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“Always finding the bright side.” My smile widens.
An hour ago, we left the house under the guise of me not wanting to cook. Forty-five minutes ago, several of our friends pulled up to the house, went inside, and got to work. Decorations and food and whatever else happens at fun-filled adult birthday parties.
More than a week ago, Micah sent me a text message. He mentioned Shelly’s upcoming birthday and how everyone wanted to throw her a party. He promised it wouldn’t be much different from Sunday night get-togethers. The only difference will be decorations, cake and more time together.
I’d stared at the screen several minutes before responding. Too stunned because I didn’t know Shelly’s birth date, which is partially my fault. I hadn’t offered mine three months ago. Had I asked hers, she’d have felt bad for missing mine.
I answered the message and soon learned it was a group text. My phone blew up for hours. One idea after another filled the gray bubbles. Party GIFs and a slew of emojis filled the screen. I’d been thankful it was the middle of the day and Shelly was at work. Half a day and an insane number of messages later, a plan was devised. A plan for a surprise party. At our house.
My responsibility for the day… don’t mention birthdays or our friends and keep Shelly away from home until I get the all-clear message. Cora and Autumn estimated two hours for party setup.
So I planned breakfast out with Shelly. Although it is for her birthday, she thinks it’s just because. When we leave the restaurant, the plan is to drive to a bookstore so we can walk around in air conditioning while she picks out a few new books.
She shrugs. “We should come here more. The eggs benedict was excellent, and I saw a dozen other things I’d like to try.”
The server steps up and clears our plates from the table. She asks if there is anything else she can get us—offering the restaurant’s award-winning pie before ten in the morning—and Shelly’s eyes light up. With a laugh, I gesture to the pie menu.
One slice of key lime and peanut butter pie later, I settle the bill and we leave. A mile up the road, I turn into the plaza with the bookstore and park the car.
Shelly unbuckles her belt and shifts to face me in her seat. Her eyes narrow as she studies me intently.
She knows that I know it’s her birthday. Shit. Either that or she suspects I know. Play it cool.
“Why are we here?” she asks, a hint of suspicion in her tone.
She doesn’t know. She can’t. Play. It. Cool.
“You haven’t gotten a new book recently. When we drove past on the way to breakfast, I thought maybe you might like to look at what’s new.” I shrug, hoping to come across as nonchalant. “Plus, I wanted to look at baby books for dads.”
Her eyes soften around the edges. “Okay,” she acquiesces without an ounce of fight.
The part about looking for a book for new dads isn’t a fib. Sure, I could talk to Jonas or Gavin about first-time fatherhood and what to expect. But I’d also like a resource on hand, just in case something comes up neither of them has dealt with yet.
We wander the bookstore with no set path. Eventually, Shelly will make her way to the romance section, but she steers us toward the baby and parenting books first. I let her lead, but plan to keep us in the store until I get a thumbs-up text.
After discovering two great parenting books, Shelly leads us to her favorite part of the store. I sit on a chair randomly set up in the aisle while she peruses the titles. My phone vibrates in my pocket and, with as much discretion as possible, I remove it to look at the notification. A text from Micah with a thumbs-up and nothing more. I pocket my phone and wait until Shelly finishes browsing.
A hundred dollars later, we walk out of the bookstore and I drive us home.
“Did you find some good ones?” I ask.
Shelly nods. “Yeah. A few I’d heard other book friends online rave about and one by an author I read regularly.”
“Good. Glad you found some pleasure reads. The baby books are nice, but you need books for you too.”
“Do you pleasure read?” she asks as I turn into the neighborhood.
I shrug. “Not in years.”
“What did you like reading when you did?”
“Mostly mysteries and thrillers.” I glance over at her. “But I’ll give anything a try.”
As we approach the house, I note the absence of everyone’s cars. Also part of the plan. To make everything look normal. Once everything was set up, all cars were to be moved a street over. The cars may not be out front, but everyone is inside. Once the surprise happens, the cars will be driven back to the house.
I fetch the bag from the back seat after parking in the driveway. Shelly and I slip out and walk leisurely to the door. She keys in her code, then swings the door wide. From the foyer, the house looks the same. But I know the second we round the wall dividing the dining and living room from the kitchen and sitting room, a burst of surprise will echo around us.
We toe off our shoes and I set the bag of books down on the chair nearby.
