~ CHAPTER 21 Part 1~
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I feel a bright light come over my face, and I squint my eyes trying to keep them closed tighter. But the light persists and wins this battle. So I sigh, and I grumble and I get up to shut the curtains so I can get some more sleep.
I slide open the bed covers and I open my eyes, and I expect to see a dishevelled Scarlett grumbling to herself on my right, and a sleeping baby to my left. But to my surprise, I see neither of these things and I sit up in fright Where are they? Why didn't I hear them get up? I look around the room and check the little clock that I have beside my bed and it is 10 am.
This surprises me and I feel my eyebrows shoot up. I haven't slept past 7 am, let alone gotten a full 6 hours of sleep since I had Violet. I stretch my eyes and notice that the studying whiteboard has been moved to the foot of the bed, and in bright pink letters it reads
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
COME DOWN WHEN YOU ARE READY :)
WE LOVE YOU,
- Scar & Vi"
I smile and get out of bed. Today is my 18th birthday. Did I think I would make it this far- yes, with a baby no. But I am so grateful for the life that I have. I toss all of the pillows on the floor onto the bed and I pull a sweater over my head and I tie my hair up into a messy ponytail. I look in the mirror and put a smile on my face. This day is starting off great. I brush my teeth and put some socks on and I make my way down the stairs.
As I make my way down the stairs the handlebar is wrapped in pink tissue and the floor is littered with pink, silver and white confetti. I laugh and smile, I can tell this is Scarlett. She has an addiction to going all out. When I get to the bottom of the stairs, I hear laughter. I peek my head in and my family are sitting around the table, they are laughing. I spot my baby and she is awake in the arms of Scarlett. I open the door and they don't notice me at first.
"Well, Good Morning and Happy Birthday to me," I say and they all whip their heads around to see me
"Happy Birthday" they shout and I smile, and I get smothered by hugs from my brothers and my parents. Scarlett and Violet are last and Scarlett gives me a side hug and hands me, Violet. Violet smiles at me and reaches her hand up to touch my cheek- and that is the best present that I could have ever received. They all sit down and I am seated between my mum and Scarlett, and I can see that my mum is crying and wiping her eyes.
"Oh mum, what's wrong," I say to her and everyone turns to her concerned
"Nothing- it just, my last baby is 18, you're all grown up now" she replies and kisses my forehead
"I love you, Tori, so much. I am so proud of you" she ads
"I love you mum," I say and Violet squeals and we all chuckle.
I load my plate with pancakes, eggs, bacon, mushrooms, spinach and Scarlett pours me a glass of orange juice and we all eat. The food is delicious, I swear if my mum was not a scrub nurse she could have been a chef. I eat and listen to our usual family drama and conversations. I have Violet tucked into the crook of my arm and she has fallen asleep. After we eat my family one by one hand me some wrapped gifts.
My parents got me an apple watch, and a few cute bands that go with the watch. I smile and thank them. I always walk past the apple store and gaze at the watches.
Finn hands me a soft gift and I smile. I know exactly what he got me. "You didn't," I say to him and he smiles, I rip open the paper. It is 3 pairs of pyjamas. When I was pregnant with Violet I walked past a store and in the window was matching pyjamas for a mum and baby. I never bought them because I couldn't afford them since I had to buy all the other baby items and to be honest I forgot about them. The pyjamas have my initials, Scarletts initials and Violets initial. Scarlett is Violets second mum and my best friend which is why he got her a pair- if he didn't I would be surprised. He also grabbed a bottle of my favourite perfume.
"Happy birthday little sis," Grayson says and he wraps his arms around me. He hands me a small box. Our birthdays are a year and a few weeks apart, so we are never the same age, but we are extremely close.
With us being so close he is the brother I used to depend on the most. He was also the brother who was hurt the most when I hid my pregnancy from my brothers, and when I slept with and dated his best friend. The box inside has a small necklace. I smile at him and I go to put it on, but he stops me "Look inside" he says and I shrug and he pulls the pendant up to my eye and inside is a little hole and inside the little hole is my favourite picture of me and Violet.
"Thank you, Grayson" I say
Alex hands me a slightly larger package and inside is a cute crossbody bag with my initials on it, a new little wallet with my initials on it and a larger bag which I assume I can use for Violet with my initials on it. I laugh when I read the 'VB' and he laughs too.
I put the gifts aside and open the ones from Scarlett and Violet. I see a framed picture of Violet and me, a few reading books that I have talked about, and 3 personalised books, the first is compiled with my life up, from when I was born until I met Scarlett.
Then from there, the pictures get more intense and they increase as this book explores my journey through school, and my friendship with Scarlett, but it suddenly stops at what would have been my senior year. That is where the next book starts. It is of the pregnancy test I took with Scarlett, and her pointing to my belly after we found out.
The next pages are filled with every doctor's scan, every appointment date, every picture either me, Scarlett and my family took, up until the birth of Violet. This is the last book. It is filled with pictures of me in labour, Violet after she was born, all of her firsts and moments.
"When did you find the time to do this?" I ask with tears in my eyes and she shrugs
"I love it," I say and I hug her
"I'm so glad, you seriously are amazing Tori" she replies "Anything for my best girl" she ads
I am seriously so grateful for this girl.
After presents, we all end up in the living and we put on my favourite movie. It's a tradition that we have always done on my birthday.
Once I get comfortable on the couch and so does Violet I look down at her. I'm so glad that she has come into my life, and I get to celebrate my 18th birthday as a mum.
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