Midnight Rays

Chapter 16

  "Watch out!"  Emily yelled at Lena as a lantern she was trying to hang on the porch slipped from her hands and almost fell on her friend's head.
  "What the hell are you doing?!"
  "I'm trying to get everything set up for tonight!"
  "I get that, but dang girl, are these really necessary?"  she asked as she held up the large lantern that had fallen on her.  Emily had painted it yellow with purple stripes.  She quickly jumped to the right then as Emily jumped down from the ladder.
  "Girl!  I already got conked on the head by a light, and now you are trying to fall on me?!"
  They both started laughing as Emily picked up the lantern and climbed back up the ladder.  Samuel came walking out the door onto the porch and watched Emily struggle for a moment as she tried again to tie the lantern up to the hook. 
  "Are you sure you don't want some help with that?"  he asked, smiling at her.
  "Not...just...yet...,"  she said as she finished tying it off.
  She climbed down off the ladder and moved it a few feet down.   She picked another lantern up from the table between two of the rockers, then started back up the ladder.  Samuel looked to the table and noticed there were still four more lanterns, and a few rolls of purple and yellow crepe paper streamers.  He used his speed to hang the rest of the lanterns around the porch, and then wrapped some of the streamers around the columns, and hung some between the lanterns in a swirl pattern.  Emily looked at him, her mouth open wide.
  "Why didn't I think of getting you to do this in the first place?!  You did amazing!  I swear you would give Superman a run for his money!"
  Lena and Samuel both laughed.
  "Now I doubt that," he said.  "He can see through things."
  Just then a black truck pulled down the driveway.
  "Who is That?"  Emily asked.
  "Oh, it's just Jamal," Samuel said.
  Lena's face lit up at the sound of his name.  "Jamal is here?!  What is he here, for?"
  Emily grinned at her.  "I'm sure he didn't want to miss your birthday.  I mean, you DO turn 25 at midnight,"  she said, smiling even more.
  Jamal parked his truck and walked straight to Lena, a rose in his hand.
  "You never did tell me your favorite flower, but I didn't want to show up empty handed.  And you seem like a woman who appreciates the beauty in roses."
  She never stopped smiling as she took the red flower from him, and hugged him.  "Thank you so much, and yes, I love it!  And thank you for coming."
  "I wouldn't miss this night for anything.  You only turn 25 once in your life."
  They all went inside, and once seated in the living room Jamal sniffed the air.
  "Mmm.  I can smell roast."
  "Yes, I put one in the crocpot earlier, it's Lena's favorite," Emily said.
  "This is going to be the best night of my life, I just feel it!"  Lena snuggled close to Jamal as she said this.  He grinned wide, then placed a kiss on her cheek.

  An hour later they were all seated at the table.  Emily, Lena, and Jamal were enjoying a nice plate of the roast and a glass of red wine, while Samuel of course had a cup of blood.
  "Why don't we make a bonfire out front?  I have the speakers connected to my phone already, I feel like now would be a good time to take this party outside," Lena said.
  "Well, it's your party girl!"  Emily stated as she started gathering their dishes up.  "Y'all can go ahead and go out while I clean this up.  It won't take me too long."
  "They can go, I'll stay in and help you," Samuel said.
  So Jamal and Lena went outside while Samuel turned toward the sink to start washing the dishes.  Emily grabbed the remaining cups from the table and joined him.
  "You wash, I rinse?"  She said to him.
  "OK.  Just know, I am very picky about my rinsed dishes."
  She looked at him questionably, and without warning he threw a handful of suds towards her face.  She laughed then cupped her hands in the soapy water and slung it towards him.  They began tossing water back and forth at each other until the floor, and them, were covered in suds and water.
  She was still laughing as he placed his hand on her face and began wiping the soap from her cheeks and nose.  He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and smiled at her.
  "I love you, Emily.  You make my dark existence full of light and joy."
  "I love you, too, Samuel."  She reached up and kissed him.
  "What the hell!"  They heard Lena scream out.