The Flip of a Switch

Chapter 9: Matthew's Birthday

Juliet's point of view:

It was November 8th, also known as Matthew's birthday. He was turning 3, too old for my liking though. Ryan and I had already planned a small party later this afternoon, and we invited the Simms since they're our closest and pretty much only friends. It also gave me an excuse to see Paige, which had my heart beating slightly faster at the thought.
Walking downstairs I heard music playing and the oven going off. Ryan always made his twice baked French toast on birthdays, even if Matthew was so little.
"Hey babe, Matthew's on his mat in the living room and the toast will be done in a mega minutes". I smiled in response and went to check on Matthew.
"Woah, woah, babe, read the apron." Ryan gave me a cheeky look. He was wearing black boxers with no shirt and a kiss the cook apron. The last thing I wanted to do was kiss his scruffy face, especially after kissing Paige.
I walked up to Ryan and leaned up to peck his dry lips. He held onto my waist and deepened the kiss, his hands roaming down to my ass ends he squeezed.
"Ryan, stop." I slapped his shoulder and walked away. He was infuriating sometimes, such a horndog.

Matthew was playing with his toys on his play mat, and gave me a big smile when he saw me. He was starting to age into that adorable toddler phase, but being the shy boy he was, didn't speak very often. I sat down next to him and played with his toy train.

After eating a delicious breakfast,The Simms were due to arrive shortly. I went upstairs to get myself and the birthday boy ready, while Ryan cleaned up. I had dressed Matthew in his favorite outfit; kackhi shorts with a dark blue Thomas the Train shirt and his white socks. I styled his hair so it spiked up slightly but still made him look handsome. I went with a pastel punk sundress that went to my ankles, with black gladiator sandals and my hair in a half half down style. Going for light mascara and tinted chapstick, I was all set.

The living room was covered in blue and green streamers, along with a Happy Birthday Banner and a dinosaur cake. Ryan was in the corner messing with the stereo, wearing jeans with a maroon vest under a black dress shirt. He had his classic pompous hair style with the trimmed beard and black boots. Matthew loved all things Disney, so a Disney playlist was in store.
The Simms knocked minutes later, making me instantly smile at the thought of seeing Paige. Opening the door, I was greeted with 5 smiles.
"Hello Juliet, thank you for inviting us! I couldn't wait to come, just ask my family". Helen seemed too hyper at 11:30 in the morning. I put on a smile in response and motioned for the family to enter. Paige was the last one, so I winked and held out my hand as she brushed by, a spark erupting. I'd never had a spark with Ryan, or any other person at that, Paige being the first.
"This is beautifully decorated, I love the colors" Helen boasted. Daniel stepped up and handed me a wrapped gift. I thanked him and put it on the side table.
Ryan was the first to turn up the music and offer drinks, leading Daniel and the twins to the kitchen. Paige and Helen stayed, Matthew's full attention going to Paige. She must've noticed someone's eyes because she looked up and subtly winked at me. I tried not to blush, and even more that Helen wouldn't notice since she was standing right next to me. Luckily the boys came back in, and we all went to sit down.

"Alright, welcome Simms family. Matthew might not be able to fully understand what is going on but we all really appreciate you guys being here, especially on a Saturday afternoon". I looked over at Paige and she had Matthew in her lap, he was twirling her hair.
I sat back on the couch, drinking my lemonade and looking around smiling. Mathew was to young to understand birthdays, so he wasn't whining for his presents.
Ryan clapped his hands, startling me out of my thoughts. "Well. Presents?!" He smiled and held our his arms. He was a grown child, not excited for the presents than the actual birthday boy.
"Hell yeah, then cake. I really want cake" one of the twins, I think Sam exclaimed. Helen whacked his shoulder and scolded him for his behavior, which the rest of us just chuckled. I looked over and made eye contact with Paige, giving her a subtle wink. I was desperate to be in her arms again, her smile being only for me.
"Alright, babe, grab the gifts and I'll get the camera. This is gonna be so much fun!"
I rolled my eyes at my husband, standing up to get the gifts. They were in the dining room, and included the one from the Simms as well.
"I'll help you" Paige piped up and handed Mathew to her mom, standing up and following me. When we tuned the corner she looked around before taking my hand and pushing me against the wall. A photo of Matthew and his grandparents rattled on the wall as I made contact with it. Paige took both my hands and pinned them above my head, looking into my eyes. I could feel her peppermint breath against my own, our faces inches away.
"Hi, I missed you" she whispered
"Me to, I'm so happy right now. Thank you for coming"
She smiled and leaned forward to brush our lips together. Then she moved forward and we kissed, no sexual tension just compassion and love. I smiled into the kiss, my arms automatically trying to go around her neck, but they were still pinned above me. We confined to kiss sweetly, taking our time to explore each others mouths.
"Paige, Juliet, are you ladies alright In there" Helen asked from the living room. I broke the kiss and giggled, taking Paige's hand and leading her to the dining room.
"Yeah mom, all good. We'll be there in a minute".
I grabbed a few presents, we spoiled Matthew. Paige grabbed the rest and followed me back to the living room.
Everyone was already there, just waiting for us. Ryan had the camera turned on, taking random pictures to test it out. We put the presents in the center of the room, white elephant style. When Matthew saw Paige, he waved his arms and yelled "P". She smiled and
picked him up, kissing the top of his head and going to sit down.

All the presents were opened half an hour later, and it was safe to say the living room was filled with gift wrap and toys. The Simms had gotten Matthew a train puzzle along with a stuffed Beaver, the mascot of the high school.
It was time for cake, specially picked out by Ryan. It was a half vanilla and half chocolate cake with green royal icing and model trains along the edges. It said Happy Birthday Matthew In the middle.
We sang and cut the cake, and everyone ate silently. Paige still had Matthew in her lap and they were sharing a piece of cake. Matthew had icing and pieces of cake all over his bib and face, but he was also smiling largely so I let it slide.
"Well that was the best darn cake I've had in a long time, Ryan dear where did you get it" Helen boasted, leaning back on the couch against her husbands chest.
"Well, actually it was just the grocery store, but had it specialized. I do agree, it's dope". I cringed at his wording, he was way to old to say dope.

After eating we all went outside to the backyard and enjoyed each other's company on the warm sunny day. Light Disney might was playing in the background, while conversations were taking place. We were all getting more comfortable with one another, conversation flowing naturally. Helen was gushing over Matthew, who Paige was playing with. One of his gifts was a bubble machine, and he was already obsessed, trying to "run" around and catch the bubbles. Turning my attention back to Helen, she caught me off guard.
"So, Juliet. I had the twins when Paige was much older, and I don't want you to make the same mistake. Are you planning on having more little ones. I'm sure Matthew would love another sibling".
"Well, Ryan and I haven't talked recently about having another, he's still working a lot and I'm busy with Matthew and my studies." I tried to let her down easy. I truly wanted children, but not with Ryan. I wanted to be in a happy, and healthy relationship with the perfect person before having more kids. And I also wanted Matthew to have more siblings but I didn't want to rush it. Ever since I was a little girl, my dream was to have a big family, with at least 4 kids, a beautiful house and a loving husband. Although the husband part has changed.
"You know Paige and I are always happy to babysit Mathew and I'm sure Ryan could take time off of woke or reduce his hours. That's what Daniel did when we found out we were having twins."
"I don't know, I'm only 29 and I'm not ready for more children. At some point, yes, but Matthew was a happy accident".
"Oh sweetie, I'm sorry. I won't push you anymore. Let's just enjoy this time together now". I gave her a sympathetic smile and looked over at Matthew and Paige. The were smiling and playing, him trying to chase her while she was walking around at the normal pace letting him catch her. They were so close already, it would be nearly impossible to separate them.

At 3:00 the Simms left with smiles on there faces, for different reasons. I got to kiss Paige before she left, the twins had about 3 slices of cake and cokes, and Helen and Daniel were smiling from seeing Matthew.

Since it was only 8 of us, there wasn't much of a mess. Matthew was napping, and Ryan was polishing off the cake.
It didn't take long to clean up, going to check on Matthew when done. Ryan was on the couch watching Family Guy. He knew I didn't like him watching it while Mathew was awake so he took full advantage of nap time.
I had some free time, a rare occasion. I decided on a bath, my guilty pleasure. Ryan had given me these fancy bumble bath and bath bombs for my birthday, so I chose a different one each time. This time, was a "spring blossom blend and honey".
I undressed and lowered my body into the bubble water. The silence took over, warm water hugging my body and the scents of the bath bomb flooding my nostrils. I was so relaxed that my eyes slowly shut, going into a peaceful nap.

And that's the end of this chapter. Please vote/comment on what you thought. Thank you for reading.
- Jane