Page 76 of Your Love

“That’s Natalie,” he says, gesturing towards Ivy’s little sister, a girl with dark blonde hair and a friendly smile.

“That’s Natalie? We got old fast, man.”

“Speak for yourself,” he says. “Some of us are still skating every day.”

“EVERYONE GET DOWN! SHE’S HERE!” Delzy whispers urgently.

We hear keys fumbling with the front door, signaling Ivy’s arrival. The anticipation builds until, finally, the door swings open, revealing her silhouette against the bright hallway lights. Suddenly, the room is flooded with light, and we all shout in unison.

“SURPRISE!” A chorus of excited voices fills the air as Ivy stands in shock.

Delzy approaches his clearly overwhelmed and emotional fiancée, a soft smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Welcome home, Ivy Girl.”

“How did you know I was coming home early?” she asks, her eyes shining with surprise and excitement.

He turns to look at us, a mischievous glint in his eye. “I had some help,” he admits, gesturing towards Sascha, Kerri, and Sarah, who are all beaming with delight.

“What!” Ivy exclaims, rushing over to embrace her friends.

“Your fiancé is quite resourceful,” Sascha remarks with a grin.

“Now that the party is starting, let’s go man the bar,” Taz suggests.

We hand out champagne, beer, and wine before Sash approaches Taz. “It’s time,” she says. Taz shakes his head, a small smile appearing on his lips. He follows her to the middle of the room.

“Listen up, everyone,” Sascha begins. “Many years ago, I made a bet with Taz and ended up losing a game of HORSE. The payment? A Marathon bar. Unfortunately, I could never pay him back due to unforeseen circumstances.”

“A candy bar is like fifty cents.” I point out.

Sascha’s head whips around to me as she snaps, “You, Landry. Zip it!”

I shake my head and let out a soft chuckle. These two always seem to put on a show full of dramatic gestures and exaggerated expressions. It’s almost comical how they can’t seem to have a conversation without some form of theatrics involved. But I’ve grown used to it over the years—it’s just part of their dynamic.

Sascha continues her speech. “As I was saying, I owed him something and was never able to settle my debt.”

“You also tried to have me killed with a psychotic farm bird,” Taz reminds her.

Kerri’s hand lands on Taz’s arm. “Let’s not speak ill of the dead, Michael Tazman.”

Sascha rolls her eyes and snaps again, “Can you people please let me get through this?”

“I recently faced off against Taz once again in a mighty rematch,” she announces. “And once again, I was defeated.”

The crowd lets out a collective, exaggerated gasp. “So listen up,” she continues, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she mimics air quotes, “Taz is not just the ‘Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of our time,’ but also ‘the best number 23 in sports, including Michael Jordan.’”

“Thank you for that impromptu and very impartial opinion, Sascha,” Taz says. “But there’s more. Right?”

Her eyes flicker with annoyance. “Yes, Michael. Thank you for the reminder,” she replies, her voice laced with heavy sarcasm. “I also need to tell you all that Taz is my boyfriend and the love of my life.”

Fucking finally.

“I’ve loved him since I can remember.” Her voice holds a sincerity and depth that surprises everyone. “I will now field questions for exactly five minutes.”

Ivy’s excitement is palpable as she bursts out, “Are you really moving to Denver?”

A smile creeps across Sascha’s face. “Yes, I am moving to Denver. I’ll be living with Michael Tazman again. May the Lord help me. Next question.”

Kerri’s eyes light up with excitement as she asks, “Are the two of you planning on getting any adorable pets together?”