Chapter 21: Happy birthday Jess
Jess woke on her 25th birthday in Tommy's arms. She pressed a kiss to his chest before slipping out from his arms.
"Were are you going?" He asked his voice full of sleep.
Every year on her birthday she and her dad would visit her mum's grave together. It wasn't something they did very often but even in his grief stricken state her dad knew how important it was for her to see her mum on her birthday.
"I have to meet my dad." She reminded him, they had talked about it last night.
She slipped on her jeans and grabbed a t-shirt from her wardrobe. Although she could feel Tommy's eyes on her as she dressed Jess knew she didn't have the time to be distracted.
After she was dressed Jess walked towards Tommy pressed a kiss to his cheek.
Jess moved to go away when Tommy grabbed her hand to stop her. She turned back to look at him.
"Happy birthday baby." He said smiling.
"Thank you." Jess said. She bent down and kissed him one last time before pulling herself from his grasp.
"I'll see you tonight?" He asked and Jess nodded.
Tonight she was going to a birthday party Thea had planned at the club for her.
"I love you." Jess said as walked towards the door.
"I love you too baby." Tommy replied as she slipped out of her bedroom door.
Jess stopped off at a florist on her way to her mum's grave and picked up the brightest bunch of flowers she could find. The list had taught her how lively her mum was and she wanted flowers that would represent that.
When she reached the cemetery her dad was already there. She got out the car and walked towards him.
"Happy birthday honey." He said when he saw her.
Jess hugged her dad.
"Thanks Dad." she replied.
Jess begun arranging the flowers she had brought while her dad laid out a blanket in front of her mums grave. When she was done Jess sat back on the blanket next to her dad. Her dad put his arm around her shoulders and held her close.
"She would have been so proud of you." He told her.
"You think?" Jess asked.
Her dad look down at her a smile on his face.
"I know." He corrected.
Jess smiled and looked back at her mum's grave.
"I finished the list." Jess stated talking to both her parents.
"It was fun." Jess said, thinking of all the things she and Tommy had got up to.
"Really fun." she added.
She looked off into the distance.
"I don't remember much about you other then you being sick but this list let me see another side of you and not matter how much I wished I could have seen it in person, I am glad I at least got to feel it." Jess said.
Tears slipped down her cheeks.
"I have no doubt she was watching you do everything on that list." her dad told her.
Her dad pulled her close as they sat in silence for a few minutes. She wanted to believe that.
They stayed for a little longer before they went back to her dads for breakfast.
"I have something for you." He told her when they were done.
Jess smiled and watched as he dad left the room. He returned a few moments we a small bag.
"This is from me." he said handing her the bag.
Jess opened it eagerly and found a beautiful charm bracelet.
"I hope you like it." Her dad said.
Jess jumped up from her chair and hugged her dad.
"I love it." she told him honestly.
"Good. Well I thought it was something you can add to over the years." Her dad added as he pulled back.
Jess nodded she would added to it.
Connor opened the door for Jenna as she wondered in carrying their lunch.
"Thanks." Jenna said and she handed Connor the tray of their coffees she was carrying.
Connor nodded and followed her over to his sofas. Sharing lunch with Jenna had become a regular thing and Connor was quite enjoying himself. He really liked spending time with her.
"Do you want a ride to Jess birthday party tonight?" Connie asked. Jess and Jenna had really hit if off since their first night out together and Jess really wanted Jenna to come to her party.
Jenna took a sip of coffee and shook her head.
"No thanks. I was actually going to ask if I could leave a little early I still needed to pick Jess up a birthday present." Jenna replied.
"Ok." Connor replied.
He didn't really like the idea of her wondering round the Glades alone. Maybe he could offer Max service for the night and could grab a lift with the boys.
"I'm not too sure what to get her. What did you get?" Jenna asked.
Connor whipped his mouth.
"Vegas was my birthday present." Connor reminded her.
Jenna froze looking at him.
"You're serious aren't you?" she said in disbelief.
Connor frowned, what was wrong with that? He happened to think it was a very generous gift.
He nodded slowly.
Jenna sighed.
"Vegas can't be her birthday present." Jenna told him as if it was a fact.
"Why not?" he questioned generally wanting to know the answer.
"Because Vegas was about completing her mums dying wish not her birthday." Jenna reasoned.
"Plus you didn't exactly pay for Vegas QC did." Jenna added.
Connor sighed in defeat. She was right. He had use the company card to book Vegas which meant he has used his family money.
"Dam it I have to get her a birthday present." Connor muttered to himself.
He looked down at his watch. It was ten to two, he only had a few more hours before the shops closed and he had no idea what to get her. Normally Katie would have brought something for her but now he was on his own.
"Don't freak out." Jenna ordered as she laid a comforting hand on his arm covering his watch.
Connor looked up and met her eyes.
"We will figure something out." Jenna promised.
Connor sighed. Somehow Jenna always calmed him.
Sara smiled as she watched Jess get out of her car and head towards Sara's. Jess had spent the morning with her dad but now Sara was taking her on a birthday treat.
"Happy birthday." Sara said as Jess opened the car door.
"Thank you." Jess replied with a smile as she got in the car and closed the door behind her.
Sara waited until she was buckled in before pulling away from the curb.
"How was your morning?" Sara asked.
She knew Jess sometimes found it hard going to her mum's grave especially with her dad.
"Normally it's hard to go with my dad but today it was nice." Jess said.
Sara looked over at her friend and saw a soft smile on her friends face.
They sat in silence for a few minutes.
"So are you going to tell me where we're going?" Jess asked.
Sara smiled and shook her head.
"Nope, it's a surprise." Sara replied.
She had arranged for them to spend the afternoon being pampered before they had to get ready for the party as her birthday present.
"So what did Tommy get you for your birthday?" Sara questioned.
"I haven't really seen him today but he did give me the necklace so I am not really expecting anything else." Jess replied.
Sara looked over at Jess to find her playing with the pendent Tommy gave her. It was beautiful but Sara wasn't so sure she would be as calm as Jess was about the tracker in it.
"I bet he will get you something else." Sara told her honestly.
Tommy Queen loved buy people things so Sara had no doubt that now Jess was his girlfriend that he would shower her with gifts even more than he already did.
Sara turned left when she saw the sign for the spa and Jess gasped. So much for the surprise.
"You're taking me to the spa?" Jess stated and Sara nodded.
"We have all be so busy lately I figure it might be nice for you to spend your birthday afternoon being pampered." Sara explained as she parked the car.
"Thank you." Jess squealed with excitement as they got out the car.
Tommy sighed in relief as he pulled a beer out of the fridge and walked towards the sofa. It was good to be home. All afternoon Thea had been ordering him around. Put this here, move that there. No not there, there. His Aunt could be a real drill Sargent when she wanted to be. He had stopped on his way home to drop off Jess birthday presents. He hope she liked them.
Tommy kicked off his shoes and collapsed onto the sofa the same time the front door opened and Andy walked in.
Tommy nodded towards his friend.
"Hey." Andy replied.
He went to the kitchen returning a few moments later with his own beer.
"How was Thea today?" Andy asked.
Tommy shook his head.
"Horrible." Tommy replied summarising in one word.
"How did you get out of helping by the way?" Tommy demanded realising that of all the people that had been in and out of the club all day helping Thea Andy and Connor weren't one of them. Tommy knew Connor had to work today but he had no idea what Andy's excuse was.
Andy sighed and lent his head back. He didn't looked like he had a much better day.
"My mum text me this morning asking if I would help her with a couple of things." Andy said.
Andy sat back up and looked over at him.
"So I text back sure, but when I get there it turns out to be a blind date with one my parents neighbours daughter." Andy told him.
Tommy couldn't help it he burst out laughing.
Andy glared at him.
"It's not funny." Andy declared but it was.
"Why would she do that?" Tommy asked when he managed to stop laughing.
"She said she wants grandchildren someday and since neither me or Sara seemed anywhere close to it she thought she might help." Andy replied.
"What did you do?" Tommy asked.
Andy shook his head.
"The women was already there I couldn't just leave." Andy pointed out.
Tommy shook his head. He couldn't help but smile it was funny. He wondered if his mum had ever considered doing the same thing.
"So how was your date?" Tommy asked and Andy groaned.
"It was awful." He admitted.
"All this women talk about was how shitty her ex was." Andy explained.
Tommy patted Andy's shoulder in comfort. It sounded horrible.
"Don't worry tonight is going to be so great you will forget about your horrible date." Tommy told him. At least until the next date Layla made him gone on.
Andy sighed.
"Your right." Andy agreed.
Jess was so relaxed when they got back to the apartment. Sara had spoiled her with the pamper day.
"That was so nice." Jess told Sara as she opened their front door.
Sara nodded in agreement.
"I'm glad you liked it." She replied.
Sara pushed opened the door and walked inside. Jess followed closing the door behind her. She looked up and froze when she notice two boxes on the breakfast counter. Jess frowned. Sara had said the spa day was the gift from her so who left these.
"What's this?" Jess asked Sara.
Sara shrugged and walked towards the boxes.
"There's a card." Sara said pulling a card from one of the boxes. She held it out towards Jess.
Jess took it from her friend. She looked down at it and smile as she found Tommy's messy scrawl of her name looking back at her. She opened the card.
Jess,
I liked seeing you wearing my colour around your neck so much I couldn't help myself. I hope you like it.
Happy birthday baby.
Love always
T xx
Jess couldn't help but feel excited as she pulled open the lid to the first box. She gasped when she saw the dark green dress.
She pulled it out of the box it was stunning.
"Wow," Sara said.
"What's in the other box?" Sara added equally as excited.
Jess put the dress back into the box before picking up the other one. She tore the lid off. Inside was a pair of strappy silver heels and a beautiful silver wrap. Jess took them out the box and admired her stunning gifts.
"There is another note." Sara told Jess.
Jess looked inside the box and found another note. Sara picked it up.
"My mum said these would go nicely with the dress. I love you. T " Sara read aloud.
Jess loved it and she couldn't wait for tonight so she could show Tommy how much.
Tommy watched Jess as she walked around the club talking with her friends and family. She had kissed him when she first arrived but it wasn't long before Thea was whisking her away to talk to people.
Jess looked stunning in the dress just like he knew she would. It was strapless hugging her stunning breast before falling loosely to just above knee. But what had made Tommy buy it was how much he wanted to see Jess in his colour.
"You used to stare even when you weren't together." His mother said startling him from this thoughts.
"In fact I think you might be worse now." She added.
Tommy looked to his left just into to watch his mother slide gracefully into the chair next to him.
"I always knew you loved Jess." His mum told him a smug smile on her face.
"Really?" He said.
His mum nodded. His dad did say she knew everything. As a kid he thought that maybe she was magic, always knowing when he did something wrong. But now he knew it was just because his mum was observant. She watched people and that old her everything she ever needed to know.
"Whenever she was sad so were you and whenever she was happy so were you. You hated every single one of her boyfriends." His mum points out.
Now that he thought about it Tommy knew that his mum is right. He used to think he wasn't a one women man but now Tommy knows he was exactly that he just didn't know it.
"I am going to marry her one day." Tommy states, not doubting it for a second.
His mum laughed.
"Oh I am counting on it." she replied.
She looked over to his shoulder to someone on his left and smiled.
Tommy turned to follow her eye line to find Jess coming towards him.
Jess was loving every minute of her party but she really wanted to see Tommy. As if sensing her need to escape Sara distract her current companions and Jess slide into the background before heading straight to Tommy determined not to let anything stop her. He was sitting with his mum who laughed at something he said.
Felicity noticed her first as she approached.
"Hey birthday girl are you having a good time?" Felicity asked putting an arm around her shoulders.
Jess nodded.
"It's amazing." Jess told her honestly.
Thea had outdone herself this time and she had received such lovely gifts. Layla and Diggle got her a beautiful silver charm in the shape of J with emerald jewels in the centre. Andy gave her a beautiful dark pink scarf. Felicity and Oliver also brought her charms; Oliver's was a book and inscribed on the book was Russian 101, Felicity charm was of an angle. Felicity had told her it was to represent her mum so that she would always be there. Connor with the help of Jenna had brought her a beautiful chocolate brown handbag. While Jenna had opted for a simple yet stunning pair of silver studs in the shape of love hearts.
"Good." Felicity replied giving her a quick squeeze.
"Well I am just going to see what your father is up to, I will catch up with you both later." Felicity said before disappearing.
Jess looked and Tommy.
"I have missed you today." she told him honestly.
"Me too." he replied instantly pulling her into his arms.
He cupped her check before capturing his lips with hers. Tommy gently nipped her lower lip and Jess opened her mouth for him to deepen the kiss. Dam it had been far too long since they had done that.
Some clear there throat from behind her. Jess reluctantly pulled away from Tommy.
"Sorry." she mumbled to Tommy before turning round to face a very smug looking Sara.
"Thea wants to do the cake." Sara told her.
Jess nodded and Sara disappeared. Jess turned to face Tommy.
"Come with me?" she asked.
She had spent most of the day away from him she didn't want to spend anymore.
Tommy leant forward and kissed her forehead.
"Always." he promised.
Jess smiled and took his hand. When they got downstairs, Thea was waiting with cake in hand. Jess watched her family as they began singing to her.
She loved them all so much and she knew they felt the same about her. Life really was amazing.
"Happy birthday Jess." Thea called out as she blew out the candles.
Hey everyone I just want to say thank you so much for reading, I have one chapter left after this, and then I will be moving on to Connor and Jenna's story. Thanks again for reading and I will update as soon as I can.
