie’s gaze through the crowd and we exchange a smile.
My heart expands with so much happiness that it’s a little difficult to breathe.
I want to jump up and down. I want to race to the rooftop, throw my arms wide and just laugh.
I want to drag Donnie to our bedroom and lock the door. The guests can take care of themselves.
DONNIE
“I love you,” I say, cornering Connor in the living room, away from the party. I love the way the words roll off my tongue. I love the way Connor’s eyes light up and his cheeks turn pink and his lips curl into a shy smile. I’m never going to tire of saying it to him, I just know it.
“I love you too.” Connor kisses me sweetly. “Happy birthday.”
I should’ve known Connor was planning something with the whole “take the extra day off work” and the “Rick’s making me come in on a Sunday.” I definitely should’ve clued in when Phyllis called to invite me to lunch, like she knew I was going to be free.
“I can’t believe you managed to track down all these people.”
“It took a good amount of snooping,” Connor admits, with a self-satisfied smile that he entirely deserves. “Want your birthday present now?”
“Birthday present? This isn’t enough?”
Connor tugs me toward the stairs and up to our bedroom. He sits me down on the armchair and disappears into the walk-in closet. He comes out holding a thick envelope.
“This is for you,” he says, kneeling down in front of me.
I open the envelope and pull out a cute homemade booklet.
The Complete History of Cycling Filmography.
Inside is page after page of movies about cycling, some documentaries, some silly comedies.
I’ve heard of a few of them and even recognize some of the athletes.
But most of the films are completely foreign to me.
“What’s this?” I ask.
“It’s what we’re going to watch for the next few weeks. Or months… I didn’t realize how many cycling movies there are.” Connor looks sheepish. “Is it too corny? We don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
“Are you kidding?” I pull him in between my knees and kiss him until we’re both breathless. “It’s fabulous. And so much more fun than watching horror movies.”
Connor grins against my mouth. “I figured if I was going to make you watch films all the time, the least I could do was find ones you’d be interested in.”
“I love it,” I say between kisses. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” Connor sighs. “We might have to send Miles and Wyatt a thank you note.”
“Why the hell would we have to do that?”
“If it wasn’t for them, I would’ve never been at Mars that night.”
“And I would never have brought you home.”
“So, in a way, I guess we owe them?”
I scoff. “I don’t know if I’d go that far.”
“Hmm, I guess you’re right. I would’ve worked up the nerve to talk to Donnie, The Spin Instructor, at some point.”
“And I would have noticed the guy in the back corner who smiles like the sun.”
Connor shows me that smile again and I melt into his arms.
“I love you, darling.”
“I love you too.”