Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
Chapter 9- A Second Surprise
Author's Note: sorry! sorry! sorry! My computer decided to randomly be screwy for no reason, so I ocouldn't update it until now. Thank you for all the love!(:
Mason's POV
"I'LL GET IT!" Leah shouted when the doorbell rang. She sprinted from the kitchen to the front door, leaving me in the dust. She swung open the door, where Justin was waiting outside.
"Did you bring my present?" she asked him excitedly. She bounced up and down like a little jumping bean. I raised an eyebrow.
I reigned her in by her shoulders. "Now, Leah, that's not very nice," I informed her, "What do you say?"
"Sorry," she pouted, then smiled again.
"Good job, Lovebug," Alex called from the kitchen, "You always butter him up first, then you ask him if he brought it!" She snickered away.
"Well," Justin laughed, "at least someone plans on teaching her some manors!" He bent down to Leah's level and scooped her in his arms, making her giggle uncontrollably. "Happy birthday, Squirt,"he smiled.
"Guess how old I am!" she ordered in between giggles.
"Hm..I don't know..." He pretended to think about it, "Sixteen?"
"Noo!" she rolled her eyes.
"Um...eighteen?"
"Wrong again!"
"Okay...five?"
"Nope!" she announced, much to his surprise.
"Huh?"
"I'm not five yet," she explained. "I won't be until eleven thrity-six this afternoon!"
"Which is why she insisted that her party be exactly then," Alex informed him as she tore off her chocolate-stained apron and tossed it on the kitchen table, relieved from the final attempt of making Leah's birthday cake.
"I always blow out my candles at eleven thirty-six," Leah told him.
"Why is that?" Justin asked curiously.
"Apperently it's good luck to her," I replied.
"It makes my wish's magic work better," she told him. Alex and Justin exchanged laughs.
"Ah, I see. So, do you need any help with the decorations or anything?"
Alex dragged a few Wal-Mart bags from the kitchen and flopped them on the table. "A lot is already there, we just need to bring this, and cake number four, and we'll be all set." She turned to our daughter. "Go ahead and get dressed, honey."
"Okay!" she replied as she took off. She froze, then spun around. "Can I pick it out?"
Alex raised an eyebrow as Leah folded her arms and gave a pout. "Out of the options I give you. Deal?"
"Deal," Leah sighed.
"By the way," Alex remarked, "Don't even try the pouty look on me. I invented that." Leah laughed at she skipped to her room with her mother, who ended up skipping too.
Harper's POV
"Hey aunt Harper!" Leah called when she spotted me as I came down the stairs. The little girl pranced from the sub shop's entrance to hug my legs. She was wearing a dark blue jean skirt, a white blouse, a hot pink quarter-sleeved sweater, tied together with light and dark pink striped knee socks and white converse. Her hair was wavy as always which flew in all directions as she ran. Yep. No doubt she wasAlex's daughter.
"Happy birthday, girlie!" I told her as I hugged her back. She gave me a dazzling smile as Alex and Mason entered.
"When can we do presents?" she asked them excitedly.
"When everyone gets here, sweetie," Alex smiled down at her. Leah groaned.
"So who all's coming?" I asked curiously.
"You, Mom, Dad, Justin, Max, and pretty much some of Lee's friends from school," Alex replied.
"Sarah, Myrah, Conner, Destiny, and-," she giggled, "-Joshua."
My eyebrow raised. "Is this 'Joshua' guy somebody special?" I smirked.
"No," she said quickly, refusing to look me in the eye.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that somebody might have a crush, little miss," Justin smirked.
"What?" Leah demanded, "Me? Joshua? What? Him? Ew!" she shuddered, obviously lying. "Pshh no way! Pshh!" She crossed her arms and turned away, her cheeks as red as a tomato.
"It's okay, honey," Alex smiled, putting an arm around her daughter.
"There is no way I like Joshua. No way. Not happenin'!" she stated. The shop's door opened. Leah spun around, gasped, then turned back to us. "Oh my gosh he's here-how's my hair?"
"Little Alex," Mason coughed. Alex smacked his shoulder, making him laugh.
Leah frantically pushed the dark hair out of her face. "Hey, Joshua!" she called.
"Hey, Leah!" he smiled sweetly. Hey waved by to his mom and made his way over.
"Oh my gosh guys he's coming! Act cool!" she spun around to face him. We instantly bursted with laughter. Leah glared in an adorable way.
"Where is everybody?" Joshua asked.
"Not sure," Leah replied, "I think you're kind of early. Do you wanna see the cake?"
"Sure!" he laughed, "Race ya'!" The two dashed to the counter, nearly plowing over Mr. Russo, who was exiting the kitchen.
"Aww," I smiled, "A girl's first crush is always the sweetest."
Alex laughed, grinning at them as they raced around the counter. "She sure knows how to pick 'em! He's a cutie."
"She takes right after her mom," Mason smiled, then turned serious. "But if he breaks her heart, I'll break his tricycle."
Alex's POV
"Alright, Lovebug," Mason smiled as he put an arm around me, "this one's from us." He passed her a small box wrapped in purple and silver wrapping paper. Leah took it from him as she set Mom and Dad's present on the table. I was still amazed that they bought her an iPod. Not a little $70 iPod shuffle that she would loose in a week, but a $300 touch. For a five-year-old.
I shook it off as she carefully opened the box, trying her best not to tear or bend the shiny paper, probably hoping to save it to tape on her "pretty paper wall" in her room.
"Come on, Leah!" One of the boys complained. I think his name is Conner.
"I'm trying!" she whined back. She finally reached the velvety box. She slowly opened it and smiled.
"It's beautiful," she smiled at us. I helped her pull the neclace out of the box. It was a shiny silver chain that held a shiny locket with her name engraved in face cursive.
"Open it," I smiled.
She slowly opened the heart-shaped locket and gasped.
"Is that us?" she asked.
"Yep," I smiled. I put my arm around her. "That was at your first birthday." I glanced at the tiny picture. Memories of that day flooded my mind, making tears well up in my eyes as I slipped it around her little neck. The three of us looked so happy. Everything was simple.
"Can we have cake now?" one of Leah's little friends interupted impatiently.
Leah grabbed Mason's wrist and glanced at his watch. "Eleven thirty-two! We gotta do the cake NOW!" she announced. Leah clapped her little hands excitedly.
"Mom!" I called to the kitchen, "Can you bring the cake?"
Leah's POV
"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Leah, Happy Birthday to youu!" My friends and family sang to me as Nonna brought my cake out to the table.
"Cha-cha-cha!" My uncle Max added, hoping the other kids would be singing the add-in, too. Much to his disapointment, he was alone.
Daddy checked his watch. "Eleven thirty-six, right on the dot!"
I closed my eyes and wished with all my might. God, Jesus, Birthday fairy, whoever's listening, I wish for something absolutly amazing to happen today. Amen. I blew out my five purple candles, smiling a mile wide. The entire room burst into applause. Then, everyone gasped.
"What?" I asked. Momma and Daddy looked at eachother.
This can't be happening, an unknown voice whispered in the back of my mind. I didn't reply. The voice wasn't uncommon. It tells me what's going on and when something bad happens. I get this weird feeling inside when Momma or Daddy are upset or worried. Always have, probably always will. And as of right now, I was getting that feeling.
And then, I was floating. Literally.
"Leah!" Momma yelped. She tried to reach for me, but I was floating too high, right out of my seat. The ground was slowly getting further and further away. My head bumped against the celing. Ow. All my friends screamed. I was so confused. What was happening to me?
What did you think? Like it? Love it? Hate it? Let me know!
Chapter 10 coming much much sooner than this one did:)
