44 #2
“Yeah, remember? You’ve seen her on my phone.” I smile, brushing the curls away from her forehead. “Your aunt. She’s a little grumpy sometimes, but she smiles so big for you and your mommy.”
Her lips rise in a droopy smile, and her eyes flutter closed.
I let her be for a moment. I was supposed to grab her and bring her to the living room, but I wanted to be a little selfish. Any chance I get to be with her, I’m going to take advantage and bask in the extra time.
I kiss the top of her head and take her in. Everyone says she looks like me, and they’re not wrong, but she also looks like Anna. They’re both beautiful, and I’m so lucky to have them in my life.
“Hey.” Anna opens the door, peeking in, and when her gaze lands on mine, she slips inside, closing the door behind her. “What are you guys doing?” The prettiest smile touches her lips.
“Just talking.” I look up at her and my heart races out of control. “I love you.”
Her face softens, and those pretty whiskey eyes glitter. “I love you.”
“Tengo hambre.” Rosie rubs her eyes again.
“You want pizza?” That instantly has her perking up. Bright green eyes snap to the door, and she’s jumping off me.
“That’s one way to get her to fully wake up.” Anna’s going after Rosie, hand on the doorknob, but I pull her back. “Yeah?”
“You are the best thing to ever happen to me.” I cup her jaw and kiss her, but it’s only brief as Rosie grows impatient and starts banging her fist on the door. “Okay, we’re going. So impatient.”
Anna opens the door, and our daughter zooms out, but before we’re following behind her, she kisses me and says, “We’re so lucky to have you.”
My face warms, heart thrashing as we walk out of the room. I go to pick up Rosie, but she wants to walk down the stairs holding my finger. She’s in a phase where she wants to do it all on her own.
Thea and Marc are waiting at the bottom of the staircase, talking to each other. When we reach the last step, they stop talking and draw all their focus to Rosie.
My sister crouches down to be at her level. “You must be Rosie?”
She clutches my finger firmly, hiding behind my leg. She stares at her warily, uncertain whether she wants to engage.
“I love your costumes. You look so beautiful.” She skims her fingers over the sparkly waterlily brooch, then grabs the hood of her Spider-Man costume. “Can you shoot webs?”
The backs of my eyes sting. I didn’t realize how much I needed this. I may not have had a great relationship with my parents, but it’s different with Thea. She isn’t just my sister but my best friend.
Before Anna, she was the only person keeping me sane. I don’t know what my life would have been like without her, and I don’t want to imagine it.
I shift to the side so Thea can get a better look at her. She isn’t as shy as she was a few minutes ago. She grins, twirling for my sister, and stops when she looks up at Marc.
“Don’t worry about him.” Thea pinches a curly lock and gently tugs it, letting it spring back up. “He’s not scary, I promise. Just tall and weird.”
“Hey.” Marc feigns offense and crouches down next to Thea. “I promise I’m really cool. Just ask your dad. I’m his favorite person.”
“Daddy?” Rosie peers up at me, brow furrowed as if she’s asking for confirmation.
I falter before I answer. I’ll never get over the sound of that. “He’s okay. Not as awesome as your aunt.”
He shoots me a deadly side-eye, but when he looks at Thea, his expression softens. “She’s fine. Not as cool as me though.”
Anna and I look at each other as Thea and Marc go back and forth. Rosie seems to find it amusing because she giggles. But I know she’s comfortable because she doesn’t just grab Thea’s finger but Marc’s. They walk side by side to the living room with Anna and me behind them.
“I never thought I’d enjoy another birthday again,” I whisper to her. “Thanks for making them worth being excited for.”
She looks up at me and takes my hand in hers. The softness in her eyes, in her smile…My heart floods with happiness.
“We’re so happy you were born. Life would have sucked without you.” She stands on her tiptoes, smiling so big as she plants a kiss on my lips. “I can’t wait to celebrate many more with you.”
“Forever?” I wrap an arm around her waist, tugging her closer to my body.
“For—”
“I need you to stop.” Jenny wedges her hands between us and splits us up. “When you get like this, I know what it leads to. You two are way too horny and freaky for this event.”
Anna smirks. “We’re just having a moment. Can’t two people—”
“No,” she interrupts. “I’m surprised you haven’t snuck off somewhere…” Her sentence trails off at the guilty expression on our faces. “Some things really don’t change, huh?”
That seems to be the motto of our lives.
Anna and I grin at each other, following Jenny into the living room.
My closest friends and some of the wives and girlfriends are gathered around Rosie who is being held by Thea. Marc hovers close by as if he’s making sure no one is overwhelming my daughter. And I’m proven right when he tells Frost he’s doing too much and is scaring her.
Rowan tsks. “Why am I not surprised? You’re horrible with kids.”
The smile on Frost’s face disappears but it’s only gone for a second before it’s plastered back on his face. “I don’t see Rosie going with you.”
“I mean look at him.” Joey snickers, waving a hand over his stony face. “Does that look like the face kids would be drawn to?”
“So, when are you coming to a game?” Abby, Matias’s wife, stands next to Anna, taking a sip from her cup. “He looks for you in the crowd,” she says over the noise.
Anna flushes, grinning up at me. “Does he now?”
I know she’s busy with work, so I never want to ask because I don’t want her to feel guilty. So, I like to pretend she’s watching me from the stands.
“Yes, so you need to come to a game. When will that be?” she asks, staring at her expectantly.
I warned Anna that some of the guys and women are blunt and have no filter.
Of course, she’s not fazed, appearing unperturbed about her direct question.
Not that it was a bad question, but there have been some that are a little out there.
One of the girlfriends asked if we were going to have another kid.
“Soon, actually. Just trying to figure out how to rope in Maya, Jenny, and Clementine. They’d love to come to a game too.”
I didn’t know she was going to come. I instantly perk up, eager to ask when, but I tell myself to calm down.
“Let me know and I’ll get us a box. With the news of Rosie and”—she glances at me—“his parents…the fans might go a little crazy.”
I’d go to jail again if something happened to her and Rosie. I make a mental note of asking when she plans to come to make sure they get the box.
Anna nods and soon the conversation is straying away from hockey to the bakery and Abby’s job. I stay quiet, only answering when I’m spoken to because I don’t want to interrupt. I just want to revel in this moment.
I’m with people who I genuinely care about and love. This is the best birthday I’ve ever had.