friends | jeff atkins

f o u r t y n i n e

🌸 d e v o n 🌸

~ o n e m o n t h l a t e r ~

"Mom, it's clearly a snickers bar." I groaned standing up to open the door for the boys who were sent out on a mission for the special baby shower cupcakes.

A month had past and everything was seemingly back to normal for everyone but me. I still woke up in the middle of the night crying sometimes, I of course regretted my decision leaving in the first place so I knew every single nightmare was on me. Despite my head being in the wrong mindset most days I had won over everyone with multiple apologies and the occasional baked gift, I think Monty would have been the hardest to win over if Makenna hadn't been coming in so often and talking to him about it. Now sitting here a month later from all of my mistakes, I look back and wonder what I did to be surrounded by all of these people who genuinely love me and wonder why I would ever leave in the first place.

"After we eat cupcakes do we get to play with fireworks?" Makenna traces lines on the packaging of some of the fireworks Hannah ordered in efforts to throw the best baby shower ever. "Because don't get me wrong, but I hate baby shower games."

"Because I love smelling fake baby poop as much as the next person, by the way the next one is a Kit Kat." I point in the diaper my mother was holding before opening the door the for the four boys holding cupcake boxes. "Thank god you're here ."

We all take the party to the backyard along with the cupcakes, making ourselves comfortable getting ready to watch the fireworks.

Makenna was of course attacking Hannah for cupcakes as Clay and Monty both tried to stop her, Jess and Sheri were swooning over my mom and some of her baby gifts, my aunt Noelle and Grandmother and some of the women from my mother work were seated around a table, and Justin and Zach were trying to set up the fireworks. I had decided to turn away from all of the chaos going on in my backyard and was sitting on a porch swing towards the end of the garden.

"Here." Jeff said with his arm out reached and a pink cupcake in hand. "I had to fight Makenna for it, but I knew you'd want one."

"Oh my gosh Jeff, I love you right now." I said practically ripping the cupcake out of his hand, not realizing the awkwardness of what I had just said. "So listen, we never talked about what happened."

"It's fine Devon." He said dismissing me.

"No it's not Jeff." I sighed. "Everything has been wrong with us since I've come home, the only thing that even seems the same is my tutoring."

"Devon-"

"Jeff, listen." I said taking his hand. "I thought of nobody but myself that night I left. When I got in that car I didn't think of anyone because of my own insecurities. You mean something to me Jeff Atkins, and I shouldn't have hurt you like that."

"You mean something to me too Devon Alderman." He smiled. "How about we start over?"

"Absolutely." I smiled back. "Hi my names Devon Alderman, follow me on Instagram sometime."

"I'm Jeff Atkin, and I think I do already." He winked at me making me giggle. "Alright I've never been to a baby shower and I expected more."

"Shut up." I playfully punch him on the shoulder. "Hannah did a great job."

"The only thing that could have possibly made this better would be if your foster kid friends had come." He teased me.

"Cassie said she had plans and Madison just doesn't like anyone but Cassie." I rolled my eyes at him thinking of the newest additions to Liberty High.

"Devon Marie come light a sparkler with me." My mom called as Jeff and I followed her voice.

"Don't need to, it's a girl." I smiled at her before looking over to my aunt Noelle and grandmother. "All of the grandkids were girls, this one will be to."

"Devon," Makenna whispered into my ear. "She's not even your real grandma."

"Doesn't mean anything, it's still a girl." I laughed as she struck a match and lit mine and mom's sparklers.

"Three." I begin counting down.

"Two." She said next with her smile wide.

"One."

The dark back yard lit up pink as we all cheered cheered, except for Makenna who stomped her boot down and pouted.

"It's a-" my mom begins as the sparkler began to fade from the initial pink to a baby blue. "Boy?"

"Yes!" Makenna jumped up and down. "Oh wait, it's really a boy?"

"Hannah, is this right?" My mom asked as she nods.

"We don't know anything about boys." I said still in shock.

"But I do." Jeff stepped forward grabbing my hand, making not only myself but my mother smile because she knew that he would be around much more.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." I smiled. "Because I'm not going anywhere."

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awe this is the last official chapter and it makes me sad.

Sorry for being so inactive, soccer is super hard and we're doing a lot of fundraising for Haley and her family so I've been very tied into that.

I'm going to try and post the Q&A answers tonight, epilogue and special announcement to follow.