Page 101 of Roar & Lizzy: A Forever Kind of Love

Chapter 37

The knock at the doorstartled Lizzy. She shut off the faucet, dried her hands, and hurried into the living room. Only then realizing the lawnmower was no longer running, she wondered why Roar wouldn't just walk into the house—he lived here. He owned the place.

Looking through the peephole out of habit, she found a delivery person holding a vase of flowers.

She turned the handle and stepped outside. "Can I help you?"

"Delivery for Lizzy Wheaton." The young man held out the floral arrangement.

"Thank you." She held onto the vase and inhaled the light floral scent, gazing around the yard looking for Roar. Not seeing him, she walked into the house and heard the back door leading into the garage close.

"Roar?" she called.

"Right here."

"Did you send me flowers?"

He walked into the room. "Not me."

She turned the vase and searched for a card. Finding one in the flowers, she opened the envelope.

Roar stood behind her, hands on her hips. She read the included message.

Happiest of birthdays to you. Love, Mom and Dad Akram.

The message shook in her hand. She pressed the card to her chest. Her whole body vibrated.

Roar kissed the side of her head. She took a long blink to squeeze the tears from her vision.

"You told them it was my birthday?" she whispered.

"Ja." He turned her. "It's not a secret."

"No." She inhaled deeply. "I've never received flowers before. I need to thank your mom. Is it okay if I call?"

He nodded. "I'll put Mom's number in your phone. You can call her whenever you want."

She warmed all over. Better than being remembered on her birthday was the fact that she had Roar's mother's support and a mother figure in her life. With Roar in her life came a family along with him, and they were hers to love.

Inhaling the floral aroma one more time, she set the vase near the window. "I can't believe your mom sent flowers. That totally blows my mind and has made my birthday special. She even had it delivered when she knew I'd be awake, getting ready for work."

She never expected anything. She and Coco had an agreement that on their birthday month, they'd cover each other's half of the electric bill. It made more sense to do that than hand each other a fifty-dollar gift card. Sometimes, depending on how good their tips were, they'd also throw in a dinner out. This year, with so much happening with Roar moving in and working nights at the bar, she hadn't even thought of doing something special to celebrate.

"Are you ready to walk across the street?" asked Roar.

"Sure." She glanced at the clock. It was time to go to work.

She walked to the door with Roar. "I hope Coco and Heather are watching the time. Maybe I should call them."

Heather had a hair emergency when one of the ladies at the clubhouse tried to trim her hair and kept taking too much off in an effort to even it out. Coco jumped in to help and called her stylist, who was going to meet the women at the salon, even though it was after hours.

"We're early." He put his hand on her lower back and walked her across the street. "They still have fifteen minutes."

Roar took out his keys and held open the door for her. She walked inside.

The lights came on. A packed bar of people moved forward, singing Happy Birthday. Coco sang the loudest, holding up a lighter, then bent over and lit candles on a cake. Lizzy, shocked at the surprise, looked to Roar and found him standing behind her, unfazed at finding his bar full of Slag members.

The song ended. She hugged Monica and Heather and hurried around the table to give Coco a hug.

---