Chapter 37 Lainey
Lainey
Jess, Kendra, and I are dancing around my apartment as they help me pack up what belongings I still have left here.
Sutton is on the couch, resting with her feet up and playing DJ.
I was so happy when she said she would come hang out with us.
Ever since the night we decided on a nursery theme and started putting things in motion, there have been glimmers of my friend emerging from the depths of her grief.
I can’t even imagine how heavy it feels to carry it around every day, but I know that she is working through a lot.
She told me the other day that Deck would want her to be strong for not only their baby girl, but herself, too.
Getting out of the house is hard for her, but the more she does it the lighter she seems.
“Rem’s birthday is right around the corner, do you have anything fun planned?” Sutton asks me as a song fades out.
“Actually! I wanted to ask if you girls would help me plan something for him? I was thinking of having a housewarming party for us moving in together but actually making it a surprise birthday party for him. What do you think?” I fuss with the box that I am packing, wondering if I can make his party special enough without a ton of time to plan.
His birthday gift I had picked out was already in the works weeks ago, but I also wanted to do this for him.
Jess claps her hands. “Yes! Oh my lord, that man never lets us do anything for his birthday. The most the guys have ever done is grab a beer. This is going to be so fun.”
“I can’t wait to see his face when we pull a fast one on him.” Sutton grins, genuinely grins, at me.
“Please, please, please, plllllease let me be in charge of planning for you?” Kendra’s little body is buzzing with the idea of doing her favorite hobbies of bossing and organizing.
Laughing, I give in without much of a fight. “That would actually be great, thank you. This way my anxiety over Remington finding out too easily from hearing me making calls or seeing things around the house will be reduced significantly.” I mockingly wipe sweat off my brow.
Jess helpfully says, “I will take care of the fire crew and rallying all the troops. Obviously the people on shift won’t be able to come, but they are all used to that kind of thing. Nobody will be upset about it. And the girls can still come even if some of the guys are working.”
“He does so much for me and for everyone else. I really want to make his thirtieth birthday something he will always remember.”
“Do you want me to order a cake?” Sutton asks.
“No, I think I have his dessert covered.”
“Eww, Lainey! TMI!” Sutton blocks her ears with her hands dramatically while Jess and Kendra cackle.
“OhmyGOD! Sutton! That’s NOT what I meant.” I can feel my cheeks flaming. “I just meant that I was planning on making dessert for the party. I want to make my apple pie.”
“Thank you, Jesus.” Sutton is now folding her hands in prayer and looking up at the ceiling. I toss a decorative pillow at her and she giggles.
“I know that Matt will be happy about the pie. I heard all about the one you dropped off that time at the fire station, and how Remington refused to share it,” Jess tells the girls, and I smile remembering that day, that pie, and that first kiss that changed my entire life.
“He tried his best not to let anyone get that pie, but Eli managed to steal a bite.” I laugh.
“Ugh, of course he did,” Kendra huffs under her breath.
Smiling at her phone, Sutton hits a new song and says, “Get ready for this one, girls!” We collectively look at her wiggling her phone toward us, then all cheer and abandon packing when Ed Sheeran starts to sing “Shivers.” Kendra grabs Jess, comically trying to spin a much taller Jess in her arms, and they swerve around the boxes nearly tripping, making us laugh even harder.
I never knew female friendships could be so sincere or so fun.
Moments like this make me eternally grateful for these women.
A knock at my door has me dancing over more boxes and swinging it wide to find the grinning faces of three very handsome firefighters. Remington, Matt, and Eli are here to help.
Remington pulls me into his arms and kisses me as they all crowd into my apartment.
It suddenly feels very small in here with these massive men, all the boxes, and my friends squeezed together.
I also realize that I probably opened my apartment door for Remington for one of the last times.
It’s a bittersweet thought, but also one that makes me so excited for our next chapter—one that we are writing together.
“Sounds like a party in here, ladies,” Eli says as he bends to kiss Sutton on the cheek.
“Hang on!” she exclaims. “I have one for you guys.” Sutton is trying to hold back a slightly maniacal grin as she types. Seconds later she turns up the volume and Nelly’s “Hot in Herre” is overwhelming the limited space.
“Oh, hell yeahhh, you know this is our song, Sut.” Eli enthusiastically starts dancing and gyrating his hips.
Before the chorus hits, he is on my coffee table, stripping off his shirt and whips it across the room.
Kendra yelps as it hits her in the face and tosses a scowl back up at Eli.
The rest of us are not even dancing, we are all stuck in a trance watching our own personal Eli–Magic Mike moment and cracking up.
Remington wraps his arms around me from behind, and my whole body vibrates with his laughter watching his best friend’s wild antics.
The best view in the room, however, is not Eli’s ripped body, as impressive as it is.
Nope, it’s Sutton. Head thrown back, hand on her large belly, and laughing so hard there is a happy tear trailing down her face.
This right here is the power and freedom in a family you choose for yourself. It’s a place to feel safety, comfort, and allows you to ride out your highs and lows. I hug Remington’s arms tighter around my middle and sigh when he softly kisses the top of my head.
I might be moving into his house today, but I know that Remington is truly my home.