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She didn’t want them teasing her about Ty. She didn’t want her relationship with him to be a big deal. She just wanted to enjoy her birthday with her friends—and technically, Sage had turned fifty two days ago. They were lucky they were even getting her to this party.
“All right, you guys,” she started, but chatter had broken out in the kitchen and no one except Joy and Scott heard her. “You guys,” she yelled louder.
“Knock, knock,” Sage called, and Bea spun toward her. She’d lost her window to give the lecture, and as she went down the hall to greet Sage, she decided everyone knew how to act already. They didn’t need her to tell them.
Well, maybe Lauren, if that sombrero was any hint at how tonight would go.
“Sage,” she said, glancing over to the handsome blond man at her side. “Happy birthday, my friend.” She grinned and hugged Sage, who gave some of the best hugs in the world.
“Thank you, Bea,” she said in her soft, kind voice. She stepped back and indicated Ty. “You know Ty, of course.”
“Of course I do. Hello.” She hugged him too, and then she moved past them to welcome Thelma as well. She linked her arm through hers as they followed Sage and Ty down the hall to the back of the house. “So, do you have any handsome boyfriends hiding out somewhere?”
Thelma laughed and shook her head. “Nope.”
Bea noticed Sage turn and look at her sister, but she didn’t say anything. She entered the kitchen and choruses of “Happy birthday, Sage!” and “Sage is here!” rose into the rafters. Bea simply stood back and watched it, enjoying the love and friendship raining down on all of them there.
“I’ve got the ice,” Shelby called. “Can I get some help?”
“I’ve got it,” Tommy said, and Bea hadn’t seen him in the house yet. Where he’d come from, she didn’t know. He, Shelby, and Thelma made the extra three to the Supper Club women and their significant others, and Bea went to take one of the bags of ice from her step-daughter.
She and Grant had used one of the biggest, longest table from one of his rentals for tonight’s dinner, so they could all sit together. She hated having more than one table, or one of different heights, and this way, she didn’t have to.
“It smells like tacos in here,” Sage said as Bea passed.
“It’s dinnertime,” she said in her defense. “You can have as little or as much as you want.”
“It’s a build-your-own-bar,” Bessie said. “First up—bread.” She grabbed onto both of Sage’s hands and beaming, pulled her forward. “Come on, Sagey. I brought your favorite one.”
“Yeah?” Sage laughed. “Is it cinnamon chip?”
“And you should see what’s in the oven,” Oliver said.
Sage gaped at him. “What’s in the oven? Bess, did you bake here?”
“No, of course not.” Bessie waved her off.
Oliver moved the two steps to the oven and opened it, revealing the dozen loaves of bread inside. “All cinnamon chip.”
Sage blinked at the bread, then Bessie, and Bea stepped to Bessie’s side. “Happy birthday, Sage. Should we sing, everyone? Then we can have cake or food or whatever.”
“Yes, let’s sing,” Cass said at the same time as Lauren.
Grant got up on a chair, ever the extrovert who didn’t mind the spotlight. With these people—her best friends and closest confidantes—Bea didn’t either. Her eyes filled with tears as the fifteen of them started to singHappy Birthdayto Sage.
She knew Sage’s life wasn’t exactly what she wanted it to be. She’d been through some hard things; she worked a long and tiring job; she wanted more space and more freedom to be her true self.
She looked around, so much love for each of the women here filling her heart over and over. Then again for all of the men who’d chosen to join them, who loved her friends with such tenderness and care. For this family of hers that Bea had somehow lucked into belonging to.
And when Bea watched Ty’s smile and the way his eyes lit from within as he sang, his eyes never leaving Sage, she thought maybe, just maybe, Sage would be closer to her ideal soon enough.
“All right,” she said with a clap as the song ended. “Let’s eat.”
“Hey, brother.” Grant eased into Ty. “I don’t know you were dating Sage. When did that all start?”
Bea dang near choked on her own breath. Her own husband. How could Grant say such a thing, and what could Bea do to mediate the situation?
She sensed some tension in the vicinity, and she glanced over to Cass, who’d also clearly heard Grant’s seemingly innocent question. Then Ty chuckled and said, “It’s really new, Grant. It’s…” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “It’s good. We’re just seeing how things go day-by-day for right now.”
