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When we come to a stop outside my parents’ house, there isn’t anything suspicious to give away the surprise birthday party waiting inside. All our family and friends were instructed to park at neighboring houses and come in groups. I received a text right before we left the house saying everyone was ready to go, and I sent a response as we turned into their driveway.
I can’t help but chuckle at the fact that Reid knows about the party, because we have kept this thing under lock and key.
He looks at me as we walk toward the door, a smirk on his handsome face.
“How did you know?” I ask, my voice a whisper.
He shrugs. “Nothing is a secret in this town.”
I purse my lips and just glare at him.
“Also, the caterer called the house last week to confirm.”
“Jersey called thehouse?” I roll my eyes. “Figures.”
I shove through the front door. “Mom?” I call out as we take off our winter coats. “We’re here!”
“Dad and I are in the living room!”
The sound of my mom’s voice has Reid chuckling quietly to himself. If there was ever a giveaway of the surprise in the next room, it’s my mother shouting across the house to us instead of coming to greet us at the door.
Junie bounces excitedly through the entry and over to the living room ahead of us, and when we come around the corner, a loud “Surprise!” is shouted by the crowd of people waiting.
I grin when I look at Reid, because as much as he said he ‘knew’ about tonight, part of me thinks he didn’t know exactlywhat to expect. The look on his face says this was much more of a surprise than he was anticipating. It might be Christmas Eve, but my parents’ living room is filled with close to thirty people: my siblings, all of Reid’s friends from around town, his family—everyone we love wasinvited to celebrate my husband’s 40th birthday.
Of course, once the cat’s out of the bag, the entire room is chaos. Hellos and hugs are exchanged and drinks are poured before everyone heads into the back yard. Over the back porch, a canopy has been erected and outdoor heaters have been set up, the entire space decorated with flowers and twinkle lights and one long table to seat everyone.
It’s a magical evening, and the joy on Reid’s face is unmistakable. For a man who prefers a quieter life, he sure knows how to come out of his shell in situations like this one. I watch as he chats with his friends, his family, and my family, never missing a beat. He’s laughing constantly and smiling nonstop.
Reid’s fears about the future are still a reality. He’s still in therapy, still meeting regularly with his doctors, and has even started a new injection regimen that has had some moderate success in helping men with Kennedy’s disease delay onset of certain symptoms. He also finally opened up to more people in his life about what the future looks like for him, and thankfully, that settled the nagging sensation in his chest that made him feel like he was constantly hiding something.
“I think it will be easier to be myself when the people I love know the truth,” he said one day after he shared his diagnosis with Nick.
And it really was. Something blew open inside Reid when he gave himself the freedom to be honest. It started with me and then trickled on to other friends and family members, and now, he isn’t carrying his burden alone. He’s surrounded by peoplewho not only love and support him, but who also know what he may face in the future, and that makes such a huge difference.
We’ve been lucky in a lot of ways, though, and we feel constantly grateful for our very happy life. His symptoms have only progressed slightly, primarily as tremors in his left hand. It’s enough that he’s brought on an apprentice to work the shop, a young man named Everett who will eventually take over the primary woodworking if Reid gets to a point where he thinks it would be best to take a back seat. I was worried at first, but then I saw the smile on Reid’s face when he and Everett were talking one day after work, and I knew it was all going to work out just fine.
“It’s like chatting with my dad about the trade, but this time,I’mthe one on the teaching side of things,” he told me one night as we sat on our porch, looking out over the lake. Then he looked at me with a big smile. “It’s going really, really well.”
I haven’t felt even a little bit worried about it since.
“Think he was surprised?”
I glance at Briar where she’s washing dishes on the other side of the kitchen island. For the most part, everyone has gone home to snuggle in for the remainder of their Christmas Eve, only my siblings and their families staying behind to help with cleanup.
“He had an inkling of what was going on,” I tell her honestly, “but he hadnoidea it would be this big.”
She smirks. “Nice. I was worried for a while.”
I shake my head and finish scooping the roasted potato leftovers into Tupperware. “No, it all went perfectly. He was very surprised.”
“You talking about me?”
Looking over my shoulder, I smile when I see Reid and Andy walking through the sliding door to the back yard.
“Always.”
“Hey, why don’t you guys take off,” Briar says. “I’m just about done, and Andy can finish up with the leftovers.”
