The Love Story Between Sophie Thompson And Niall Horan

Chapter 45 Freddie Reign's 1st Birthday

January 20th 2017

Danielle's Point Of View

As I stepped into the living room of our flat, a wave of warmth and happiness hit me. The place was a riot of color, with dinosaur-themed decorations covering every inch, and I had Louis to thank for that. The giant cardboard cutout of a T-Rex in the corner was definitely his doing. Freddie's first birthday was right around the corner, and even though he was napping upstairs, you could feel the excitement buzzing through the room.

"Hey, babe," Louis called out with that mischievous grin of his, waving a handful of green dinosaur balloons. "Think Freddie's going to be scared of these when he wakes up?"

"Only if you wear them as a hat," I teased, walking over to him and giving him a light kiss. "I can't believe he's turning one already. Feels like I blinked, and the year just disappeared."

"Tell me about it," Maya chimed in from the floor, where she and Layla were organizing napkins and party favors. At 38 weeks pregnant, Maya looked ready to pop at any moment, but she hadn't let it stop her from helping. "It's crazy how fast this year went. He's growing up way too fast."

"Fast?" Harry scoffed from the kitchen, where he was elbow-deep in a box of decorations with Liam. "That little guy's going to be running circles around us in no time. Mark my words, Danielle, you'll be chasing after him before you know it."

"Hopefully chasing him to the cake," Liam said with a grin, holding up a dinosaur-shaped cookie cutter. "I'm ready to demolish some cake. What are we having, by the way?"

"Both chocolate and vanilla," I answered, rolling my eyes playfully. "A tiered cake. Half for the adults, half for the kids. And don't worry, I got those dinosaur candles you insisted on. It's going to look epic."

"See? That's why you're the best, babe," Louis said, winking at me. "Freddie's going to love it."

"I can't wait to see his reaction," Layla added, her voice filled with excitement as she arranged the last of the table settings. "His little face is going to light up when he sees all of this."

I glanced over at Louis, trying to stifle a laugh. "Speaking of faces, has anyone told Louis he looks ridiculous in that party hat?"

"Excuse me," Louis replied, straightening up and giving a mock twirl. "This is high fashion, Danielle. Clearly, you're just not on my level."

The laughter in the room was cut short by the soft sound of cooing coming from upstairs. Everyone paused, a collective smile spreading across our faces.

"Freddie's awake," Maya said, her hands instinctively resting on her belly as if she were already preparing for her own little one. "Should we bring him down, or do you think he'll just want to eat all the decorations?"

"He's definitely going to want to eat everything," Louis said, moving toward the stairs with a wide grin. "But let's give him a sneak peek. He's got to see all this love we've put into his party."

As everyone started to gather near the staircase, I felt a wave of emotion wash over me. Planning Freddie's birthday with our friends, with this crazy little family we'd built, it hit me just how lucky we were. Every bit of it—the laughter, the teasing, the joy—made me realize that these moments were what mattered the most.

"This is going to be the best first birthday ever," I said aloud, my heart swelling with love as we all moved to greet our little Freddie, who was about to experience his first big celebration surrounded by people who loved him more than anything.