Page 65 of Intercept My Heart

“Don’t worry. I promise it’s all going to be great. All you have to do is take a few pictures, greet your guests, and give a little thank you speech. You will be just fine. Depending on the number of gifts, we can just toss those in the car and send out thank you notes later in the week.” Her plans didn’t sound too bad, so I decided to go along with them.

“Come on, chick. You’re the guest of honor. Let’s get this show on the road.” I took a deep breath as we stepped out of the car. Tamia popped the trunk and removed a bunch of pink gift bags. My mouth dropped open in surprise.

“Umm, what is all that?”

“Oh, just some gifts that I left at the house. I thought I grabbed them all, but when I went back, I found these in my bedroom.”

“How many gifts did you buy for you to forget that you left some?”

“You’re asking too many questions, and quite frankly, it’s none of your business. Now, let’s go.” She rushed me along while I pouted. This girl was going to have me crying my eyelashes off because I knew she spent way too much money on this party. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door to the venue.

A pink and gold balloon arch greeted me as soon as I stepped into the building. There were flowers everywhere, remindingme of a wedding. When the second set of doors opened, I almost passed out from how overwhelmed I was. This place was decorated from head to toe like one of those parties you saw celebrities throw. There were banquet tables set up with pretty white and pink tablecloths. My pictures were on a centerpiece in the middle of the table with candles and pink and gold confetti.

Tamia convinced me to have a birthday photo shoot, and she had the photos blown up and placed throughout the room. The smile on my face was almost impossible for me to contain as I greeted all the guests in attendance. There were roughly thirty people here, which was more than I anticipated, but it wasn’t too overwhelming.

“Happy Birthday, beautiful! You look incredible,” Laiti complimented, pulling me into a hug.

“Thank you, love. I’m so glad you made it.” Laiti lived a few hours away, but she was a defense attorney, so her schedule was usually jam-packed.

“You know I wouldn’t miss this for the world. If nothing else, you know Tamia is going to throw a good party. I’m happy you decided to get dolled up and celebrate this day. I’m so proud of you, baby girl. You deserve the world.” I bit down on my lip to hold the tears in. Tamia paid for me to have my makeup professionally done, so I would try my best not to ruin it.

“Thank you. It means a lot to me.”

“Always. Let’s take a picture before everyone starts to swarm,” Laiti suggested. The three of us went to the photo section, where Tamia had a 360-degree photo booth. We made silly poses while laughing and joking with one another. These were my sisters for life, and I was so grateful to have found them.

After we finished, I continued to greet all my guests. Everyone was so loving and excited to be here. The gift table was filled to capacity, so the rest of the bags lined the floor in front of it. I’d never received so many gifts in my life.

“Alright, ladies and gentlemen. First, I want to thank you all for coming out to celebrate my best friend. I wanted this birthday to be extra special for her because she has been superwoman for far too long. It’s time for you to live and allow the people in your life to spoil you.” Her eyes locked on mine before she went back to addressing the crowd.

“Tonight’s festivities were coordinated by me. However, there was a sponsor who paid for everything you see here. He has a special gift that he would like to present to the birthday girl.” My head whipped in Tamia’s direction because I was completely caught off guard. Who was this mystery sponsor, and why was this my first time hearing about this?

The moment I saw Dinero walking into the room and up to the front, my heart rate went into overdrive. He looked so handsome in his all-black Armani suit. His rich chocolate skin was radiant under the fluorescent lights, and I could hear the women gushing over him. It made me slightly jealous, even though I had no right to be.

“Good evening, everyone. Some of you may know who I am, but for the ones who don’t, I’m Dinero Sutton. The birthday girl must have somehow lost my invitation in the mail, but that’s okay.” He turned and winked at me, completely embarrassing me in front of the entire room.

“This is a very special day as it represents the birth of an angel. You’ve never been big on celebrations, so I figured you would try to downplay this day. That was why I reached out to Tamia. She’s a great friend, by the way. When I offered to pay for your party, she didn’t hold back at all. I think my card is still warm from how much she swiped it.” The crowd laughed as I glanced over at Tamia, who was smiling big.

“Anyways, I’ve never been good with these kinds of things. However, you’re worth being uncomfortable for in this moment. Today, we celebrate thirty-three years of your light, love, andpresence on this Earth. I, for one, will be forever indebted to you for the gifts of life you’ve blessed me with. I wrecked my brain for days trying to figure out what kind of gift I could give to someone as special as you. And while I purchased quite a few physical gifts, I wanted to give you a gift that would serve as a puzzle piece in your life. I pray this year of life brings you all the happiness you deserve. Happy Birthday, Sunny.” He nodded his head, signaling to someone I couldn’t see.

When Dreis stepped into the room, I frowned until I saw the individual behind him—Ciera. I shook my head in disbelief because my mind had to be playing tricks on me. There was no way she was really here in the flesh. I searched for her for years and could never get any information on her. I gave up hope after a while, believing I would never see her again.

My hands were shaking the closer she got to me. Her pretty brown face was covered in tears while I prayed I hadn’t completely ruined my makeup. Nothing seemed real until my arms were around her, and I was able to feel her body heat. It was her. It was really her. All outside noise ceased to exist as I relished in our reunion. Where she had been didn’t matter right now. The only thing I cared about was the fact that she was here with me right now.

The two of us rocked back and forth, sobbing in each other’s arms. I wasn’t sure how long we stayed like that, and I didn’t care. Eventually, Tamia announced that it was time to eat.

“Okay, crybabies. The guests would like to eat, so I need you to go fix your faces and come back to the birthday girl’s table. You will be served first, so don’t take too long,” she warned. I smiled through my tears, then grabbed Ciera’s hand so we could get freshened up. As we walked, I glanced back and locked eyes with Dinero. He was talking to a small group of men, but he paused to acknowledge me. His smile turned me into completemush, and it drove me crazy. The hold this man had on me was ridiculous.

Once we made it to the bathroom, I was impressed by how well my makeup held up. I dabbed under my eyes and anywhere I saw tears. When I looked over at Ciera, she was doing the same thing. I still couldn’t believe she was really here. When Mr. Dennis went to trial, they informed me that Ciera wasn’t going to be able to testify, but they obtained physical evidence that validated our claims of sexual abuse from him. It broke my heart to know I wouldn’t be able to see her, but I owed her so much for her bravery. She helped close the case without any reasonable doubt.

“I can’t believe you’re here.”

“It was all thanks to Money. I saw a photo he posted of you and your sons. I had no idea the two of you were close, so I never thought to reach out to him in the past. I wasn’t on social media until recently, and the only reason I followed him was because my son loves him. The moment I saw your face with those boys, I almost passed out. I immediately asked my husband to reach out to him for me because I didn’t want him to ignore my message, thinking I was some groupie.” We both snickered. I was sure that would have been exactly what happened because he rarely checked them.

“It shocked me that he knew who I was, but he was really sweet about the whole thing. We talked for a few weeks, and he offered to fly my husband and me out so I could be here for your special day. I don’t know what you’ve done to that man, but he doesn’t mess around when it comes to you.” Her comments resonated with me because it wasn’t the first time I’d heard it. Tamia swore the man was in love with me, but I refused to believe it.

“You’re married? Wow, it’s been so long. I have so many questions, but now isn’t the time for a full interrogation.Please make sure you don’t leave here without us exchanging information. Maybe we can meet up for brunch or something. I want to know everything that’s been happening in your life.” I rambled on. It’d been close to fifteen years since I’d laid eyes on her, and the selfish part of me didn’t want to let her out of my sight. If I could cancel this party right now and spend time with her, I would.

“We have to fly back tomorrow morning for my son’s tournament, but Dinero has already made arrangements for the two of us to catch up. I have your number as well. He wouldn’t let me use it until after the party, but I’ll be calling and texting you soon. I’m happy for you, Rae. We didn’t have the best childhood, but look at the life you made for yourself. You’re surrounded by people who love and want to celebrate your life, something we never thought we would have.” I swiped the fresh tears that were forming. We continued to talk as we made our way out to the party.

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