I was pretty sure I’d accomplished that.
All the guests were in place and Dee and Karl finally slipped in at the last possible second. I managed to get them all in and quiet right before Terrell sent his final text: “We’re down the street.”
I glanced at my gift perched at the end of the table beside the others, and a smile crossed my face.
I hoped he’d love it.
*****
AJ
Terrell had been acting weird all day, but then again, it was hard to tell with him. I turned into the driveway and parked beside his and Maisha’s car because it didn’t make sense to pull into the garage when we all had plans to head out in a little while anyway. Sam mentioned in passing that we’d be hanging out since it was my birthday.
“I’m starving,” Terrell said as we walked toward the front of the house.
“You work up an appetite when you lose?” I asked.
He shoved me in my back. “Whatever, man. I let you win ‘cause it’s your birthday,” was his excuse.
I laughed at his never-ending stream of BS.
The lock clicked and we stepped into the silent house. It was quieter than it should’ve been—no TV, the little one wasn’t all over the place.
Quiet.
When I glanced at Terrell, he shrugged. “Maybe they’re out back”.
He was probably right. Sam liked to take Anthony in the pool on Saturdays when the weather permitted, so we headed that way.
I dropped my bag beside the living room couch and pulled back the blinds. The next second, I was nearly given a heart attack when a cloud of familiar faces and a loud “Surprise!” filled the air.
Terrell was grinning beside me, which meant he was in on it all along. Apparently him and Maisha coming this weekend wasn’t as innocent as I’d thought.
“Happy birthday, man.” His large hand hit the center of my back.
Sam yanked the sliding door open and I pulled her into my arms.
“Did we get you?” she asked.
The answer should’ve been apparent if she felt my heart beating through my shirt. I kissed her when she leaned in. “Get me? You nearly killed me.”
She laughed and stepped aside so I could greet the rest of our guests, some of which had come a pretty long way.
Karl shook my hand and gave me a rough hug. “Getting old, man.”
“You’re only a month behind me, so watch it,” I replied.
My response made him chuckle as Dee stepped from behind him. I brought her in for a hug, too.
“Happy birthday,” she sang.
“Thanks. I can’t believe you guys came all this way.”
She waved me off. “Please, as soon as Sam said the word ‘party’ we marked our calendars.”
Everyone was here. Everyone. Sam’s parents, too. I went to them next.
“Happy birthday, son.” I shook Mr. Kelley’s hand and embraced Sam’s mother when she repeated his words. It was always good to see them.
“Thank you both for coming.” I really was overwhelmed by all of this.
I looked around at all the trouble Sam had gone through. Still tucked beneath one of my arms, I glanced down at her, kissing her once again. She followed me over to where my mother and father stood beside the pool.
My mother took my face in both hands and placed a kiss in the center of my forehead, undoubtedly leaving behind a trace of her red lipstick there. My father shook my hand and there was so much behind his eyes, so much emotion, but he didn’t speak on it. As a man who rarely shared his feelings, I knew the words he’d spoken to me in my office the day before were straight from his heart.
A gentle tug of my left arm drew my attention back to Sam. She leaned in, and I craned my neck down to listen. “You have to open the present I got you now,” she said.
Confused, I looked around at all the guests I still hadn’t spoken to, hadn’t yet greeted, but she insisted.