Page 7 of Forged Forever

“I do not know where her head is at. We haven’t kept in touch.”

“Let me know how that conversation goes. I’m going to check on Jake, then I need to get going.” I walk back inside Jake’s room, a little weary and stressed, to find him still napping. Gently shaking him awake, I tell him I need to go and will call him later. He nods before falling back asleep.

I text Seb when I get into my Jeep. It’s Gabby’s 16th birthday today, and she wanted a spa day and a party tonight. She and 3 friends had mani-pedis this morning, and then they were giving each other makeovers at her condo. They invited me to the salon, but I declined. Gabby wasn’t upset since she knows that’s not really something I’m interested in, but I appreciated the offer.

Tenants can rent the common room on the first floor of the condo building for special occasions, so that’s where the party will be. Troy, Seb, Zander, Alex, and I are decorating the room this afternoon.

Seb is waiting for me when I park outside his building, and I'm enveloped in a warm hug as soon as I get out. My body sags into his embrace as I pull in some of his strength. “How bad was it, Sunshine?”

“Pretty rough. Jake was yelling afterwards and kicked Ray out of the room. He’s furious, but we talked to Cameron, which helped. It’ll take time.” I'm honestly surprised I'm not crying right now. Maybe I'm too worn out from the story.

“They'll work through it.” He slings an arm over my shoulder, squeezing me into his side. I take a deep inhale of his citrus scent to help settle me. “Come on in. We started with the streamers. E is bringing the cake over later,” he says, guiding me to the common room.

Troy and Zander are setting up tables and chairs along the edge of the large room, and I see Alex twisting purple and yellow streamers attached to the walls. “Let me say hi, and then I’ll help Alex,” I offer.

Seb nods, shaking his butt to the music softly playing through the room, as he heads for the helium tank in the center. It’s a nice, if plain, room with grey tile floors, white walls, and recessed lights scattered across the ceiling. I get a hug from Zander and say hi to Troy before joining Alex. “Hey there,” I greet.

“Hello Summer,” he smiles, reaching for a side hug, keeping the streamers pinched together with his other hand. “Are you helping me?”

“Yup. What can I do?”

“If you will grab this twist from me, I will attach the other end with the ladder. We can continue around the room with you twisting and me attaching to the wall.”

“Sounds good,” I reply, grabbing the streamers from him. We spend the next two hours hanging them around the room, meeting in the centre. Seb has dozens of balloons blown up for us, and the tables are ready with purple and yellow paper tablecloths. Troy and Seb make an arch around the double doors by taping the balloons to the opening, and Alex and I make a cluster of balloons to hang in the centre of the room where the streamers meet while Zander adds bowls with purple and yellow lights on each table.

Gabby requested we dress up, since she wanted to wear a fancy dress, so we split up to head home, eat, and clean up. The afternoon was helpful in processing my stress. Alex showed up at my house a week ago with a knee-length dark blue dress with a silver belt adorned with flowers. It’s sleeveless with a high neckline and a full skirt. I must admit it’s beautiful, although I didn’t need him to buy me a new dress. He just smiled when I told him that.

Zander and I make dinner, then I grab a quick shower and shave. I pull the front of my hair up off my face with a clip and then apply some mascara and eyeshadow, along with a tinted lip balm. Next, I get into my underwear. The nice thing about this dress is that I can wear regular underclothes, which I love. No matter the price, strapless bras are uncomfortable, as are thongs. I add the earrings Seb bought me for Christmas and a bracelet, and then fill a small purse with my lip balm, debit card, phone, and keys. I need Zander to zip me up, so I find him waiting in the kitchen. He’s dressed in a light blue dress shirt and black dress pants, freshly showered and shaved.

We went in on a gift together for Gabby. It’s kind of an unusual present, but after talking with Seb and Troy, we came up with the idea. We invested some money for her, and she can take it out for college or afterwards. The longer she leaves it, the more she’ll get, and I hope she likes it.

Zander drives us back to the condo in his truck. The party starts at 6pm and goes until around 8pm. Seb and Troy are escorting Gabby downstairs shortly after six. We arrive 10 minutes early, and there’s a large crowd of people already here. Zander sets our gift on a table along the left wall as I look around. The room looks beautiful, and kinda magical. Troy and Seb must have strung purple lights around the ceiling after we left. The tables are lit, music is playing, and people are sitting around chatting. E outdid himself as usual with the food. There’s a three-tier purple and yellow cake surrounded by snacks, veggies, fruit, dips with crackers, and chips. An assortment of drinks sits on ice.

Zander breaks off to a table with Finn employees, and I head for Alex, E, and Bay at another table. “Hi everyone,” I wave.

Alex gets up to hug me as I get greetings from E and Bay. “You look beautiful, Summer,” Alex tells me after stepping back.

“Thanks. I love the dress,” I reply. “You two look dapper in your suits,” I tell E and Bay.

Olivia comes barreling into my back before I notice her. “Summer,” she smiles.

“Hi Olivia. Oh my, you look beautiful.” She's wearing a sunshine-yellow dress, the ribbon at her waist a crisp, contrasting white. Multicolored sparkles dust the top, contrasting beautifully with the airy, flowing tulle of the bottom. She has ballet flats on, and her hair is up in a high ponytail.

She beams up at me. “Thanks. I love your dress,” she replies, touching the rhinestones on my belt. “So sparkly.”

“Thank you. We match with our sparkles tonight. Come sit with us,” I say, pulling out an empty chair and taking the seat beside her. She tells Alex, E, and me about the new goldfish in class and about the kid drama at school. Penny arrives and sits with us while Olivia talks. She’s in a sweet pink cotton dress with a floral print, her hair down in loose curls.

David calls for Olivia to join him just before the lights flash, letting us know Gabby is nearly here. She rushes over to him as we all stand, and the music cuts out.

Seb walks in first, striking in his black suit, crisp black shirt, and light purple tie, hair combed back, announcing the birthday girl with an over-the-top flourish that is all Seb. Gabby enters, escorted by Troy, as we clap and holler for her. She’s in an ankle-length princess dress in lavender that looks amazing with her complexion. The top is strapless and looks embroidered, with a full, layered skirt. She even has a small tiara on her head with her curly locks pulled off her face. She smiles brightly, waving at all of us before being rushed by her cheerleader friends. Troy steps out of the masses and joins Zander while the music restarts.

I get a hug and twirl from Seb before he sits down beside me. “You look hot, Sunshine,” he whispers into my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

“And you are dashing in your suit,” I reply.

The evening is happy, filled with the sounds of laughter and music. Gabby and her friends hit the dance floor soon after she arrives. She takes time to visit each table before cutting the cake. I help E cut pieces and set them near the end of the table by the drinks so that those who want a slice can grab one. Even the adults bust a move on the dance floor. I’m able to dance with Olivia, Dad, and Seb before E asks to cut in as a slow song starts. “Hey E.”

“Hi Summer. Having fun?” E wraps his arms around my waist as we sway to the music.