call it what you want

11. the y-word

tw: self harm mention

The off-season went by fast. Ted had gone back home to see Henry while Beard and Victoria stayed overseas. When the 25th of May rolled around the boys gathered at her flat without her saying a word. She had told them repeatedly that she didn't want anything for her birthday and didn't want them to make a big deal out of it but, of course, they did.

Beard baked some of her favorite things from back home, Keeley and Roy were in charge of planning the surprise party, (Keeley ended up doing all the work). It was Colin and Isaac's job to keep her busy for the day which Keeley offered to do but the boys insisted they had the perfect thing in mind, it was the zoo.

When they finally returned back to her flat and the boys jumped out to surprise her she totally didn't punch Richard in the face out of pure adrenaline. Immediately bursting into tears at hurting him, he insisted it was fine but spent the rest of the party head tossed back on the couch with a bag of peas over his face.

Victoria hadn't spent her birthday with anyone but Ted and his family in so long it felt weird to have all the people she cared about around her, everyone except Ted who was still back home. Even when she spent her birthdays with Ted's family her night normally ended with her in tears unable to breathe.

The presents the boys gifted her were far more than anything she'd ever expected. Bumbercatch knitted her a hat in the Richmond colors, and Isaac and Colin got her a custom jersey with ADAMS across the back with the number 00. Rebecca who popped in just for a second, gave her a gift card for a fancy shmancy restaurant she had never heard of before but promised Vic she'd take her and Keeley sometime.

Some were more heartfelt than others. Beard gave her a tiny book of pictures of them from over the years. The first was one of him holding Tommy and her at the hospital only a few hours after they were born and the newest one was a picture one of the game photographers had taken at one of the games from the past season, them standing side by side, arms crossed, matching sunglasses, with matching expressions.

Keeley got her a dress she'd had her eye on for weeks but never had enough money to buy, a mid-thigh black dress with a square neckline. And just when she thought the gifts were over Roy said there was one more, slipping out of her living room and returning with a dark box, holding it out to her. She nervously took it, cracking it open, revealing a diamond-studded R on a silver chain. R for Richmond, Dani pointed out, Beard explained how they all pitched in for this and it was real actual diamonds. She cried.

All of the boys knew how hard her birthday was for her since the accident, considering it fell on the same day. Knowing how difficult it was many of the boys opted to stay over at Vic's after the party to keep her company. The birthday girl ended up squished between Isaac and Sam as a shitty horror movie played in the background. Most of the boys were asleep on the floor or crammed on her couch, Vic's head falling against Isaac's shoulder as she scrolled quietly on her phone. The fans had definitely warmed up to her, with sights of happy birthday posts for her flooding her timeline. It was then she realized it wasn't just her birthday that day, but someone else's too.

Tommy
Happy birthday baby brother🎈🎂

She knew deep down in her heart her parents wouldn't text her and doubted Tommy would even reply, but she checked Facebook anyway. Ted's post for her was the first thing she saw.

Ted Lasso
Happy birthday to my favorite twins!! I couldn't be a prouder uncle to the amazing future doctor Thomas Adams and the brilliant coach Victoria Adams! I love you kids!

The post was put up with a bunch of pictures of her and Tommy growing up. She scrolled through them with a smile on her face until she came across one, a picture of the two of them holding a baby, that baby being Mallory. She shook her head pushing the thoughts away as she scrolled away, the next post not being much better. A post from her mother.