Ryland #4
When I showed it to her in the car last night before we went into the dance, she was so damn giddy. She wanted to be the one to give it to Somee. Hell, I was just happy she hadn’t slipped up and leaked the surprise.
“Okay, I’ll wait.” She grinned and bounced in place while I lifted one of the bouquets and headed upstairs.
As soon as I stepped into the room, I found Somee already up, face washed because her skin was glowing with all that shit she put on it during those ten thousand skincare steps she was militant about.
She was still in her pajamas, but her bonnet was off, hair tucked behind her ears while she stared at the card in her hands.
The envelope was on the bed beside her like it had just been opened.
She didn’t realize I was in the room until I stepped into her line of sight.
Her eyes darted to the flowers I was holding then my face before something moved through her expression.
I placed the arrangement next to Somee to free up my hands.
“Happy birthday,” I signed and hooked her chin, tilting her head back for a kiss.
She smiled softly. “Thank you. How did you know?”
Damn sure not because you told me…
“You set a reminder for Rylee.”
“Right, I forgot.” She grinned at the mention of Rylee and that fucked with me a little because she was cool with sharing the day with Rylee but kept it from me.
“You didn’t tell me.”
“I don’t tell anyone.”
“But you told Rylee.”
I felt like a pussy for even addressing that shit but my feelings were very fucking valid.
“She asked when my birthday was after we celebrated hers. I told her and she said she wanted to remember. I set the reminder so she could. I really didn’t think much about it. My birthday is not a big deal.”
I motioned to the card. “Marlee sent that, which means she knows too.”
She nodded and lifted the card, handing it to me. I frowned when I read what was inside.
Happy birthday to the one person I know will never let me down. Love you for lyfe. Somee.
The message was handwritten but Somee was crossed out and underneath Marlee was written in a different script, which had me confused as hell. Why the hell would she send her a recycled card for her birthday?
I placed it between us. “What’s this?”
She grinned at the way I was frowning before her hands started moving. “I don’t celebrate my birthday, but Marlee is annoying. So instead of buying me a new card, she regifts me the one I give her every year. It’s kind of became our thing.”
“Why don’t you celebrate your birthday?”
She chewed the corner of her lip for a minute before she explained.
“I told you my dad left.” I nodded and she continued.
“It was on my first birthday. My mom told me about it. She was furious when he didn’t come home.
She had a cake, one of those small ones that you give kids to smash.
She made dinner and stuff to have as a family and waited but he never showed up.
Eventually she got worried and called him.
That’s when he told her he wasn’t coming back… ever.”
“One deaf person in his life was enough of a challenge. He couldn’t do two,” I signed, repeating what she told me, and Somee nodded.
“I don’t remember. I was only one, but birthdays kind of became my mother’s obsession.
She would always do the most with elaborate gifts and parties I didn’t care about.
Everything was always over the top. I don’t know if it was about her feeling like I was missing out or if it was just my mother’s way of trying to rewrite one of the worst days of her life.
Either way, it was too much, and when I was twelve, I told her I was done.
We had a huge blow up about it right in the middle of a princess themed party.
I stormed out and refused to come back. I didn’t want to celebrate my birthday.
She assumed it was because of not having my dad, but it was more about not having her.
She cared more about all the extra stuff, trying to compensate for what she thought I was missing, and not really genuinely caring about me being happy on my birthday.
I stopped celebrating altogether. She was pissed but left it alone.
We talked about it when I got older and we’re good now, but I just got used to not making a big deal each year and it stuck.
Marlee knows. That’s why we do the card thing. ”
“Shit,” I mumbled and her eyes narrowed, studying my face.
“I guess I fucked that up then,” I signed.
“No, the flowers are beautiful.” She brushed her fingers over them and leaned my way for a kiss.
“It’s not just the flowers. Rylee is downstairs with the rest, well… part of the rest.”
She frowned. “What did you do?”
“Stuff, but I can work around it since birthdays aren’t your thing.”
She grinned and lifted from the bed, climbing into my lap before signing, “Birthdays with you might not be that bad.”
“If you trust me, I can make birthdays with me the best thing you’ve ever experienced in your life.”
She scooched closer, rubbing against my very hard dick, making me groan because this wasn’t happening considering Rylee was downstairs waiting on us. “I’ve experienced some pretty great things lately. You think you can top those?”
“Yeah, I can, but you’ll have to wait until later. There’s currently a six-year-old impatiently waiting on you downstairs for the other part of your surprise.”
I planted my mouth on hers for a kiss then lifted us both, cuffing Somee’s ass while I stole another kiss before placing Somee on her feet. We made our way downstairs, and the minute we came into view, Rylee took off running until she collided with Somee, wrapping her in a hug.
“Happy birthday. Look, we got you flowers and cooked breakfast.”
Somee expressively signed wow before Rylee tugged her toward the table. She grabbed the box that held Somee’s necklace and shoved it at her, signing after the leather jewelry box was in Somee’s hands, “We got you a present. It’s pretty, open it.”
I chuckled and Somee glanced at me before she opened the leather box. The minute her eyes landed on the heart, I knew she was done for. Tears paired with a smile.
“I drew a heart and he had it made into a necklace for us. See.” Rylee pointed to the charm floating on the satin cushion.
“We all get to wear a piece of it. I wanted to get you a ring so you would stay but Ryland said this was better because you like when I make you stuff. Yours is in the middle. Can we put them on?”
Somee looked at me then back at the necklace.
She nodded to Rylee and swiped a tear before brushing her fingers over the heart.
After she extended it to me, she hugged Rylee, lifting her little body from the floor.
When she was standing again, Somee cuffed Rylee’s face, kissed her cheeks, and signed, “It’s perfect because you’re perfect. ”
Rylee grinned and turned to me. “See, I told you she likes when I make her stuff.”
I chuckled and made my way to Somee, already having removed her part of the heart from the box.
Once I secured it around her neck, I kissed her temple and proceeded to secure Rylee’s around her neck before Somee handled mine.
The chain was thicker than theirs, making it more masculine, while theirs were dainty but the connection was visible.
“Now we have to stay together,” Rylee signed before tugging Somee’s hand to bring her closer to the table, making her sit. I followed and dropped a kiss on Somee’s temple, filling the spot across from them since Rylee dragged her chair right next to Somee, damn near piling on top of her.
I motioned to the breakfast we prepared. “Eat, we have a flight to catch.”
“We’re starting my list already?” She curiously arched a brow, referring to the travel list she was sharing with me in Notes. A list that was going to hit my pockets hard.
“Where we’re going isn’t on your list, but you can consider it a bonus.”
A beautiful smile blossomed on her face before her hands started moving. “Do I get to know where that place is?”
“Nope, you’ll have to just trust me.”
I winked and reached for a plate with no doubt that she would.