Teddy shrugs, playing it cool. “Nothing.”
“Uh-huh.” I eye him sideways. “Not even a little surprise?”
He shakes his head with too much enthusiasm. He’s not subtle. Excitement is humming off him like he’s about to explode. The second I push open the front door, I get my answer.
“SURPRISE! Happy birthday!”
I flinch back half a step as streamers fly, noise makers erupt, and a chorus of voices, some family, some friends, and at least one drunk neighbour, belt out the greeting. Teddy’s giggling like a little madman.
“Of course.” I crouch beside him, brow raised. “You knew about this?”
“Uh-huh.” A giggle spills out of him before I can even react. I tickle his ribs, and he squeals harder. The second I straighten, I’m swarmed.
Xavier claps a hand on my shoulder. “Look at you. Another year closer to back pain and bladder issues.”
“Piss off,” I grunt, but my mouth twitches.
Bradley slaps my back. “Happy birthday, mate.”
Michael hands me a stubby. “Drink up. You’ll need it. Your bones are probably creaking.”
Harrison smirks. “One step closer to those pensioner discounts, hey?”
I shake my head, overwhelmed but trying not to show it. I notice Woody next, leaning up against the wooden archway with a beer in hand. Stokes is next to him, already halfway through a plate of wings, grinning like an idiot. Reynolds raises his drink with a casual nod.
Even Emma is here, a wine glass already in hand and a wide grin on her face, telling some poor soul a story with way too much hand movement for it to be good. It takes me a second to process everything. They’re all here. My team. My people.
Under one roof, in my mother’s house.What the actual hell?
A lump lodges in my throat. Too many faces, too much noise, and I suddenly feel the weight of it all pressing in. Gratitude. Disbelief. Something close to panic. I’m not used to being seen like this. Not by everyone at once. And just like that, I notice something’s off.
Woody spots me and shouts across the room, “Well, well, look who finally turned thirty!”
“I’m thirty-five, idiot,” I call back, willing my unease to fuck off.
“Exactly. Well past the point of no return.” He raises his beer. “Welcome to your soft launch into geriatrics.”
Emma loops an arm around my shoulder before I see her coming. “Happy birthday, boss man.” She leans back, squinting at me. “Still no greys. That’s disappointing.”
I snort at her remark, just as Reynolds appears, smirking behind his glass. “Didn’t think we’d miss your annual grumpfest, did you?”
I shake my head, huffing a laugh. I should be annoyed, but I’m not. It’s surreal. The kind of surprise that feels like a slow-moving sucker punch to the ribs. In a good way. I grunt my thanks where I can to others, but my attention’s not really on them. It keeps drifting. Skimming over heads, between groups, past the bodies packed into the living room and spilling onto the back deck. I’m scanning. Searching. For her.
There is an ache in my chest now. A sharp, stupid thing. Like I need Olivia to anchor me. Like I won’t be able to breathe properly until I find her again. Everyone’s mingling; Isla’s deep in conversation with Emma near the kitchen now, Xavier’s already helping himself to whatever’s in the oven, his plate piled like a man who hasn’t eaten in days, but Olivia? Not where I expected her to be. That is, until I step out onto the back deck. Then, I finally see her.
She’s by one of the tables covered with food, laughing at something Imogen has said. She’s holding a red plastic cup, cheeks flushed pink, eyes crinkled at the corners, hands gesturing wide like she’s mid-story. Her hair’s down, loose and soft down her back.
And her smile—
Fuck me.
Her smile is so bright, it might as well be lighting the whole damn backyard. It hits me square in the chest. Hard. Deep. All-consuming. Well.So much for that delivery.
Sneaky, sneaky woman.
And suddenly, for no explainable reason, my throat tightens. My eyes sting.What the hell?
Before I can make sense of whatever the fuck that was, my mother intercepts me, sliding two envelopes into my hand and pulling me into a hug before I can step away.
