37
MADDIE
"Oh! You look gorgeous."
I closed my eyes and sucked in a breath when Jennah's arms wrapped around me. I'd promised myself I would be one-hundred percent present today. I owed my mom that much. Even though my heart was constantly yelling at me to go home so I could talk to Adam.
Like the hot mess I'd been the previous day, I'd left my phone at home when I'd hurried over to Sugar Booger. Then after Frankie and I had talked, she'd insisted I spend the night at her place, using the time to really think about what I wanted and what it would mean for my future.
And I had.
I'd thought long and hard about everything and every time I came to one simple conclusion: I loved Adam.
Of course, I felt like an even bigger fool over the way I'd reacted. Instead of my woe is me act, I should've understood and respected his decision. And I was going to tell him that as soon as this party was over.
"So do you," I said to my sister when we finally pulled apart. The flowy white dress she was wearing hit her just above her knees. It was soft and feminine with a scalloped hem and lace detail to the collar completing her look.
Jennah touched the curls tumbling over her shoulder, cheeks turning rosy. "I can't even remember the last time I wore a dress, let alone something as pretty as this one." She scrunched up her nose, a soft laugh blowing over her lips. "Kinda pathetic, right?"
Cupping her shoulders, I gave them a gentle squeeze. "Well, you've been busy being a badass mom to an amazing little boy." Another squeeze. "Once you get your party planning business up and running, you can wear pretty dresses every day."
Probably thinking it was a joke, Jennah waved me off with a giggle. Only, I wasn't joking. The moment I stepped foot inside the community center, I knew this was my sister's calling.
She'd taken the boring space and transformed it into a white and lilac paradise.
Beautiful balls of flowers suspended from the ceiling at different heights with delicate fairy lights draped in between.
The tables were adorned with a small arrangement of three flowers with a candle sitting in the middle.
A space that could've easily been overpowering looked soft and inviting.
Yeah, I was pretty damn impressed with what Jennah had pulled off. This was without a doubt something she needed to pursue, but today wasn't the day to talk to her about it. So instead, I gave her another hug and told her I was proud of her.
With a smile, she headed off in the direction of the kitchen. Turning the opposite way, I went in search of Frankie and walked straight into my mom's friends, Mrs. Peterson and Mrs. Hendrickson.
I'd known them all my life, so it was no surprise they already knew I was taking over Soulbeat. What did manage to knock me on my butt was how excited they were.
I smiled and nodded as they enthusiastically told me I should consider doing something for the seniors as well. The idea wasn't bad at all, and I was going to give it serious consideration…as soon as the Adam-sized anvil was lifted off my chest.
Mrs. Peterson parked her hands on her hips before slowly rotating them. "See? Age ain't nothing but a number," she said on a laugh. "I can still keep up with the young ones."
Naturally, while she was talking about her hips, my mind shot to Adam and our first kiss. Hadn't it been stiff hips that'd started it all? My heart squeezed tight. So painfully tight I wanted to press my palm to the spot for relief.
Instead of doing that, I grinned at the ladies in front of me. "Mrs. Peterson, you're not only keeping up, I think you're even out-dancing some of them."
Both women threw their silver heads back and laughed heartily. The sound was so happy and infectious, I couldn't help but join in.
"This looks cheerful." My mom sidled in beside me and immediately slipped her arm around my shoulders. That one small action had such a big effect on my heart. There'd been a time, not so long ago, where something as simple as this had seemed completely out of my reach.
Mrs. Hendrickson was the first to regain her composure. "Maddie is going to teach us old ladies how to properly wiggle our hips."
"Speak for yourself." Mrs. Peterson looked appalled. " I already know how to wiggle and jiggle. I just want Maddie to do the classes so I can keep all of this in shape."
"Yes, Glenda, we know." With a small shake of her head, Mrs. Hendrickson rolled her eyes. Smiling at my mom and I, she hooked her arm through Mrs. Peterson's and together they strolled away.
Twisting sideways, I wrapped my mom up in a hug. "Happy Birthday, Mom."
Her arms banded tight around me. "Yes, it really is a happy one today." Pulling back, she held on to my shoulders as her eyes roamed over my face. "I can't believe you and your sister planned all of this for me."
"It was all Jennah," I said. "She's pretty amazing."
Her hands moved from my shoulders to my cheeks. "You both are." I heard the truth in her words, felt it all the way to my heart. She pulled me in for another crushing embrace before taking a step backward. "You know, I think this might be my best birthday yet."
I grinned. "That makes me so happy."
Mom nibbled on her lip before asking, "Tell me more about this dance class Glenda was talking about?"
I didn't even think it was possible but inside my chest, my heart swelled. I was positive it was going to take me a long while to get used to my mom and me chatting away about dancing.
Which was exactly what we did for the following ten minutes until I spotted my dad ambling toward us.
I held my breath as my pulse ticked to an uneasy beat until he stepped up next to my mom.
We hadn't talked since my wonderful meltdown in the studio, and even though I knew we were rebuilding the burnt-to-a-crisp bridge between us, I was still somewhat nervous to see him.
Time healed all wounds, right?
Funny how time was the one thing I didn't give Adam. I'd stood before him, assured him I saw him, and then when he really needed me to be understanding, I pushed him away.
I was such a freaking idiot.
"You look lovely, Madison." At the sound of my dad's voice, my attention shifted back to my parents.
Smoothing my hands down the lilac material of my dress—one that looked similar to Jennah's—I tried my best to give them a genuine smile, but I just couldn't. Everything weighing inside me was simply too heavy. "Thanks, Dad."
Both my parents' brows drew together in tandem. If I wasn't feeling as crap as I did, I probably would have laughed at how freaky it was. Holding my gaze, my dad slung his arm around my mom's waist and pulled her to him. "Everything all right?"
I wasn't entirely sure if he was asking whether things were good between us or if I was doing okay. "Of course, Dad." If I heard the lack of conviction in my own voice, certainly they did too.
Dad's eyes narrowed. "You're not having man troubles, are you?"
My eyes bugged out of my skull. "What? W-why would you think that?
" Even though he was pretty spot-on, I couldn't fathom how the hell he came to that conclusion in the first place.
Sure, Jennah knew about Adam, but she wasn't clued in on the latest development.
And I highly doubted Frankie would've said anything.
While I tried to work it out in my head, my dad's gaze flicked to something over my shoulder before it returned to me. "Well, there's a six-foot-something man standing right there—" he jerked his chin toward my shoulder "—looking at you as if you might just be his world."
My eyebrows shot up. "There's a what now?" It took my brain two full seconds to properly take in my dad's words. The instant they registered, I spun around so fast, I almost fell over. My heart stopped dead at the same time as my trembling hands flew to my mouth. "Adam."