“Shut it, superstar.” Lily playfully elbowed Wren, who only hugged her tighter.
Three stops later and a short walk down the block, the two of them stood in front of the familiar yellow building that was home to the Green Room—their new permanent breakfast fixture.
Lily grinned as she beat Wren to the door, holding it open for her with a showy gesture. “Birthday girls first.”
Wren shook her head, smiling as she passed through, but it was the way her cheeks glowed with that dewy pink color that made Lily melt. Wren liked to act all tough, like she didn’t need anything from anyone, but Lily knew she loved to be taken care of, even if those words would never leave her lips.
The terrarium-like interior greeted them as they stepped inside, Wren craning her neck to see what outfits the odd assortment of dolls adorning the light fixture were wearing this time. Lily slipped her hand into Wren’s, bypassing the counter and leading Wren back to the little table in the corner they had eaten at months ago—the table Lily had coordinated to have decorated ahead of their arrival.
“Surprise!” she said, squeezing Wren’s hand.
A confused look spread across Wren’s features as she processed the sight of the tablescape before them, rubbing a hand over her head. “How did you…?”
Dylan stepped out from the little hallway. “Surprise!” She beamed, clapping her hands.
Excitement replaced confusion on Wren’s face. “Dylan! Hey buddy!” she said, pulling Dylan into a one-armed hug before the three of them took their seats. Wren and Lily sat together on the booth side, Dylan opposite them.
“Dylan helped me get the table all set up,” Lily explained as one of the café workers appeared with the breakfast Lily had preordered: peanut butter and banana pancakes smothered inNutella. “And of course everything had to be your favorite color.” She picked up one of the party hats, playfully placing it on Wren’s head with a slight snap of the rubber band. “Pink!”
Wren draped her arm across the back of the bench seat as she looked at the table. “This is amazing. Thank you. And Dyl! Bud, thanks. Breakfast with you two is exactly what I wanted for my birthday.”
Lily reached into her bag, pulling out a pack of pink glittery candles and placing them into the stack of pancakes. Dylan handed her a lighter, saying, “Jen said the candles were okay as long as we’re quick.”
Lily glanced up at the counter, where Jen, the owner of the Green Room, was smiling excitedly, giving her a big thumbs-up. Turns out she and her daughter were big Puget Sound Pride fans, and Lily may or may not have told them she would have Wren sign a few things in exchange for the birthday setup.
She lit the candles, nudging the plate toward Wren. The candlelight glow lit her features, excitement etched in her smile. Lily took a mental photo, tucking it away with the others of Wren she held on to.
“Today marks the first day of your next trip around the sun. Make a wish, superstar,” Lily said softly, watching the way Wren crinkled her nose before closing her eyes and blowing out the candles.
“Huzzah!” Dylan raised her mug of coffee in a cheer as the three of them divided up the gooey stack of pancakes before digging in.
Lily sat back, listening as Wren and Dylan debated the best Dungeons and Dragons strategies. Dylan had managed to get Wren hooked over her off-season, and it was now a favorite topic of discussion for the two of them. Lily had played along the one time they had tried to teach her the ins and outs of the game, but it had become apparent very quickly that it wasn’t really herthing. She took a sip of her green tea, grinning as Wren went into extreme detail about her battle strategies.
She chewed thoughtfully on her pancakes, mentally running through the rest of the day’s events ahead of them. She had spent weeks planning and coordinating the perfect birthday for Wren, filled with all of her favorite things—and this was just the start.
Breakfast had been the kickoff plan. A chance for her, Dylan, and Wren to catch up—something that had been easier when Lily had lived with Dylan the year before. Of course, there were presents, but the main event, the real surprise, was happening later tonight.
Lily had begrudgingly coordinated with Sydney a plan to get Wren to the venue for tonight’s official birthday surprise—a private karaoke room. Sydney was in charge of keeping Wren busy while she and Dylan set up at the karaoke bar with the plan to kick things off at nine. Keeping this secret from Wren for the last month had been so hard, and for once, Lily was grateful for busy schedules and a short catch-up period.
“Lily?”
Lily blinked as she glanced up, finding Dylan looking at her expectantly. “Sorry, spaced out there for a sec. What was that?”
“She was asking if you’ve got any more details about Beth’s new girlfriend.” Wren grinned, her hand skimming over Lily’s thigh under the table.
Oh, that. Dylan was the first person Lily had told after she had inadvertently interrupted her mama’s sleepover—if you could call it that. In her defense, her mama could have given her a heads-up text sayinghey, I’ve got a girl here, maybe don’t pop over unannounced. But apparently that was too much to ask.
“No. I mean, she is definitely dating someone, but she won’t tell me who. She said it’s still new and that patience is a virtue I need to work on.” She rolled her eyes.
“I kept an eye out like you asked while I was working at the Grumpy Goat over my spring break, and the only person Beth came in with was Sarah. But that’s not new. They’ve been doing that yoga class every Tuesday since the beginning of the year. And I even asked Pat about it, but he told me to mind my own business.” Dylan laughed.
“Rude.” Lily giggled, reaching for the syrup, dousing the remains of her pancakes in the sticky amber liquid.
“You guys could be happy for her,” Wren said quietly. “Like, c’mon. I imagine it’s gotta be weird dating someone after your girlfriend dies.” A look of horror crossed Wren’s face as she realized the way her words had landed. So clean and so final. “I’m sorry—I mean, Jamie was awesome. We all love Jamie. But, like, it’s gotta be weird, right? I mean, if you died, Lily, I don’t think I would ever date again. I can’t imagine being with anyone but you.”
Lily blinked, looking at Wren with curiosity. She knew Wren loved her, knew how real their feelings were for each other, but if that were true, why was she suddenly feeling uneasy?
“Oh my god, you two are, like, sickeningly in love. It’s kind of gross.” Dylan mimicked dry heaving into her hands, Lily’s foot quickly finding her shin under the table.
