“Hi, birthday girl!” Laurie sings, chucking Trixie beneath the chin while my mom holds the baby. “It’s my favorite niece!”
“She’s your only niece, Laure,” Channing points out.
“And? That doesn’t mean she’s not my favorite.”
My sister-in-law’s holding a bright yellow gift bag in her hand, which she hands off to me. “Hey, Jolene. You look gorgeous as always,” she smiles.
“Hi, Laurelin,” I laugh. “I’m nothing compared to you. You look stunning! But welcome to our home.” We move inside to the living room, when suddenly the bell rings again, and I return to the foyer to greet our latest guest. It’s Tate, one of Channing’s friends. The man is godawful handsome with his black hair and blue eyes, but Channing warned me about him – Tate cut a swath through the sororities when they were in college together, and hasn’t stopped to this day.
However, Laurelin doesn’t seem fazed at all. She sees the gorgeous businessman and immediately slinks over.
“Hi,” she coos with a mischievous grin on her face. “I’m the darling birthday girl’s aunt, Laurelin Saint.”
Tate smiles, revealing bright white teeth.
“Tate Connor. It’s a pleasure.”
And with that, the two of them are off to the races. Hmm, very interesting! Laurelin’s a handful, but she might be a good match for an alpha male with domineering ways like Tate. I’ll have to ask Channing for his opinion when I get a chance.
Suddenly, I’m interrupted from my musings.
“Jo,” Ava calls while talking to my mom. “Can you believe that just a couple years ago we were planning to crash the Black and White Ball together?”
Wait, when did my best friend arrive? Things are happening so fast that I’m losing track. But I go over and give my bestie a hug.
“Of course I do!” I laugh. “How could I forget?”
“You were Trixie Dickson, and I was supposed to be Sarah Testes. Remember? Those names are so ridiculous and I have no idea who even thought of them,” Ava giggles. “But it feels like it was ages ago.”
I laugh a bit myself.
“You’re right. So much has happened since then. I can’t believe we were once so daring!”
My best friend nods. “But you know what? I still have the shoes and the handbag. I paid so much for them that I just can’t let them go. What should I do? I never got the chance to wear them and it feels like a total waste!”
I nod sorrowfully but then brighten. “Oh wait, you know what? Laurelin told me there’s a huge fundraiser in a month or so where they auction bachelors for dates. Channing and I are going to support the charity, of course. I’ll get another ticket for you and you can wear those shoes and whatever else you have from that long-ago night.”
Ava gives me a mischievous grin. “That sounds great, girlfriend, and thank you so much. Looking forward because I need me a hot guy, for sure!”
We giggle companionably, like we’re still sharing an apartment. Good friends are worth their weight in gold, and I’m so lucky to have someone like Ava on my side.
Shortly after that, the party officially starts. We play hide and seek, pin the tail on the donkey, and a silly game Trixie’s made up where we each bring her one of her toys and she accepts or rejects them based on factors none of us can figure out. It’s cute and wonderful and everyone seems to be having a great time.
But as everyone sits down for cake, laughing and chatting, Channing taps his wine glass with his fork. “Attention, attention,” he smiles. “I’ve got an announcement to make.”
I look up with anticipation and love in my eyes. My boyfriend’s going to sing Trixie’s praises, I just know it, and I don’t blame him because our daughter has brought us so much joy. But to my surprise, Channing drops to one knee beside my chair, and immediately I gasp and cover my mouth with my hands. Oh my gosh, is this really happening? My eyes flood with tears as Channing proffers a small velvet box, his voice trembling a bit.
“Jolene,” he begins, “for me, the sun doesn’t rise without you, and the day hasn’t ended until I’m holding you in my arms. You have filled my life with the kind of happiness and joy that I thought only occurred in the movies, and I can’t imagine living without you by my side.” Then, he pops opens the box, revealing a huge diamond set in an elegant silver band. His blue eyes tear up a bit as he takes my hand in his. “Will you marry me?”
I manage to speak through my own tears.
“Yes, Channing, yes! I’d love to become your wife.”
The handsome man kisses my hand before slipping the ring onto my finger as our guests oooh and ahhh with approval. Then, he leans forward to kiss me once more, but I put a hand on his chest.