Amber's POV:
All of Lilli's friends and family gathered around her to sing the 'Happy Birthday' song to her. Niall and I sat on opposite sides of her; our backs facing away from everyone at the party. Liam brough out her chocolate birthday cake and placed it in front of her while my Mom stuck candles in the frosting that depicted Barbie. Across the top of the cake, in pink frosting read, 'Happy 5th Birthday, Lillian!' and at the bottom it said, 'Love Mommy and Daddy.'
"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!" I rested my hand behind Lilli's back, and so did Niall. "Happy birthday dear Lillian!" I felt his fingers intwertwine with my own, using Lilli's back to hide it from everyone. "Happy birthday to you!" She blew out her candles and I smiled down at Lilli, feeling strange about how I was going about my situation with her father.
"Look at that, Amber!" My mom leaned across the table to show me her camera and I felt Niall's grip release my limp fingers. "She looks just like you there. Especially in her eyes." I brought the camera closer to my eyes to see a crazed look play on Lilli's face in the photo. Liam was setting the cake down in front of her and she looked like I did in pictures from my first birthday; she started to get more and more like me everyday.
Once everyone was served ice cream and cake I went off to my car, hoping Niall would follow me there; he did. I acted like I needed something from my trunk, but really just needed to chat wtih him in private. "What's going on, Love?" He rested his hand on my shoulder and I flinched slightly at his touch.
"You can't keep doing that, Niall. Especially not in public like that." He removed his hand from me and shoved them in his pockets, staring at the ground. "What if my Mom saw, huh? We shouldn't even be doing this at all, you know."
"I do know that, okay?" He kept his voice soft, but it felt like he was screaming at me; begging for me to bring him back into my life. The air grew thick and I felt like dying until he broke the silence, "Can you help me bring Lill's present over there?"
"Yeah, sure thing." All I did was open and shut his car door, then watched him walk back to the party. I followed close behind, but far enough behind to wish I was closer. When we both arrived back, Niall floated over to talk with his Mom, while I wandered to Isabella's side. She was standing with Louis and Eleanor along with a tall, strange man I assumed was Eric.
"And then he pulls out a Sharpie and write his number on my coffee cup." I budded in on what sounded like how Isabella and Eric met. She snuggled into his side as his hazal like eyes gazed down on her; their eyes were almost identical. "Oh, Eric, this is Amber."
"So you're the girl I hear all about? It's nice to finally meet you." He seemed nice, and he was super good looking. He ran his fingers through hair and I saw Isabella bitting her lip as she watched him. He had her whipped and I was so happy to see her happy.
"We are so glad for you two!" Eleanor muttered in her tiny voice. We chatted for a little bit and, somehow, the topic of Lou and El's wedding came up. "We want to get married in the fall. I was thinking in Disney World, but Lou wants to stay in London." She stuck her tongue out at him while he just smiled and took her suggestion into consideration.
"I can't believe you two are getting married! Finally! After all these years!" Isabella grabbed on the Louis' shoulders and began to shake him violently, yet playfully. I knew how good it must've felt to see her childhood best friend finally get married to the girl of his dreams. I let my mind wander as I recalled attending Jess' wedding, and being her maid of honor.
"Amber?" Eleanor's voice echoed through my ears and snapped me back to reality. "Will you do it?"
"Do what? I'm sorry." I laughed.
"Be my maid of honor alongside Isabella?" She reached her hand out to me and slid her fingers inbetween mine.
"Of course I will! Yes!" Her, Isabella, and I huddled in close and embraced each other; they were my girls that have always stuck through thick and thin and I couldn't have loved them anymore. We turned around to find Louis hugging Eric.
"What? You guys were doing it. Don't judge us." Oh, Lou, you never fail to make people laugh. The day wore on and soon came to and end. Everyone left, except the guys, Lilli, and I. I had Zayn and Harry play with Lilli while Louis, Niall, Liam, and I cleaned up the park.
Once everything and everyone was packed up and ready to head on home, I realized I left one of Lilli's presents under a picnic table, behind a big tree. I spent most of the day at that table because it was in the shade. Everyone else, but me, was buckled in and ready to go so I decided to go and get it. As I trotted back to the table, I sensed that Niall was following close behind me.
"I got it for you, Babe." He hunched forward and picked up the heavy box for me, then leaning it on the hidden table. I started to mumble a question, but got cut off my his soft lips. His hands cupped my cheeks as he pulled me closer as fiercly as he could. When he pulled away, he rested his forehead on mine; our noses bouncing against each other. "I love it when you wear that strawberry chaptstick." He whishpered to me, sounding like he was out of breath.
I stared at him in shock for a second before he motioned me to follow behind him. He quickly packed the present in the trunk of my car and sped off in his own. I climbed in the passenger's seat next to Liam and pretended like my strawberry lips never touched Niall's.
