Chapter 1 - Nora
I knocked on the door and glanced at my phone, checking the time. It was just a little past eight, so I knew that Jade would be up.
The door opened, and Brandon stood there. He had toys in his hands that he was trying to balance, but what caught my attention was the tutu and makeup that were smeared on his face. I smirked, unable to hide the amusement. “Morning, Brandon. Don’t you look pretty?”
Brandon didn’t even look flustered seeing me. “Nora? What are you doing here?”
Before I could answer, Jade was walking down the hallway looking perky and energetic. “We have the party tonight. She’s helping me set up. Or did you forget?”
“That’s tonight?” Brandon said, seeming to lose track of the days. I couldn’t help but scan his outfit again, holding back a laugh. The tutu clung to him tightly, and the make-up was a hot pink matching it.
“I didn’t know they made tutus that big,” I giggled.
Brandon looked down, seeming to realize that he was clearly dressed up. He opened his mouth to answer, but Ilsa came down the stairs wearing an entire princess outfit. She had her hair pulled back with a tiara on her head. She had some makeup on her face that I imagined Jade did herself.
I glanced into the living room, seeing that it was set up with pink streamers and glitter balloons. There was popcorn set out, and a movie was paused.
“Daddddd, come on.” Ilsa hurried toward the couch, grabbing a bowl of popcorn and curling up in a blanket.
Brandon rolled his shoulders back, looking confident as he smiled. “I have a movie to watch.”
I held back a laugh as he turned on his heels, walking into the living room. I slipped inside, always feeling so relaxed when I came over. I always felt that way when I was around Jade. Our friendship had been one that I knew I could trust.
I thought when Brandon came into the picture, things would have changed, but they hadn’t. If anything, it shifted into something more comforting. I found I trust Brandon almost as much as I trusted Jade.
I watched as Brandon sat down on the couch, pulling Ilsa close as he started the movie. Jade hooked her arm with mine, a smile on her face. “I wasn’t expecting you until a little later. “
I chuckled. “And if I had, I would have missed seeing this.” I pulled my shoes off and yanked my jacket free. “Besides, I know you said you wanted help with cooking, so I figured, why not come and help with that as well. I mean, Mr. Princess in there seems occupied.”
Jade laughed. “He’s pretty confident in it. He will do just about anything for her.” I remembered just how worried she had been when Brandon moved back. She was utterly terrified of losing Ilsa and anything else that could happen. And now, when she looked at him, I could see the sparkle in them.
She looked like a different person than the one I knew, yet she was still the same. Sweet and caring. Brandon had been a perfect half to her. He stood by her for the hard times, and they worked together as a team. I was jealous of how perfect they were. But I knew how hard it had been to get here. I saw how difficult it had been for them to get to this point in their relationship.
“Come.” Jade pulled me toward the kitchen, where she had already pulled everything out. The counter was filled with ingredients. “Do you want a coffee?”
I nodded my head. “Sure. What are we all making again?”
“Uhhh…” She started the coffee maker, seeming to calculate everything in her head. “Eight pizzas, three dozen garlic breadsticks, two dozen cookies, and two pans of brownies. I think that should be enough to feed everyone.”
My eyebrows went up. “How many people did you invite to this?”
“The parents from the daycare and the guys that work with Brandon. I’m worried I won’t have enough food, though.” She handed me a coffee mug and started another. “The guys are kind of animals when it comes to food.”
I chuckled. “I think that should be enough food. Where would you like my help?”
Nora and I talked while we cooked. I cut the vegetables while she made the pizza dough. I made the brownies while she worked on the cookies. Before we even knew it, the entire morning had gone by, and it was a little after four, and the doorbell went off.
“Is that the doorbell?” Jade asked, her hands pausing as she scraped the cookies off the cookie sheet.
“Sounds like it,” I said as I opened the oven, pulling out the last pizza. The kitchen smelled amazing, and the food looked perfect. I was impressed with how smoothly everything went. Not a single thing was ruined.
Brandon stepped into the kitchen, looking more himself. He looked over the counter space, and his eyebrows went up. “Damn, you guys made all of this? I’m impressed.”
“Who was at the door?”
“Jessie and Logan. I told them they could head around back. Do you want me to start bringing this out?”
“Yeah, but be careful, some of this is still hot.”
