Chapter 27 #2
“It’s not a good idea to walk around here as a headless Bluey,” Gabe said. “You’ll scare the kids.”
Jude turned his back to them. “Then unhook me so I can get out of this and put it back in my truck for later.”
El undid the Velcro in the back, and Gabe helped him out of the suit.
“What I do for that little squirt.” Shaking his head, he marched across the grass carrying his furry costume.
“Now, where were we?” Gabe asked.
“We were about to set the tables because we don’t have much time until people get here.”
He grumbled good-naturedly and opened the box. Denise and Brad returned with a giant package that took both of them to carry. They wouldn’t tell them what was in the box, and helped them put out tablecloths and set the table with Bluey-themed items.
“Hey, I need you to check this out!” Reece called from the grass. She carried a sheet cake and set it on the food table. “I’ve never made a Bluey cake before. What do you think?”
El took a look at it. “It’s wonderful. Is there anything you can’t do?”
“Oh my goodness, yes. Don’t get me started on the list or we’ll be here all night.” She laughed.
Gabe turned to his mom and Brad. “Reece is one of the team. There’ll be more coming, but I’ll introduce you to everyone once they’re all here.”
El turned to see Abby and her fiancé, Burke, stroll across the grass. He balanced a large open box in one arm, his other arm around petite Abby’s shoulders.
“Goodie bags,” Abby said. “Filled, and ready to go. Where do you want them?”
Reece stepped forward. “Give them to me. I want to reorganize this table anyway.”
Gabe rolled his eyes. “Mama Reece is here to take over.”
She wrinkled her nose at him, but didn’t dispute his comment. Neither did anyone else.
“The others are right behind us,” Abby said. “And you can barely keep Lucy’s feet on the ground.”
“It’s good she’s able to be happy so soon after her loss,” El said. “Even if it is just for one day.”
Reece looked up from the table. “Is she still having bad dreams about bad guys coming to get her?”
Gabe nodded. “But the counselor she’s seeing is helping.”
“The heartbreaking thing for me,” Abby said, “is that she doesn’t ever cry when she’s with me. She just holds on too tight, like if she let go, I might disappear on her.”
“She does that all the time with me, too.” Gabe’s tortured expression spoke to the challenges he was facing.
“Her counselor says it’s normal and could last for a while.
That’s why she’ll cling to your sleeve or shirt and not want to let go.
She needs to be reassured that we’re there for her, and we’re not going anywhere. ”
His pain got to be too much for El, and she looked away, catching sight of Nolan and Mina coming toward them. Nolan carried cases of juice boxes, and Mina held packaged snacks.
“Over here.” Reece waved. “Just set them on the table, and I’ll take care of them.”
“I won’t argue with that.” Nolan dumped the big cases of juice boxes on the end of the table.
“You sure you don’t want any help?” Mina asked.
The others laughed.
“The last time I saw Reece ask for help was when she locked the food in the car with the keys,” Nolan said.
Laughter broke out again as Hayden and Cady joined them with a cooler swinging between them, the ice inside swishing.
“I thought you were bringing Lucy and Mrs. Z.,” Abby said.
“We did.” Hayden set the cooler down near the juice boxes. “Mrs. Z. insisted we get the ice here as fast as possible. She needs a wheelchair for this distance, and we couldn’t bring her and the ice in one trip. So, she opted to wait and asked Lucy to stay with her.”
“I think it’s Mrs. Z’s way of spending time alone with Lucy today,” Cady said.
“But it looks like we better get the birthday girl over here before the party starts.” Hayden rested his arm over his fiancée’s shoulders and led them away.
Gabe slipped closer to El. “You look overwhelmed.”
El sighed. “I am, though I hate to admit it. I rarely get flustered, but seeing everyone together and how well they all know each other, I feel like an outsider.”
He put his arm on her shoulder. “Talk to Mina, Burke, or Cady. Or all three of them. They were new to the group at one time, too, but they all seem pretty comfortable now.”
“I’ll do that. Maybe today.” She pointed across the lawn. “Here comes the princess.”
Lucy clung to Mrs. Z.’s hand as Hayden rolled her up the walkway.
Gabe went to greet her, picked her up, and swung her around in his arms. “I hope you like your decorations and your party.”
“Yes!” She wiggled free and twirled in her special party dress, her shiny black shoes tapping on the concrete. “Don’t I look pretty?”
“Beautiful.” When she stopped spinning, Gabe knelt in front of her and kissed her cheek. “You won’t believe who’s coming to join your party. He’s right behind you.”
She spun and shrieked. “Bluey. It’s Bluey. He’s really here!”
She raced ahead, then threw her full body weight against Bluey. Jude stepped back, but then planted his feet while she hugged him.
She looked up at him. “I love you, Bluey. Thank you for coming to my party.”
“Are you kidding?” Jude asked in an imitation of Bluey’s squeaky-high voice. “You’re my very best friend.”
She grabbed his hand and started dragging him toward the pavilion as the first kids arrived behind them. They charged away from their parents, flooding toward Bluey, but Lucy stepped in front of them. “He’s my very best friend, and he came to my party.”
The others didn’t seem to care and pushed past her to hug Bluey. She frowned.
“We need to go to the party to have food and drinks,” Jude said in the high-pitched voice. “Take my hand, Lucy, and we’ll lead everyone there.”
El heard Gabe let out a loud breath, but then the kids and their parents arrived at the pavilion and he was swamped with greetings.
Maybe next year, El would be by his side, but for now she hung back and enjoyed watching the children eat snacks and cake and listening to their laughter over just about everything.
Lucy chimed in as if she’d never lost her mother. That was something El had come to understand about her. One moment she could be happy and carefree, and the next moment she would be deep in sadness, all of it unpredictable.
Present time arrived, and she maintained her happy go-lucky behavior as she opened package after package, tearing away the paper and tossing it up, then exclaiming her joy and thankfulness.
Kenna had taught this child impeccable manners and must’ve really been an incredible mother. No pressure for El. No pressure at all.
After all the smaller gifts had been opened, Brad and Denice brought their giant package forward. Lucy hopped up and down, but looked warily at Brad and his mom.
“Remember, sweetie, this is my brother, Brad, and my mom,” Gabe reminded her. “They bought this present for you.”
“You have a brother?” she asked in wonder.
“I do,” Gabe said.
She suddenly frowned. “I wanted a brother, but Mommy said we couldn’t have one until we got a daddy.”
Brad sucked in a sharp breath, and Gabe shared a sympathetic look with him.
El felt Brad’s pain. If Kenna had lived, he would become the father of a boy and dad to Lucy.
With expectant eyes, Lucy peered up at Gabe’s mom. “Can you be my grandmother? I’ve always wanted a grandmother, too.”
Denise beamed a glowing smile at Lucy, but then gave Gabe a tentative look. “I’d like that if it’s okay with Gabe.”
“Sure,” Gabe said, without even pausing to think about it.
How far he’d come since El had first met him.
Lucy reached for the wrapping paper. “Help me, Gabe. This one’s too big.”
“How about if Brad does it, since he bought it with my mom?”
She flashed a look at Brad. “Can you please help me?”
“Of course.” Without hesitation, Brad dropped down beside her and started to fling paper away from the box, wincing with pain from his surgery.
“It’s a Bluey bike.” She flung her arms around Brad’s neck. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I never had a bike before, and this one’s even more special.”
His look of sheer shock, then warmth and acceptance while Gabe smiled down on them, Denise by his side, was priceless to watch. El could now see this little girl bringing Gabe’s family closer together.
All of the children flooded in to look at the bike, and Brad stood to get out of the way.
“Hey, thanks, man,” Gabe said. “But the person who buys the bike is the one who has to teach the child to ride it.”
“No problem. I’d be glad to do it.”
Gabe arched his eyebrow. “That’ll mean a lot of trips to Lost Lake.”
Brad hesitated. “Um, well, not really. We didn’t want to mention it until we saw how you felt about our big life change, but we moved here.”
Gabe gaped at him. “To Lost Lake?”
“You sound like you don’t like the idea.”
“No. No, it’s fine. Good. I’m just surprised.”
El was surprised, too, but couldn’t be happier for Gabe.
Brad inched closer to Gabe. “Mom and I figured if we wanted to repair our relationships with you, we had to be nearby.”
“So you did this for me?”
“Yeah. You deserve it after how we treated you.”
Gabe grabbed his brother in a man hug and clapped his back before releasing him. “I’m glad you’re both here.”
“Okay, kids,” Reece called out from behind one of the main tables. “Time to get your goodie bags before you go.”
Pandemonium soon ensued as children grabbed the bags and parents claimed their children, all offering their thanks for the wonderful party. Lucy beamed at them all, but then suddenly sat on the bench, tears sparkling in her eyes.
Gabe was busy with helping families depart, so El sat next to Lucy. “Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?”
“I want Mommy.” She turned and buried her face in El’s stomach.
“It’s okay, honey. I understand, and I’m here for you.”