~CHAPTER 58~

*•*•*•Make a wish already!•*•*•*

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Status: Not Edited

"Happy birthday!" I heard a voice whisper in my ear and I groan turning towards the comfort of the other side of my bed, and away from Chase.

Yesterday Tom walked into the room and told us that there was no need to keep me one more night. Told me that I could leave. I called mom over and she signed all of the release papers and we hauled ass out of the hospital.

I was in crutches and had a banged on my shoulder that had to be changed twice a day, but at least I would be able to sleep in my own home, in my own bed with my boyfriend and with the comfort of knowing that Sebastian was next door and not a terminally ill war veteran who wouldn't live another week.

It was really depressing being in that hospital even if it was only for three days of consciousness. It felt like more. When you have nothing to do, but be used as a human blood bag to run test on to see if you're okay, it gets long and boring.

On the way out the door, Tom wished me a Happy birthday, that he was happy to see me again, sad that it was under such circumstances. I understood that he truly felt bad and it hurt him to see me the way he did, knowing he saw me the same only eight months ago.

I lost my father he lost his best friend. Part of me thinks that he let me leave the hospital so early after the crash knowing that I wouldn't want to be In the same place where my father worked and was grieved, on my birthday.

"Shut up, I'm sleeping." I turn his way again and grab his face when he's about to speak again. I grab his lips with my index and thumb fingers and he pulls back grabbing my hands making me release a defeated sigh.

"No. It's your birthday!"

"Yeah and?" I keep my eyes closed and he tries to open them. I lay on my back to get his hands away from my eyes and push his hands away not ready to face the world.

"You are legal."

"Jail time for real." I nod still not opening my eyes, but I can feel the confusion radiating off of him.

"Why?"

"Your seventeen." I explain and nod as if I were in thought. "I think we should break up."

"Be so for real." He deadpans making me smile and turn his way still not opening me eyes.

"I am, I'm too pretty for jail and you look too innocent, the cops would take one look at this blonde and be like that bitch is going straight to jail. She likes minors." I say and sigh opening my eyes. "I don't want to be somebody's bitch."

At that he cackles and it sends happiness throughout my whole body forming a smile on my lips which he kisses.

"Happy birthday princess."

"Thank you Teddy."

"Why Teddy?"

"I think Bugsy is very personal for you since your family used to call you that, so I resorted to Teddy."

"As in..."

"Bear duh." I roll my eyes in a 'you should know this' manner and he shakes his head smiling at me.

"Go back to Bugsy."

"Nope, it's too late, Teddy. Now you're stuck being a Teddy. Oh who am I kidding, you've always been a Teddy."

"I beg of you don't call me Teddy." He says his voice pleading and I smile at him. "I don't think Teddy fits me... I'm thinking something along the lines of spiky."

"Spiky?"

"Yeah it's got a rough edge to it."

"It's a dog name." I'm the one deadpanning this time and he purses his lips.

"Well then we could do something else... I mean there are plenty of nicknames out there..." He stops when he sees me staring at him. "Do I have something on my face?"

"No." I say and he smiles at me.

"Then what is it?"

"Do you know how much I love you?"

"Do you know how much I love you?" He smiles widely at me making me fall more in love with him, with his dimples, with he's teddy bear like personality. I love this man with my whole heart and I may have said it too much already, but it will never be said enough.

"I'm hopping too much."

"You got that right Addie."

"Thank God I didn't get it wrong. I'm not that good whit quizzes. I just try and trust my gut."

"You can trust your gut good on this one." He nods and rolls on top of me kissing me all over my face. I laugh and he smiles at me rolling off of me and pulling me close.

"Good." I close my eyes and snuggled closer to him. I start to fall asleep again, but the door opened and in walked May, Lizzie and mom with balloons, presents and a cake. Good lord.

"Happy birthday Maddie!!" Lizzie exclaims and shuts the door forcefully looking as if she were fighting somebody on the outside. She most probably was.

"We said nothing big." I remind them and they shake their heads.

"How is this something big?" Mom asks trying to looking innocent. She has something up her sleeve. I narrow my eyes on her as a playful warning. She smiles and brushes it off.

"It's cake and presents, there are also balloons." I explain pointing at everything displayed in front of me like I'm a queen and they're handing me riches that will last me days.

"You're lucky we didn't let anybody else come in the room." May says handing me the balloons and mom turns on the candles handing me the cake.

"They may not be in here, but I can almost fully guarantee that they're out there desperately waiting for me to give them the green light to... come in!" I exclaim that last part and wait for everybody to come in the room. I swipe some frosting off the cake and stick my finger in my mouth.

"Okay, now. Now." Marcus says making me chuckle, the door was opened and in floats everybody, filling my room to the brim.

Marcus sends Chase a look that's saying 'What are you dining in that bed?' Chase is about to stand up and leave the bed, but I grab his hand and make him sit down again. I looks at Marcus and he looks at me wide eyes whining through his thoughts and I shake my head.

Shawn goes to stand next to Marcus and smiles at me. He mouths a happy birthday and I smile at him nodding. I say thank you and look down at the cake. The kiddos walk over to me and get in the bed with me when I scooted over and patted the space next to me.

"Happy birthday aunt Maddie." Austin says and I smile kissing his head.

They sing and I smile. I might not have wanted this, but I still got it and I'm very appreciative that I did, because it means they care, and one sometimes needs to know that there are people that care.

"Well go ahead. Make a wish already!" Lexi says and everybody laughs. I blow out my candles and silently say 'happy birthday dad' nobody seemed to notice, as mom grabs the cake and ushers everybody out of the room, leaving Chase and I alone for the second time this morning.

"He would be proud of you." Chase says and I nod wiping a tear.

"He would." I smile at Chase and he smiles right back. "He gave me away."  I say and he looks confused.

"I didn't tell anybody this, but whilst I was unconscious I saw him." I shrug and he looks at me as if silently asking for me to tell him more. "I was in a white dress, he was in a tux and he walked me down an empty aisle. When we reached the altar he told me that it wasn't my time and that I should come back to you guys, my family, my people..." I look at him. "He said the love of my life needed me here."

"He basically gave me away to you. Or at least that's who I want to think he gave me away to. We danced and I heard you pleading me to come back. Every time you spoke it was like a little piece of peace fell. Not because you don't bring me peace, but because I imagine my father at peace. I imagine him walking into the sunset with mom. And well I'll just call this a visit that shouldn't and won't happen again." I say and look at my lap again organizing my thought so that I could express my next words correctly. I look at him and say. "He brought me back to you."

"How so?"

"Well it's hard to explain, but there were clear doors where I could see everyone, and it was so weird I could see you, and hear you, and feel you near, yet I know you couldn't hear me or look into my eyes. Each time he brought me to the door you spoke and I could only see you in that moment and well, he knew that I wanted to see him in my life again, but he also knew that I still had an unfinished life here. That's the way I saw the whole interaction. Him telling me to live before it's too late and I, well..." I make slitting throat mimic making him chuckle and making me smile.

"How do you feel about it?" He asked looking at me and leaning again one of the bed posts.

"Relieved." I say and nod satisfied with my answer. "All I ever think about is if he found the peace that he deserved or if her just stayed in the same never ending loop of his life ending right before his daughters eyes. And this lets me know that he found peace. That he would be okay."

"I think that's the main reason I haven't had nightmares in so long. Because I could feel him at peace, but this confirmed it, letting me have my first dream in almost a year."

"I'm so happy for you Addie." He says and I nod smiling.

"I'm happy too." I say and lay back down. "His peace brings me peace." There's a moment of silence -which I'm thankful for- to process the information that was let into the air. After a few minutes I sit up and speak.

"Ready for the ritualistic sacrifice?" I ask him and he shake his head, smiling at me. "It happens on every birthday. Last year it was supposed to be Caleb's turn to cut his hand off, but we made the neighbor do it. Now he has a hook hand and glass eye."

"You amaze me. One second you're talking about peace and the next about sacrifices and glass eyes." He chuckles and bends down to kiss me.

"That's what you get when you date me."

"We'll then please let me date you forever." I nod and he looks at me lovingly.

"Carry me downstairs as a birthday present?" I ask politely and he smiles at me.

"You could demand it and I would still do it." He explains happily and I laugh at his words.

"Dude you gotta stop being so whipped." I say chuckling and he gasps. "It's not good for your rep."

"You first." He said making me gasp.

"I am not!" I say as he picks me up and I start to explain all the ways I'm not whipped and he is.

He carried me all the way down the stairs and set me in a seat at the table where all the commotion was occurring.

"You are too kind teddy." I say looking around to table seeing everybody in their own worlds. He smiles at me and beds down so that he's at my ear level.

"I'm not a teddy bear. I think proved that a little while ago." He whispers in my ear he said making my ears tinge until it spread all over my face.

My cheeks go red at the thought of what we did the third day after we got here. Turns out we were more than ready to take that step. And boy was it an amazing step. Nobody was home that morning, and we were in my bed, and in love, and it was just the perfect moment. We stayed in bed for a while after, just talking, and falling more and more in love. Until everybody got home and the bubble burst and we had to interact with humanity again.

"You've proved your point." I clear my throat and he chuckles at my state. He kisses my temple and sits in the free chair that is next to mine and we all eat in different but colliding worlds, and controlled but exciting chaos. It was going to be a beautiful day.