Passion's Instinct

Sixty Five

Hayden

When I got the next early afternoon, the house was quiet and dark, despite the sunlight shining through windows.

"What...?" I walked farther inside, and still, no one was there.

Touring the entire house and still finding no one, not even the dogs, I started to panic. Before I resorted to calling Natalie, I decided I should check outback, just incase.

Just incase.

Once I had opened the back doors and called Natalie's name, one of the songs by my favorite band came blasting on the stereo, and all of my family members jumped out from behind bushes, the fence, the grill, and other places and screamed, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HAYDEN!"

I started to laugh and thank them, but my older sister pushed me in the pool and jumped in beside me, as well as Natalie, Sawyer, and Tove with Temple.

They tackled me as I tried to swim away, laughing. I spit water at my little sister, and she screamed, hitting water back at me.

Natalie swam over to me, and I pulled her close to me, spinning her around and kissing her. "How was dirtbiking with the guys?" she asked.

"Good, but... I don't understand how Tove got here before me."

"Well, duh. I drove fast," Tove said.

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. Swimming over to the edge of the pool, I said hello to my parents and Kaylen's boyfriend, Ryan, who was holding August.

"Hey, Auggie," I said, and he smiled wide.

"Da-da," he replied, just making out the words. He touched my nose and I laughed.

As I got out of the pool with my drooping dirtbiking pants and t-shirt, I tried to squeeze them out as best as I could. I started inside, but Natalie called, "Hayden, where are you going?"

"I'm going to change into swim trunks."

Natalie met eyes with Kaylen, who raised her eyebrows and commented, "Ooo!"

I rolled my eyes as Natalie raised her eyebrows too, grinning. "Both of you, stop."

"Don't blame us! I heard you've been working out a lot lately," Kaylen said, grinning as well.

"Who cares?" I said, walking inside. Once I was changed and started out of my room, I stopped for a second and grabbed a t-shirt from my closet, pulling it on.

I ran back downstairs and outside again, where my mom hugged me and kissed the side of my head. "Good afternoon, birthday boy."

"Hey, Mom, thanks." I kissed her and walked over to where Ryan was grilling. Snatching a carrot stick from the veggie platter and dipping it in the dressing, I walked over to the pool again and sat on the edge, where Temple and Sawyer crawled into my lap and attacked me with affection.

"Happy birthday, Daddy!" Sawyer told me, smiling.

"Thanks, bud." I kissed his head.

How old are you today, Daddy?" Temple asked, looking up at me.

"Seventeen."

She looked at me, and then laughed. "Nuh-uh!"

"Just kidding. Thirty."

"You're old!" she said, laughing.

"Don't tell me that!"

She laughed even more, holding her stomach. "Oh, Daddy, you're so funny!"

I smiled. I looked up when my mom announced that lunch was ready.

We all stood up and gathered to get our food, all in good spirits.

It was a good birthday so far, definitely distracting me from the fact I was turning thirty.

I didn't feel old until after lunch, when my brother brought us all inside to the couch. He slid a disc into the DVD player and flicked the TV on, just to reveal a slideshow of old pictures and home videos of me.

There were so many, including a video clip of me before my Star Wars audition.

Here's how it went:

I was riding in the car, to which I guessed on the way there, and my mom was videoing me.

"Mom," I had said, shaking my head. Can you not film me? I'm nervous."

"I know, baby," my mom said behind the camera. She was laughing a little, but trying to calm me at the same time.

"Oh, gosh I'm nervous," I whispered. I looked out of the front window, and by the way the light was hitting me, I could see the glazed sweat on my face.

"Don't be, Hayden."

"Why are you so nervous, Hayden? It won't be that bad," we all heard a younger Hejsa's voice say.

"Hejsa, I'm going to be auditioning in the same room with Natalie Portman. Do you know how much... I don't know... competition is there with her?"

"There's no competition. I think you have a crush, Hayden..."

"No!" I had said, and I laughed as I watched my younger self, denying the huge crush I had on the girl who became my wife. The video ended and another picture came on, one of me as a teenager with a tennis uniform on, smiling for the picture and holding my tennis racket up, posing.

I turned to Natalie, who was sitting beside me on the couch. "I remember I threw up after that," I said, pointing to the TV. "I was so nervous."

"You didn't have to be, it was just me," she joked, grinning. She hugged me to her side and kissed me.

For a while after that we watched the slideshow of the young version of me, laughing about and reflecting on the past. It was a good day. And definitely one of the best birthdays ever, despite the fact that I was getting older.

At least I still had the young in me. That's all that mattered.

(A/N:) in the media is a collage I made for Hayden's birthday this year and posted on Instagram. April 19 is Hayden's birthday, and today he turns 35! Make sure you wish the amazing actor a happy happy birthday on any if your social media accounts! ❤