Breathe Again

Not A Kid Anymore

Three Months Later...

"Mom! Bailey's on her way from the airport!" Alaina shouts from the living room. Tomorrow is the twins fifteenth birthday. Bailey is flying and so is Leah, and Colin too of course. They've decided they wanted to have their party at the roller rink and it's themed. Alaina has named the event Hollywood in Georgia. Chris rented out the entire rink for just us. I told him it's not necessary. But he's still a man and doesn't listen.

"Ok, you don't have to yell I'm here. Did you clean your room? And did you make up the guest room?" I ask her. She not only rolls her eyes but her entire head. "UGH. No, can it wait till after my show?" I give her the look all mother's give when they want it done now. She presses pause and storms off to do as I asked. I shake my head and laugh, that brat pressed pause and she wanted to wait till it was over. 

Andie walks out of Eli's room. She flew in yesterday and Eli is at his dad's. Alaina will join him tonight as will Leah and Colin. "Thanks for letting me stay here again and for inviting me." She says sitting a few spots over form me on the sectional. "Of course. You're family." I tell. "In case I haven't said it enough I'am so happy Chris found you. I've never seen him this happy. And thank you for being understanding with out close friendship. Most girls drop him once they find our, Andie isn't a guy." 

"To be honest I thought you were a guy too. But I didn't freak out when I met you and I didn't think it was weird. Besides he treats you like sister. Their loss is my gain." I tell her. Chris walks in shirtless and sweaty, he's cleaning the pool and yard. "What are you girls doing?" He says damn near finishing off a full bottle of water. "Just talking. Bailey's on her way, Leah will be at Derek's in an hour." I fill him in. "So I have Alaina's present, well I have to pick it up. And Eli's is all wrapped and ready to go." 

"Are you going to tell me what you got them?" I ask him as both Andie and I are curious. "Ok don't be mad, I got Eli the SLR  camera and everything so he can do his photography. I got Lanes a black lab puppy." He says with a big cheesy grin. "He will love it and I guess it's a good thing I bought a dog bed. I was gonna let her pick one out." 

"Wow great minds think alike. I'm gonna finish up out back. Love you." He says turning around. "Hey, what all are you doing back there? Want help?" Andie asks. "A dog house and no, I'm almost done. Thanks." He exits out back. "You make him impulsive and it's good. He normally over thinks things." Andie says. "Are you truly in love with him?" She adds. "I would say I was but I didn't feel it the same I did with my ex so I was confused, but then he went and purposed on a jumbo-tron.  What really made me fall for him completely was seeing the way my son reacted." I wipe away a tear as I go back to that day.

"Can I tell you when he told me he found the one?" She asks scooting closer. I nod and she continues, "He Face-Timed me one day. Immediately started rambling about a girl and a bar. Then he slowed down and I learned the girl from the bar was the same woman who sold him his dream house as he called it. His exact words were, 'I found the perfect woman but I can't have her. She's everything.' I told him, jokingly, that he usually gets what he wants." She laughs.

"I honestly had no intentions of dating so soon after my divorce. He never pushed me, he was really nervous when he asked me to dinner. It was cute."  I admit to her. "He's always been a dork when it comes to women. Although I'am pretty fucking jealous of you." She states and stands up. I follow her with my eyes, "You shouldn't be allowed to look that young with fifteen year old twins." I shake my head and we head out back to see how Chris is coming along. 

We walk out and  see him knelt down by the pool. "Hey, Chris where's your phone?" Andie asks. Without looking up he says, "It's over on the patio table." I know where Andie is going with this and we both push him in the pool. He comes up out of the water and splashes water at us. "You two think you're real funny huh?" He climbs out and starts chasing us.