“Watch it, don’t burn it Fatone!” Christina teased, walking up behind him.

“Woman, I got this!” Joey replied, turning the steaks over on the grill.

The air was warm and thick with the scent of honeysuckles coupled with the hickory smoke of the grill. The moon shone brightly, and the stars danced above them. The atmosphere was perfect for celebrating.

“I cannot believe you pulled this off,” Leah said before taking a swig of her Corona.

“Yeah, well it is you’re twenty-fifth birthday after all, so it has to be special,” JC replied.

Leah was in complete disbelief over the fact that one; JC had managed to get everyone in one place. Two; he had completely transformed their backyard, without her knowledge. And three; how he had her convinced that Autumn was planning some over-the-top elaborate rager. She was in complete aww that he would do this for her.  “This is amazing.”

“I try,” JC said, before softly brushing his lips against hers. Pulling off this party was no easy task, but it was worth it once he saw how happy she was.

The party, which was a very small and intimate gathering, took place in the backyard, rather than a nightclub, and in place of a DJ, the sound system had been set up on the patio. JC had invited Lucky, all of the guys, Kelly, Heather, Tyler, Grant, Chad, Christina, and Britney (who, for obvious reasons, wasn’t there, but sent a gift), along with Leah’s childhood friends Melanie and Raychel.

The party flowed smoothly, and everyone got along great. Justin took control over the sound system, while Joey took control over the grill. Chris had seemed to make a connection with Melanie, who thought it was hot that she swung for both teams, as he so nicely put it.

“So, it looks like I finally get you all to myself,” Lucky said, approaching Leah.

“Yeah, now that my other half is gone, I have my other, other half,” Leah joked. “Thanks for coming Lux, it really means the world to me.”

“Are you kidding me? I wouldn’t have missed it for the world!” After getting the call from JC, Lucky immediately started packing. She’d been in LA a full two days, without Leah even knowing. Her reaction upon finding out and seeing her best friend face-to-face again, was priceless. “You have a really amazing guy, you know.”

“I know, I’m very lucky,” Leah replied, sneaking a glance over at JC was on the patio talking to Lance. Everything was finally coming full circle for her, and it was all because of him. He had changed her life, and he didn’t even know it. She would be forever grateful to him.

Later, the gang was all gathered around the bonfire, sharing stories about the birthday girl, in the years that they knew her. “And, then I told her that pink was the color of Mother Nature’s vomit, and that her shirt was ugly as hell,” Lucky explained

“And I told her that she looked like she was dressed for her own funeral, and that’s how we became friends,” Leah said, finishing the story.

“Morbid,” Justin joked.

“So Josh, when are you gonna pop the question?” Raychel asked, changing the subject.

“Whoa!” JC exclaimed, caught off guard.

“C’mon guys, that’s not a fair question,” Leah said trying to take some of the heat off of JC. Marriage was not that they had ever discussed.

“Well, why not?” Autumn asked. “I mean you guys live together, you’ve been together forever…”

“Um, how about you and Grant?” Leah grinned, and Autumn shot her look. Leah erupted in giggles at their inside joke.

“Something I need to know?” JC whispered in her ear pulling her close.

“No,” Leah replied, before quickly kissing him. “It’s nothing.”

The group ended up staying out until the wee hours of the morning, sharing stories, laughing and just enjoying being in each other’s company. The little gathering was perfect, and just what Leah needed; to be around all of her friends after the most stressful two years in her life. Looking around the circle, she knew without a doubt that each and every person would always be in her life. These were the people she leaned on when she needed to the most. They were more than just her friends, they were her family. And that was more than she could ever ask for.