Page 125 of Falling in Love with Two

Dylan looks at me with his brow furrowed.

I say, “Don’t ask.”

Taking a moment to walk around, I see all the stuff that’s set up. Everything is themed like a kid’s birthday party. There’s Pin the Tail on the Donkey, a pinata, and there’s even someone at one of the tables who is a face painter. I can’t believe they did all of this.

I set my hands on my belly and try to keep my emotions at bay. This is the sweetest thing that anyone has ever done for me.

Suzanne walks up next to me. “You doing okay, Leah?”

“This is just…” my voice trails off.

“Overwhelming?”

“Maybe a little. But in a really great way. I just can’t believe that Dylan did all of this.”

“I can.” She smiles. “And you better get used to it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean Dylan will always do stuff like this. He would move heaven and hell just to make you smile. He’s just like his dad in that way.” She gets lost in her memories for a second before continuing. “Come on. Let’s have some fun.”

We spend the next couple of hours playing games. We start with Pin the Tail on the Donkey where Ronnie smokes the rest of us.

She jokes. “Give me a chance, and I’ll find the ass every time.”

Then, we move onto the pinata. I’m the one to bust it open, but I’m pretty sure they all let me win that one. The inside is stuffed with expensive chocolates that I can’t wait to dig into when we get home.

Dylan comes over and wraps me up in a hug. “Are you having fun?’

“Definitely. I can’t believe you did all of this.”

“I figured you never had a real birthday party as a kid, and it was about time you did.”

I stand on my tiptoes to give him a soft kiss. “This is, by far, the sweetest thing ever.”

“I just wish somebody had done this for you before now. You deserved so much more.”

In this moment, I’m glad I didn’t have it until now. This moment may be one of the best of my entire life, and my trauma has led up to it.

Not only is Dylan making this whole day special, but it’s his entire family. They don’t just treat me like I’m Dylan’s date. They treat me like I’m one of their own. We joke and laugh. The first time I was around them, I felt awkward because not only had I not been around boyfriends’ families before, but I didn’t have one of my own to mimic either.

Now, things are different. I don’t feel weird or awkward—even when this party causes all eyes to be on me.

For once in my life, I’m not on the outside looking in. It feels like I’m finally a part of something, and that says a lot considering we aren’t even an official couple.

I have to admit that his huge selfless gestures are making me consider the relationship more and more.

When we go home tonight, I plan on giving him some selfless gestures of my own, but mine will be while we are naked.

After we finish the games, Andre and Suzanne bring out multiple giant platters of food. There’s every party food you can imagine. Chicken wings. Mini tacos. Pigs in a blanket. Nachos. And tons more.

No one sits down to eat and instead just grazes over all the finger foods. We all talk and laugh and coo over Liz and Jack’s baby.

It’s perfect.

But it’s about to get even better when Andre comes walking out holding a giant birthday cake. A birthday cake with hot pink frosting with bright blue lettering. On top, there’s a mini Barbie Dream House.

It’s just like the one from when I was a kid—the cake I never got because it got destroyed before my dad walked out.

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