Page 127 of The Hookup Type

Jaxon

March 2016

“Seriously,Ma, you didn’t have to do this.” I laughed.

She placed a two-tier cake in front of me with a huge smile plastered on her face. It was frosted with white icing and had confetti sprinkles around the top. A ring of candles was placed around the edges. She leaned over me and began to light them.

“We always celebrate your birthday early,” Dad added from the other end of the table.

We were all outside on the back patio. We had just finished dinner, and Mom wasted no time getting into dessert. It felt nice to have everyone home for a little bit again. Dad was able to fly in from Cali with Alex and Bella last minute, and I knew my mom was gushing with excitement at the scene of a full table. It was dark out with a little bit of a breeze, but seeing the patio and yard lit up with all of Mom’s light fixtures made it feel like summer.

The final candle on my cake was lit, and Alex’s voice boomed from across the table. “Happy birthday to you!” he sang loudly, and everyone else joined in.

I covered my mouth with my hand and stared awkwardly at all of them. Bella giggled at my reaction and continued to sing loudly along with Alex. My mom placed her hand on my shoulder and gave it a light squeeze.

When the song ended, I leaned forward and blew out the candles. Their applause made me chuckle, and Mom immediately went to work cutting everyone a slice.

“What did you wish for?” Bella sipped her wine.

“I can’t tell you that,” I teased and drained the rest of the wine from my own glass.

She rolled her eyes and handed me the bottle so I could get some more.

“What do you want to accomplish this year, son?” Dad pulled his chair back from the table and walked to the bar cart. He refilled his glass with whiskey and a single ice cube.

“I just want to enjoy my last year in school.” I grinned mischievously.

He shot me a look of approval. “As you should.”

“Don’t encourage him, Reed.” Mom smacked him playfully on the shoulder. She placed a piece of cake in front of him, and he kissed her hand before she could walk away. It was a simple gesture, but it immediately made me think of Maci.

“J?” Alex pulled my attention away from our parents. When I turned to face him, he was standing up. “Walk with me for a second.”

I looked at Bella, and we both watched him walk in the direction of Mom’s rose garden. Bella shrugged and grabbed the bottle of wine back from my placemat. “More wine?” she offered the table, and my mom held out her glass.

I followed Alex to the seven-foot hedges surrounding Evelyn’s precious rose garden. Once inside, there was a small fountain in the center and multiple garden fixtures she had collected over the years. A wooden bench that was dedicated to her mother sat against the front of the fountain. Alex stood beside it and lit a cigar.

“What’s up, man?” I asked.

He offered me the cigar, and I took it from him. He dug into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a small blue Tiffany box.

“Dude,” I exclaimed but kept my voice down.

He opened the box, and a diamond ring sat in the center of it. He grinned and watched me marvel at the piece of jewelry. A lump formed in my throat, and my mouth fell open.

He smiled proudly. “I’m gonna ask Bella to marry me toward the end of June.”

“Do Mom and Dad know?”

“Nah. I wanted you to be the one who knew before anyone else.”

My cheeks started to hurt from smiling. “Why June?”

“Her birthday is the twenty-ninth, and we’ll be here for it. I wanted to reach out to her parents one last time to see if they want to be there, but you know Mom’s always been a mom to her. She’ll want a parent there.”

I nodded and passed him back the cigar. “Congrats, bro. You know Bella is already like family. It’ll be nice to make it official.”

He placed the box back in his pocket. “And you’ll be my best man, right?”

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