AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Okay, yes, can we have the group number?” Jaxson asked. He was silent for a few seconds. “Yes, we will place the fun card orders on there too. Okay, thanks. We’ll call you if we need anything else. Thanks, Bevin.” He hung up the phone and looked at us. “Since we have a large group they are charging us thirty dollars a person. That gives us access to the rock climbing wall, zip lining, rock climbing, laser tag, and the arcades.”
“Does anyone else think that this is a bit excessive for a soon-to-be eight years old’s party?” I laughed.
“No” was the resounding answer.
There was knock on the door, and Troy got up to answer it since he was the closest. “I booked a bus,” he laughed. “It’ll be here at five o’clock.”
“Okay. Maybe this has spiraled out of control.” Jace laughed. “But honestly, when’s the last time they’ve been off base for a real outing and not just to go shopping?”
“Hey, Greg.” Troy smiled as he opened the door. “What’s up?”
“Will told me that you were planning Alex’s birthday, and I wanted to give you my card,” Greg stated simply.
“Don’t worry about it, we got it,” Troy shrugged.
“No,” Greg insisted. “I know no amount of money will ever be enough for what Miranda did to you kids. We are aware that no excuse would be sufficient enough for her actions. But please, have no doubt that she feels genuine remorse. She really wants to get to know all of you. She doesn’t want to erase her mistakes. She just wants to start over. And now we’re forever indebted to you, not just because of what you did for the boys but what you did for Harry. A year of no words, no laughter, constant fear and screaming… it was hard on all of us. Please, let us start with paying for Alex’s birthday party.”
“Really, it’s okay. Between all of us living vicariously through Alex, this party is slightly over the top,” Jace insisted. “But maybe, if it’s okay with Blake, you guys can help with the decorating, invitation making, and what not?”
I looked over at Jace and sighed deeply. For someone who cut his mother out of his life, why was he encouraging me to make amends with my own? I could see she was a different person than the one who abandoned us or didn’t fight hard enough for us. I just didn’t want to give her another chance to wreck me, destroy the kids.
“We’re coloring and assembling invitations with the children in about an hour,” I said reluctantly, swallowing my pride for Alex. After all, he did want them to be there.
“Great,” Greg said with a smile. “Just let me know if you guys want or need anything else. Where is it going to be, by the way?”
“Amusapalooza!” Jaxson exclaimed excitedly. “Do we want subs, pizzas, wings
, veggie platter, and fruit platter?”
“Sounds good to me,” Drake stated.
“Who is this birthday party for exactly?” Greg joked as he scrolled through his phone.
“Hey, Alex said he wanted to go to an arcade,” Noah defended Jaxson. I could tell that Jaxson, Troy, and Noah were getting way too into this.
“I have a feeling there’s only going to be a few of us adults that are going to be chaperoning,” I teased as I pulled the rest of the DIY invitations off the printer.
“I want Spiderman!” Alex exclaimed as he reached out for the spiderman cut out.
“May I have Wonderwoman?” Nadia asked politely.
“I want Catwoman,” Ella insisted.
“How about may I?” I said in exasperation as I handed them the characters they wanted. “Thank you for your nice manners, Nadia,” I added with a smile.
“May I,” the other two chirped up.
Our dining room table now had snacks spread out on it, along with a arts and craft store. I didn’t realize how much we had accumulated over time with Ella and Nadia’s love of anything crafty.
“You did a wonderful job with them,” Miranda said, coloring her own invitation.
“I can really only take credit for Ella,” I stated coolly. “Alex basically raised himself, and Gavin helped a little too.”
I really wish the guys hadn’t abandoned me with my mother. I know they thought they were doing what was best for us and they would have been bored to tears, but one of them could have stayed behind.
Knocking on the door gave me a much-needed exit from this conversation. I headed over to the door and was greeted by Rachel, Jemmy, Dawn, and Sierra. I immediately smiled.
“So we heard that we have about fifty invitations to color and design,” Dawn said cheerily.
