"Absolutely not!" I stare in horror at the large recliner, something I would have loved months ago, sitting just inside the front door.
"Oh come on!" Castiel turns pleading eyes towards me.
"No way is that thing going in my living room!" I turn to look at the carefully designed space. It looks like it's straight from a magazine. Two accent chairs, perfectly pinstriped in yellow, grey and white, my yellow sofa with the mismatched pillows with prints of blue octopi and pink florals, the simple white area rug, and all the finishing touches, a blue vase filled with pink daisies on the mirrored coffee table, the perfect drapes, the antiqued dark wood mantle over the fireplace, covered in pictures of my life, the twenty or so mismatched candle sticks in the fireplace. It's perfect, and then I look back at the chair waiting in the doorway and groan.
"Can it at least go in the office?"
"You mean the office slash spare room? There's no room in there once you put a desk in along with the bed."
Castiel looks longingly at the chair for a moment before sighing, "You're right. I think I can part with it."
"Thank you." I pull him into a hug.
"I know you've worked really hard on this house these last couple of weeks. It looks wonderful. It doesn't need adding to."
"I think it could maybe use an expansion in the next few years."
"Definitely, there's plenty of room on the North side for an additional room or two." He suggests.
"I think I might want to expand the kitchen a little too." Castiel nods, we continue discussing renovations and additions as we haul the last few of his boxes into the house.
Monday May 17th 2010
Cas and I talked about renovating the house in the next couple of years. We'll be together that long, I know. Maybe we'll have another child by then. Maybe we'll be married. Maybe I'll stop being such a freaking girl.
"So I invited a couple of the neighbors to the party as well."
"Which ones did you invite?"
"I invited the three across the street and the two on either side of us."
"Okay, sounds good. How many people do you think will show up?"
"Well, at least eight not counting the neighbors, that's just all of our friends. Then if the neighbors do show up at least thirteen considering one person at each house, but what do we know one of them could have ten children or something crazy like that."
"Okay, so let's put out enough food for thirty. Does that sound good to you?" I look up from the grocery list to see Castiel digging through the fridge.
"What are you doing?" I laugh and take the opportunity to stare at his ass.
He peers at me from between his legs, "Letting you admire my ass, you know you look just as hot upside down as you do right side up?"
"Stop messing around." I glare but can't help the smile that spreads across my face when he wiggles his butt in my direction. "Let's go, we have to be set up by one."
"What time is it?"
"Nine."
"Oh so we have a little time."
"Not if you don't hurry your pretty little ass up we won't."
"Please gag me with a spoon!" Gabe walks into the kitchen holding Annaleigh, "You two are so gross!"
"Shut up Gabe!" Castiel shuts the door to the fridge.
"Are you going to be okay with her for an hour or so?" I ask the shorter man.
"Oh yeah, absolutely, she's an angel. We'll be fine, and if not, my plus one should be here in ten minutes or so."
"Your plus one?"
"Oh, Lawrence, he's my date."
"It's a house warming party Gabe, not really the place for a date."
"Not like he wasn't already invited. You're bringing a date!"
Castiel just rolls his eyes and picks up his car keys, "Let's go."
"What kind of store doesn't stock feta?" I complain, staring forlornly at the sad cheese selection.
"We can just run to Safeway real quick and grab some. Babe, it's the last thing left on our list it'll take like two seconds."
"Okay, but we really have to hurry, it's already eleven."
"You stay here." I tell Cas, "I'll just run in and grab some."
"Okay."
Inside Safeway I have to find the nearest employee and ask where the cheese is.
"You'll find it down by the deli." The boy points to the opposite end of the store and I groan but thank him.
I power walk to the deli area, rounding the corner my heart nearly drops out of my chest and I back up to hide behind the shelf.
Sam. Sam is standing right where I need to be, right in front of the cheese. At least I think its Sam, but it might be Dwayne, I only caught a glimpse. I peek around the corner, my heart starts pounding in my chest, definitely Sam.
I watch him for a moment, until he finds what he wants and leaves in the opposite direction.
I hurry to find the feta, only to find myself lingering in the spot where Sam had just stood. I can still smell his cologne. I can still smell Sam, the smell of freshly dug up dirt and newly cut grass. I can still smell the hunt, the blood and the gasoline flames, the scent of death that lingers on your skin for days no matter how many times you shower.
I shake myself out of it and head to the check out.
"What took you so long?" Castiel asks as I hand him the feta.
"I couldn't find it." I lie.
"Alright, let's hurry home and get set up."
"Hey!" I'm pulled into a hug by Allan when I open the door for him. "Congratulations! Here," He hands me a large pink gift bag, "I got something for Annaleigh since I know you don't really need anything for the house. The other part of the gift is in my car."
I look over his shoulder to his Mini Cooper to find a very large pink teddy bear staring back at me.
"I had to let the top down otherwise it wouldn't fit."
"Wow, thank you Allan, I'm sure she'll love it. Come on in."
I don't have time to close the door before the next guests arrive, an unfamiliar woman and three children.
I set aside the gift bag to greet them.
"Hi, I'm Cindy." I shake the woman's hand.
"Dean, it's nice to meet you."
"And these are my boys, the oldest, Jack, the middle, Damien, and the youngest, Erick." She gestures to each boy in turn, "We live in the little yellow house to your North."
"Well I'm glad to meet you all, please, come in. The party is in the back yard, food and drinks are in the kitchen and the bathroom is upstairs, first door on your left. If you need anything at all, just find me." I smile at them and lead the four through the house, "If you'll just excuse me, I have rolls in the oven."
I head back inside and to the kitchen where I find Castiel.
"Babe, do you think you could run out front and get the bear out of Allan's front seat? He brought it as a gift for Annaleigh; you can just put it in the front room for now, until we can find it a home in the nursery."
"Sure."
"Thank you." I peck him on the cheek before he leaves.
"Yep, don't burn your rolls."
"Crap!" I grab a pot holder and pull the rolls out of the oven.
Longer chapter! Yay! In the same night even! Go me! There may be one more, or I might just go to sleep considering that its three thirty in the morning! If it's not up in the next few hours then it probably won't be until either tomorrow night or Sunday night/Monday morning.