Before you knew

154. Early present.

Imma speed the next two weeks cause I wanna write about a birthday and surprises.
So....

'Alright keep your eyes closed.'

Its five days before his birthday.
'Im blindfolded!' Clay laughs as I hold his waist to guide him to his first and most needed present.
I chuckle too, peeking out from behind him to see where he's going. 'You know what I mean.'

I stop him in front of the door which is now his new office.
I move around him to open the door, and lead him in further.
'Alright, one sec.' I let him go and close the door behind us.

'Its an early birthday present, alright?'
'Alright.' Clay sounds amused.

I look around me at the completely fixed up and decorated room.
It took a while to pain the walls, put in new furniture, and make it more soundproof.

My hands reach around his head, undoing the blindfold while standing in front of him. I'm on my tippy toes as I stretch out, him holding me stable as I'm leaning against him. The blindfold gets undone, but he still has his eyes closed.

'Alright. You ready?'
He nods with a smile.
'Take a look.'

His eyes flutter open and look around him.
'Oh Jesus.'

His jaw nearly drops open. The room is painted a calm white. Gray foam pads line the wall in front of his desk, and the one opposite as well. He moves to his desk. The old, worn desk is fixed up again, sanded and lacquered. It's as new, but still his old trusty desk, that I know is sentimental. The dark wooden tops shines again, no scratches to be seen. His monitor is put in place on top of it, like he had it before, everything already set up. A strip of LED lights going around the ceiling, remote on his desk.

He traces the edges of his desk, looking at it quietly.
He looks at the new chair, one he's wanted for a while, black with neon green.

The view out of the window isn't too great, as it looks out to the driveway,
But his eyes land on the three picture that hang neatly next to it.
His mom had given them to me.

Fond memories he has with his siblings and parents.
He chuckles, eyes falling on me briefly before they look up, a new lamp, and the lights.
Then the shelf that's on the wall next to the door and above the mini fridge.
He pats the black fridge as he looks at whats on the shelf.

A snow globe Diana had given him form her trip to the zoo, a hawk inside, wings stretched. A clay blob figurine a fan had made and had been standing on his desk. The key chain I had given him on our Halloween trip to the theme park. A mug that says best brother with in the corner written we love you xxx Alyssa, Tyler, Diana.

He smiles at the memories the items hold.

He picks the last thing he has up.
An empty picture frame.

'Yeah, that part of the present still has to be made.'
He looks at me with a questioning look.

He looks down and moves his socks in the gray rug, supposed to muffle more sound.
'What do you think?' I ask as I do one more look over.

Clay stays quiet as he looks from the shelf to the pictures and then the desk.
'God.... I don't know what to say. This is amazing.' His words make me smile.

'I....' his eyes land on me again. 'You did all this?'

I smile brighter 'with help of your mom.' I say as I point at the pictures.
'The monitor and mic are plugged in already too, so everything is ready for use.'

I get picked up, and swirled around.
I giggle and I hold his shoulders.
'This is the most amazing thing that has been done for me.'

My feet meet the floor again and I get squished.
'Thank you so much.'
I smile at the softness in his voice.

When he lets me go, his hands move to cup my face, and I get kissed, and then kissed again.
I giggle as he backs away and looks at me with red cheeks. 'God I love you, thank you.' He says.
'I love you too.'