Forever and Always

Chapter 28 - Birthday Girl

Isabel had strictly instructed Levi and I to remain silent about her current medical situation, that she would bring it up with Farlan after we left. She wanted us to pretend like that conversation had never happened. While it was hard for me, Levi had an even harder time brushing it off. Almost every time we were alone together, there were tears to some extent. It broke my heart, but I understood what Isabel had meant when she said I had to hold him together. I could feel him falling apart violently inside. I did what I could, but he was pushing me away as well, as if he didn't want me to be there when he finally crumbled away. I was relentless, and probably annoying, with my emotional support. I hardly left him alone for more than a couple minutes.

We had dropped Poppy off at day care so that we had a few hours to wrap her birthday presents. Isabel was a wrapping professional, and while Levi lacked in speed, he made up for with obsessive precision. Even Farlan was okay at wrapping, but every gift I wrapped looked like Poppy had been the one wrapping it. Levi eventually snatched one of the presents and re-folded the wrapping paper.

"Fuck you, okay?" I groaned at his disapproving glare. "I'm trying."

"Well, you're trying to piss me off. Look at this. This is bullshit. Babe, I love you, but we need to work on your present wrapping skills. Here, lemme show you how to wrap one that looks not like this." Levi grabbed a clean sheet of wrapping paper, wrapping it around the present and taping it down. He creased the corners before carefully folding the new triangle up and taping it. He did that three more times with each corner until he nodded with his completed work. "Did you see how I did that? There was no crumpling involved. You try with that box. It should be pretty easy.

I followed Levi's methodology to the best of my ability and before long, I had a decent looking present in my hands, wrapped in pink, glittery wrapping paper.

"See? You just needed some instruction," Levi smiled, planting a kiss on my lips and putting my present in the pile. "Have kids. You become a champ at wrapping presents."

"I swear they made Easter a holiday just to make me want to kill myself. Filling eggs is so tedious. Takes me all damn night."

"Really," Farlan muttered in agreement. "It sucks. But it's so fuckin cute watching her look around the yard for them and asking for help unwrapping all her presents. She's a doll." I realized that Poppy was bound to be the most spoiled girl on the planet, being an only child to four parents that were absolutely obsessed with her.

"Yeah, really," I agreed. "She's the cutest thing ever."

"I know!" Isabel squealed. "We did good, Levi."

"I have got to agree with you on that one," Levi nodded, placing the final present on the heap. "I can't believe she's already three. It seems like, barely a week ago I was driving you home from the hospital on a Learner's Permit."

"Crazy shit, bro," Isabel giggled, reaching for the unsigned birthday card on the coffee table. It had some kind of Disney princess on it, but I hadn't seen the movies in so long, I couldn't remember if it was Aurora or Belle. Isabel wrote a message inside before passing it to Farlan, who wrote something brief, and then to me, who, upon seeing what had already been written, I wrote some birthday wishes in the blue, Bic ink. 

"Happy birthday, Princess. Mommy loves you so much!" Was written in Isabel's neat, feminine hand.

Farlan's message read, "Happy birthday, Pumpkin. You're amazing. Love you, Sweet girl."

"Poppy, I'm so happy to get to spend your birthday with you! I love you, Sweetie. XOXO, Eren," I wrote before passing the card to Levi. He thought for a moment before beginning to write inside the card. He put the cap back on the pen and closed the card, before grabbing the envelope and slipping the card inside. He licked the adhesive to activate it and sealed the envelope, before writing Poppy's name across the back in his calligraphic handwriting, drawing a neat heart beside her name.

"Whatcha write, Leeevi?" Isabel asked, batting her glittery green eyes at him.

"I dunno, guess you'll have to find out when you read the card to her," Levi said with a triumphant gleam in his eyes. "The message is for the birthday girl."

"Yeah, yeah," Isabel gripes. "Well your handwriting is really nice still."

"Thanks," he chuckled, wrapping his arm around my waist, squeezing my hip. "I'm so excited for her to open her presents. I'm gonna need you to take pictures. Lots of 'em. My phone camera is shit."

"Sure. I have a nice Nikon. I'll email them to you or something." Isabel smiled with a nod.

"Sounds awesome," Levi smiled. "I love you guys."

"We love you, too, Levi. Always have, always will," Farlan nods, reaching over and patting his knee. In that moment, it really did feel like we were one big, happy family.