Music ✔️

Chapter 35

Is me^^ (Can you tell that I didn't sleep the night before in that pic?)
This is an awful chapter btw. I ended it horribly and absolutely could not figure out how to make it better. Sorry in advance.

~Donovan~

"Can you take your hands off of my face now?" she begged.

"Not yet. Almost there."

Still covering her eyes, I managed to maneuver my key into the keyhole and opened the door to the apartment. I immediately made eye contact with Maddy from behind the kitchen counter and a few others in various other places while Milly stayed oblivious because of the silence.

"You ready?" I asked.

"I've been ready. Move your damn hands."

I did as told and everyone jumped up, shouting an assortment of baby shower-related greetings. Startled, she screamed a bit, but it then turned to happy sobs.

"You guys!" she whined. "You shouldn't have!"

Everyone was here. Em, Ash, Ty, her sister, her brother-in-law, the kids, my father, and his girlfriend. There was a cake on the bar with Mill's name on it. Her eyes were bright and shiny like usual and her smile was wide.

Maegan and Mason came up to hug her first, Mason immediately putting his little fingers on her belly.

"Big," he whispered.

Maegan shooed his hands away. "Mommy says to always ask first before touching, Mace."

His big brown eyes instantly met Milly's, asking the question with that simple stare. She couldn't help but to smile. She nodded at her nephew and his tiny hands went back up to her baby bump.

"Happy baby shower, Mill-Bill," her sister smiled, leaning against the love of her life.

"Evans," he smiled.

"Ryder," she replied, wiping the tears off of her cheeks. "You guys didn't have to do this for me."

Everyone started shouting disagreements at her.

"Okay, okay. Chill out, everyone. Millicent, what's first? We've got cake, presents, games. Your shower, your choice," Ashley informed her.

Her eyes lit up again. "You had me at presents."

Maegan and Tyler ran to the pile of gifts and each snatched theirs to give to Milly, both acting like 6-year olds.

"Open mine first," they begged in unison.

Ashley grabbed the sleeve of Tyler's shirt and tugged him back next to her. Milly opened Maegan's gift while he pouted, mumbling profanities.

This'll be the third time she's cried in the past 20 minutes.

"Mae, you sweetheart." She clutched the bear that she was given. It had one eye and some fur missing.

I remembered the raggedy thing from the countless times I was in her room all those years ago. Her childhood bear. I remember the last letter she sent me. She was moving out of her house into this apartment and she was devastated because she couldn't find the thing. She cried for hour according to the the notebook paper.

"It's for Junior!" Maegan said excitedly. She was one of the group that was on my side. The battle of the gender continues.

"Thank you, lovebug."

Tyler shook his arm from Ash's grasp and shoved the gift in my face.

"Make her open it before I cry," he implored.