"No! Put it on that table!" she shouts at the caterer, frustrated and anxious.
"Let Lance and I handle it," I offer, coming up behind her and snaking my arms around her tiny frame.
"But, but-"
"Baby, you're too wound up. Take the Mustang and get Nick." She looks at Chris' keys peg, considering using the car he'd gotten her for a late Mother's Day gift. "Leave the top down and just go," I suggest.
I can tell the gears in her head are working it out, weighing the pros and cons of it. "You're sure?"
"He's hosting the Halloween party this year, adults only and Heather's offered to fly to LA to watch them for us."
"Why does that matter?"
"You'll understand when you get back."
"Um, ok." She pulls out her cell and grabs the keys on the way out the door. "You awake, doofus?" she greets him, the door softly closing behind her.
The hour and a half she takes to get Nick and Lauren, gives us just enough time to get all but the cake placed. Nick has Aaron bringing it from their dad's place around here. Aaron calls me. "Hey, man."
"Dude, I'm at a red light around the corner."
"Alright." I open the door just enough so that he'd be able to push it open without risking the cake. "Just push the door and it'll open right up."
He gets here, sets the cake down and helps with streamers and balloons. I hear her return, laughing with Nick. "... Since I met this special lady, I can't get her off my mind, one of a kind..." she sings, on key. A song that's oddly familiar, but I can't recall the information for it.
"What's that song, mami?" I ask, kissing the corner of her mouth.
She smiles, grabs my face and kisses me full on the mouth. "Craig David, 'Seven Days'. You two did wonderfully, thank you."
"Aaron helped."
"I have to kiss James first." She turns and rushes to the dining room.
Her party starts in ten minutes, Nick is hiding in the backyard and everything else is set. The presents are in the yard and Angel is helping Aaliyah get dressed upstairs. We're five minutes away now. Aaliyah comes down and she looks for Nick, furrowing her brows when she doesn't see him. She tugs my shirt, I get to her level and smile. "I'm gonna beat Nickolas up, he promised."
"He's coming, maybe he got caught in traffic?"
"He has till we finish the presents. Can we do the cake now?"
We gather everyone around the cake and sing to her, she proudly blows out the candles. Next is presents and I smile. I grab the first one and see Nick sitting cross legged behind the wall of presents, he grins at me. "Here, open this one." She tears through them and the next one will reveal his spiked hair, she's been facing the wall of gifts. "I think this one is next."
She looks up and sees his hair. "Wait," she tells me, getting out of the folding chair and heading for the area behind the presents. She shrieks and jumps behind it, Nick catching her because he had maneuvered into a squatting position.
He stands holding her tightly in an embrace where her body is wrapped around his neck and torso, telling him how mad she had been when he didn't come in with everyone else and that she forgives him. He softly tells her that he's missed her too and that the tour is almost done, we'll be on the cruise. "Would you be opposed to all of you joining me for my solo tour?"
"I don't see why not, just need tutors," I agree.
"Sure, we have a few months."
"It's only if Sam agrees, though."
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