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When it was time to eat, the kids gathered at a table and dug into the pizza, as did the adults. Immediately after that, Jacob opened his presents from his friends, then suffered through the obligatory ‘Happy Birthday’ song before blowing out his four candles.
Valerie had brought a triple layer chocolate cake with raspberry filling between each of the layers, covered in rich chocolate frosting, and Paige wasn’t in the least bit shy about snagging a big piece. Jumping around like a four-year-old expended a lot of energy.
Evan, who was in attendance, whispered to David, “She eats cake like a champ. Could she be more perfect?”
“She loves bacon, too,” David whispered back.
“You lucky son of a bitch.”
After the party was over, David, Paige, Jacob, Valerie, and Evan returned to the loft, for ‘family’ presents to be opened, and when Jacob saw the size of Paige’s gift, his eyes almost popped out of his head. David made him open it last and once the paper was off and he saw the contents, he gave a whoop of excitement, then demanded David put the easel together. With Evan’s help, it took less than ten minutes, after which Jacob thanked Paige with a big hug.
“I’m glad you like it,” she told him.
After Valerie left, David, Paige, and Evan retired to the couch with glasses of beer and wine, while Jacob napped on the floor near his easel, and the cats played nearby with bits of wrapping paper and all the empty boxes.
“Are you sure you shouldn’t move him?” Paige asked. Even though Jacob was laying on a fluffy rug, it just looked … wrong.
“He’s fine. It’s not the first time he’s fallen asleep on the floor,” David said, before pulling her in for a kiss. “Your concern is very sweet, though.”
Evan glanced over at Jacob, then at David. “Have you heard anything from Ashley?” he asked in a low voice.
“No,” David answered, before taking a drink of his beer.
Hearing that, Paige was torn between thinking how shitty it was, especially on Jacob’s birthday, and thinking it was a good thing, because Ashley getting out of his life was the goal after all. Not to mention, with the court date less than two weeks away, any contact from her before that would only complicate the situation (as well as be confusing to Jacob), who wasn’t going to be told about the new custody arrangement until it was done.
Later, after Jacob woke up and they finished off the leftover pizza from the party, Paige volunteered to give Jacob his bath, so David and Evan could keep talking. “If that’s okay with Jacob.”
Since Jacob seemed excited at the prospect, David agreed, and watched as the two of them headed down the hall to the bathroom.
Alone in the kitchen with another round of beers, Evan leaned back in his chair and told David, “I’ve never seen you this fucking happy.”
“That’s because I’ve never been this fucking happy. Not even the first time around with her.”
“So, what’s your plan to lock it down? Do you have a plan?”
“Sort of.”
“That means you don’t.”
“That’s not what it means. Look, I’m playing it by ear, all right? I’ve got the ring—”
“Holy shit, you do?” Evan looked at David with surprise. “Well, let me see it.”
“No. She’s right down the hall.”
“So what? She doesn’t have x-ray vision, for Christ’s sake. Show me the damn ring.”
David jumped up to get the ring from his nightstand drawer, then brought it out to Evan, who proceeded to examine it like he was a jeweler at Tiffany’s.
“You spent some cash here,” Evan said when he was finished. “If Ashley could see this, she’d shit herself.”
David took a drink of his beer, but didn’t say anything, because it was likely true.
“God, I never liked her,” Evan added with a sigh.
“Really? I didn’t know that. Why don’t you tell me one more time?”
Evan chuckled. “So, you have a ring. That’s great. And you’re playing it by ear. That’s not so great.”
