CHAPTER 58: The only trait I acquired was an upgrade on my humor

I gingerly step in, my mind wandering off to various assumptions of what might have gone wrong at the end of this dread-filled day. In a flash, a bunch of people spring out from behind the counter, walls, and the couch as well, shouting 'Surprise!'.

Well, color me surprised.

Caleb and Maddie burst into boisterous laughter as I slowly move my head towards them and I hear the click of a camera shutter. Maddie grins and furiously starts typing something while Caleb winks at me and ushers me forward.

"What...what is all this?" My voice croaks at the end and something is shoved on my head by Aaron.

"Happy birthday, Sumo!" He grins at the Happy Birthday headband on my head and I roll my eyes as Maddie continues Instagramming my apparent surprise birthday party. I look around and notice only close friends and I'm relieved for a second until Jason and Draven engulf me in a huge bear hug. The air is literally knocked out of my lungs as they annoyingly pat my hair like I'm their kid.

"You can let go now."

"Summer! Happy birthday, my beautiful girl." Shawn advances towards me with a party hooter in his hand until Caleb pokes his forehead and deviates his lips away from my cheeks. I chuckle at Shawn's childish pout as he walks away, leaving me a little wrapped gift box.

"When the hell did you get time to do all this?" I ask, looking expectantly at Jason, Caleb, Draven, and Maddie.

"Well, it was initially Maddie's big idea," Caleb says, moving his hands around, "but we toned it down for ya. Consider yourself lucky it isn't a shindig right now."

"Hey! I happen to throw very good parties. It is her 18th birthday after all." She declares and hugs me from behind. "Cannot pass up that opportunity, right?"

"An opportunity to show your Instagram temple how kind of a goddess you are?" Aaron asks and winks at her, biting into a piece of cheesy garlic bread and then walking away towards Shawn. I notice the dreamy look in Maddie's eyes and the small blush creeping up on her cheeks as her gaze follows his figure sauntering away. I nudge her waist and shake my head at her.

"Well, whatever and whoever did it, thank you very much. Glad to be a part of this." I smile and look at the group of real friends I've managed to make all along this year.

"How about some cake now?" Jason asks while dragging me towards the coffee table in the living room.

"Did you bake it?"

"No. I-

"Then, absolutely. My apparent diet," I mumble and glare at Caleb, "and the game have awakened the hunger monster within me."

We advance towards the small table where a chocolate cake sits with a candle on top of it. I grin and practically hop till there.

"Jason, I told you no about the chocolate cake. It has way too many calories." Caleb suddenly says and shakes his head. I whip my head towards him in astonishment.

Is his brain in the right place?

"But-

"Oh, man. I totally forgot." Jason says and my face morphs into something probably resembling one of Picasso's paintings. Out of the blue, everyone bursts into boisterous laughter and in a few seconds, they clutch their stomachs while bending and heaving.

"You...you really can't stay...away from food, can you?" Caleb manages to speak as the laughter leaves him wheezing.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny." I glare at them and hit Caleb before sitting down to cut my tantalizing cake.

I lean down to blow the candle before Shawn interrupts the moment rather loudly.

"Wait! Wait! Wait!"

"What is it?"

He clears his throat and smirks before saying, "You can blow it."

"Fuck you, Kingston."

"Real mature, dickhead," Blake says and hits him upside the head.

I roll my eyes and chuckle as everyone starts groaning at Shawn's never-ending sexual innuendos.

I smile and think of dad as I lean in again to blow the candle. He would have loved to be standing here right next to me, watching me begin my adulthood journey. He always called me his strong girl and witnessing his daughter grow into who I've become... I'm sure he would have done anything to be here. I take in a deep breath and slice into the cake with the knife.

After feeding everyone the delicious cake and obviously hogging some myself, everyone scatters around for the takeout dinner Draven ordered because my useless brothers obviously cannot cook to save lives.

"Hey, girlfriend." A tap on my shoulder pulls me away from my thoughts and I turn to face a grinning Caleb.

"Hi, there."

"Enjoying the party?" He asks as he wraps his arm around my waist and leans in mischievously.

"I sure am now."

"Flirting, are we?"

"You started it, mister. But I'm pretty sure one of my brothers will end it."

"Mm. Bummer. Here, I got you something." He mumbles and pulls out something from his back. He holds out a rectangular, matte black box and signals for me to take it.

"What is it?"

He gives me a dry look and sighs heavily. "You don't have hands?"

"Fine, jerk."

I snatch it away from his hands and carefully open it. The moment takes me back to the time when he sent me that golden dress I wore to his party. That party changed a lot of things for both of us. I reminisce how the dress and the gorgeous earrings had been delicately packed in a similar box like this.

"You've practically become my Santa Claus, you know that?" I ask him and chuckle at his befuddled expression.

"I hope those are not the fantasies you have about me."

"Ew, pervert. I have no kind of fantasies about you."

"Not even one?"

"Not even one."

He pouts and pushes his lower lip out, making me have the sudden urge to kiss him.

Woah. Back up, Summer.

"Open it, slowpoke," Caleb says and eagerly pushes my arm.

I open it and notice lots and lots of charms. A charm bracelet. How...

Indescribable.

I smile and hold it up at him, smiling at the different charms hanging on it. There is an S, a soccer ball, an Adidas logo, a peace sign, and a wine bottle.

"Hold up. I get the letter 'S', the soccer ball and the rest. Why is there an Adidas logo charm?"

"Remember the first time we met and our bags got exchanged? Well, you do know right that we both have the same black Adidas bag? I don't think we would have ever interacted with each other were it not for dear old Adidas." He explains and leaves me in awe of the numerous thoughts he's put into the gift for me. I embrace him tightly and feel my body melt into his at his simple touch. His cinnamon and mint scent hits me and I bask in the warmth he offers me.

"Ahem. Can I borrow my sister now?"

We pull away and face Jason staring at us with narrowed eyes.

What a party pooper.

Caleb grins at him and nods, winking at me as he leaves me and Jason.

"I have a gift for you."

"You do?"

"Of course, idiot. Now, it's nothing like the rest but I know it'll make you happy." He says and hands me a blue envelope. I furrow my eyebrows and take it from him, opening it slowly as I see a weird seal on the top.

"What is it?"

"Would you just open it? It's a damn surprise."

A letter emerges from the envelope and I open it. Are these hospital reports? Oh my god, is he pregnant?

Oh god. Turning 18 has messed with my head.

Dear Mr. Jones,

We are pleased to inform you that your application has been accepted into the George Washington University and-

"You fucking got in?!"

"Hell yes!" Jason shouts and pulls me into a hug.

"Oh my god. What the fuck, Jason? Congratulations, big bro." I mutter into his shoulder as I congratulate him and picture dad's proud face.

I'm missing you so much today, dad.

As everyone congratulates Jason on scoring an entry into his dream college, Draven slowly walks towards me with another envelope in his hand.

"Wow, you guys really nail this surprise-in-a-paper kind of gift."

"Another thing to make you happy."

I smile at his soft expression and open up the envelope. I take out the letter and scan through the various technical and legal terms.

"Uh...I don't understand shit in this. What does it say?"

"I had a talk with dad's friend, Mr. Sawyer."

Sawyer the lawyer.

The only trait I acquired today was an upgrade on my humor honestly.

"He gave me these papers and explained everything on it because the trust fund matured today. And one more thing. I have no idea how the fuck we are going to spend all that money." He says and scratches his head as he points towards the amount written on the document.

Holy shit, I'm a freaking millionaire.

"Oh, and your gift is inside." He says and pulls out another piece of paper from the envelope. He calls Jason and Aaron and points towards the letter he is holding.

"This is a letter from dad. He wrote it...uh...during his last days. It's for us. Mr. Sawyer gave it to me." Draven explains and opens the letter as he notices the excitement and eagerness on our faces to know what dad wrote for us. As he opens it, it's like dad himself is speaking to us. That neat and pristine handwriting. Nothing like my messy, chicken-style handwriting.

To Jason, Draven, Aaron, and Summer,

My dear children, I will be long gone when you receive this letter. I trust by now you will have gotten to know about the trust fund I left for you four kids by now. You must have gone through so many hurdles till now to reach where you are and wherever you are, I am always with you, standing proud.

Summer, my strong princess, happy birthday. Always know I'm with you in whatever you decide to do. Jason, my boy. Your early maturity and sense of responsibility always amazed me and I am sure amazes many other people. Never give up on your dreams, my son. Draven, you have always been different and that is what makes you stand out in the normal crowd. Don't be afraid to be unique, my son. Aaron, my brave boy. How big you would have grown by now. Work hard for your dreams and passions, son.

Live your lives to the full, kids. Remember I'm not far away. I'm right there with you, next to you, in your hearts. I love you very much.

Love always, dad.

I wipe my tears away and bury my head in Draven's shoulder to conceal the rest of them. I stay like that for a while until I'm sure the tsunami of emotions has calmed down. Receiving this letter from dad was certainly unexpected and overwhelming. A certain light feeling settles in my chest as if the reassurance that dad is always with me has finally stuck in my mind and my hypertension floats away.

"That was..." Aaron begins.

"Yeah," Jason says.

"I love you, idiots," Jason mumbles and pulls us three into his embrace. "And we love you, dad." I shut my eyes as he whispers that and I finally feel...complete. In a strange way, today of all days, I feel complete. Like a missing puzzle piece has eventually made its way into my life. The empty feeling is no longer in there in me and has been currently replaced with a radiant ball of happiness and love for the people I care about.

"Is that a group hug I see? Everybody, group hug!"

I chuckle as Shawn, Blake, Austin, Noel, Caleb, and Maddie mesh into one big group hug and attack us four. As the bedlam continues in the room, I smile to myself, knowing this is where I'd rather be than anywhere else because I'm with everyone I love and care about on an important day. It is nothing like where I pictured myself to be in the next few years but that Summer was different, so her visions were also different.

My life begins now and I know I have my guardian angel watching over me always.

***

HAPPY NEW YEAR, Y'ALL!!

Now, sorry for the late update first of all. I really wanted to finish this book by the end of this year but well, plans are never to be followed, right? ;)

Anyways, only two more chapters are left for IALHR! I repeat, only two. 😭

I will try my best to finish them within this week so I can maybe say I managed to finish it before 2020 properly started😂. Thank you for the massive amount of support you guys have shown this entire year and I love y'all. Cannot wait to write more in 2020 for you people :)

Much love, folks! Until, next time. Have a great year ahead!! ❤❤