Chapter 8

Dinner at the Camden's

Annie and Sarah finally finished with the dinner, and it was only 5:30. While most everyone else was still outside Annie called in Ruthie and Lucy to help set everything up. She also quietly asked Sam and David to come in. She also motioned to Matt to come to the door

"Matt keep Brian and everyone else outside until I tell you to come in for dinner we are going to decorate the dining room for his birthday."

"Ok, will do." Matt answered her and went back over to everyone still outside.

Now Annie was ready to get started. "Ok" Annie started to say, "We know it is Brian's birthday so I have a project for you boys. Go upstairs and make a giant Happy Birthday Brian Banner"

"Ok Mom "they said and they headed upstairs. Annie started to give directions" Lucy, set the table for I think 14 but recount, Ruthie, go into the pantry in the cabinet where I keep the birthday stuff and get it out some balloons and streamers. Please blow up balloons and Sarah will you help, also hang some streamers."

Then she told them, cake is done and cooled and ready to be frosted so that is what I am going to do now" Annie then frosted the cake and decorated it covered it and put it aside, along with some candles.

Annie looked over the dining room was all decorated it was almost perfect balloons and streamers hung everywhere. All that was needed was the birthday banner the twins were working on. As if on cue they boys came down stairs with it with a huge banner. That read in big bright bold letters, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIAN. She thought it was perfect. She had them hang it so Brian could see it as he came into the dining room from the kitchen. They boys put streamers and balloons all over the chair at the head of the table (which also faced the banner) so Brian would know he was supposed to sit there. Annie went to the back door and called out, "Dinners Ready!"

She made everyone come in and whispered, "Don't say anything as you go into the dining room, She made sure that she kept Brian from hearing her and from him going in there, until everyone else was in there. Before he went in she stopped him. "Well we did this because we love you and want to let you know how happy we all are to have you in our lives now."

She told him to close his eyes (He thought to himself "I feel really silly and stupid doing this but I guess I will do as she says."

She led him to the entrance of the dining room, and then told him it was ok to open his eyes. He was absolutely stunned that they would go to all this trouble for him they didn't even really know him. His eyes welled up with tears.

They all yelled "HAPPY BIRTHDAY."

He was so choked up and a little embarrassed, the only words he could manage to say was "Thank you"

He sat in the seat of honor, Sam and David made sure they told him they made the banner & decorated the chair. He gave them both a hug

(He thought to himself "I am getting pretty good at all this hugging")

Annie and Sarah brought out all the food. Then when everything was on the tables (a second smaller table was set up in the room for the kids)

Eric, started saying, "Brian, I know you may not be used to this but this is how we do things in the Camden house and now with me saying that let us all stand and bow are heads say grace,"

He said a short prayer making sure he thanked God that he brought Brian into their lives and at the end they all said … Amen.

Then they sat down to eat. Brian couldn't believe the amount of food that had been prepared in such a short amount of time or how good it was and since he didn't specify exactly what kind of Mexican food he liked, she made everything you could possible imagine.

He said to his Annie "I can't believe you and Sarah did all this. I can't believe how good it is and for me to say that is a great compliment, because I am very picky when it comes to my Mexican food."

They continued to eat and talk and joke around. When they were done, and some of the plates were cleared away, Annie brought out some paper plates that were decorated with a birthday pattern.

"Are we ready for cake?" She asked everyone.

"Oh you really didn't do that too?" Brian said in amazement. "You didn't have to do that."

Then Matt spoke up, "Of course she did and don't knock it wait until you taste it you will never want store bought cake again. She doesn't make the cake from a box mix either. It's all from scratch" Matt rubs his stomach as he tells Brian.

Before Annie goes back into the kitchen Brian catches hold of her arm. "I don't know how to say thank you for all this, my own mom and dad. Uh, well the parents who raised me NEVER EVER did this stuff for me or Nicole, dad was always too busy with his life and mom, well that's another issue entirely I don't want to go there right now."

She smiled back at him and knelt down next to his chair. She held his face. "Brian, this is how I treat ALL the people in my life that I LOVE, and this also includes YOU TOO now. So let me go get the cake."

When she started to come back in the room she motioned to Eric and he got up and dimmed the lights she brought the cake in, lit candles and all, she put it before Brian and everyone started in singing "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU….." and when they were done singing Annie told him make a wish and blow out the candles.

He looked at them all and said, "I don't have to make a wish I already have what I want," and then he asked the kids to help and they together all blew out the 35 candles that had been put on his cake.

When they were all finished, Brian thought to himself," I really should go home and shower and change before the party at Ivy's tonight, I can't go sweats and a t- shirt and Bridget wouldn't appreciate me showing up all sweaty and smelly." Brian spoke up," listen at some point I have to run home before we go tonight, I HAVE to shower and change, it's pretty bad when I notice how bad I smell."

Matt said back to him "I probably have something to fit you and I think we have the same size feet, so take a shower here, but don't use all the hot water" He laughed," because I need one too, before we , where is this place anyway." Brian answered, "Downtown LA. It's not too hard to fine it's off the 110 on Wilshire Blvd."

Ruthie over heard them. "Where are you going, I guess I am supposed to babysit mom said "Brian told her "My girlfriend and some our friends are having a party for me at a bar in LA. The bar belongs to a friend of ours and it called Ivy's."

"I wish I could go Ruthie said, "But I won't be 21 for a few more months plus someone needs to babysit anyway"

"Well if the babysitting wasn't going to be an issue I know Ivy would let you in because she is actually closing the bar to outside patrons and just using it as a function hall that happens to have a bar in it."

Matt chimed in, "I have an idea, maybe Richard and Rosina, my in-laws would babysit, it's just a thought, Well let me call them, Brian you call your friend Ivy and make sure it is ok, and Ruthie you might want to mention this to mom and dad."

Matt called his in-laws and Rosina answered, "Hey Mom "He called her mom too. "I have a favor to ask, would you mind babysitting tonight I know it is short notice"

Rosina answered "You're in Glen Oak? Of course we will babysit."

He and Sarah had forgotten to call them to tell them they were there early with all the stuff that occurred this filled her in on the news about Brian, he didn't think that anyone would mind if he told them after all they were family too.

Richard was right there too, so Rosina relayed the info to him. Needless to say they were quite shocked. They were happy for Matt and the rest of the Camden's. They were excited to babysit their grandsons and they didn't mind watching Savannah either and they figured Sam and David being 12 would actually be able to help told Matt they would be over at 7pm.

Brian called Ivy's and spoke with Jimmy, Ivy's husband, and It was ok with him for Ruthie to be there since the bar wouldn't be technically open for business. So with that all set He looked for Matt to get some clothes to wear after he showered and shaved.

Everyone was all dress and ready to go by 7:30. Richard and Rosina had been there for about a half hour already and they like everyone else when they first met Brian couldn't get over the resemblance between Matt and Brian. Brian borrowed Matt's Lap top to look up the exact address to Ivy's because even though HE knew where it was He wanted to give everyone the address so they could put it in their GPS in case they got separated on the drive over there.

They took 3 cars, Brian, took his of course, and since Matt and Sarah didn't want to take the rental car, they got in Brian's car.

Annie and Eric took Simon and Ruthie in their car, and then Kevin and Lucy took their car. Brian knew if there was traffic, it would take 45 minutes to an hour to go the 27 or so miles to get there from Glen Oak.

Brian took Eric and Kevin cell # in case either of them got lost and so they headed out. Brian put his phone in the holder when he was about halfway there so he could call Bridget and put it on speaker phone. He was still a bit worried about bringing his new family to meet his friends, He didn't want to make a bad impression things had been going so well so far and he didn't want to have that wrecked.

He called her it rang only twice. When she picked up she had seen that it was Brian on her caller ID. "Hi honey I hope you are on your way?"

Brian replied, "We all are about half way there we are on the 110, near Arroyo Seco Golf course. Listen just so you know I have you on speaker phone and my brother Matt and his wife Sarah are in the car with me."

Bridget knew with Brian making a point about telling her who was in the car she needed to watch what she said.

"Anyway, Brian continued, about what we talked about earlier? How was did the news go over I am especially concerned with how Adam reacted you know how he can be and is everyone OK with what I asked?"

"Don't worry Bri" Bridget reassured him. "Everyone is fine with things and we told them they need to behave and Dave jokingly told them that anyone who didn't would be tossed out" She tried to sound like she was really making a joke out of things so family in the car wouldn't think anything was wrong.

"Ok I will see you soon Bridget I love you." "I love you too Brian" They hung up and within about 20 minutes they all got there and pulled into the parking lot next to the place. He thought to himself, "God I hope this goes well. I would hate to lose what I just found because of anything that happens here tonight." They all proceeded to get out of their cars and head into the place.