Warmness on the Soul

She waltzed up Matt and Val’s garden path smiling to herself; twenty six, damn she was getting old.

Grace could already smell the barbeque the guys had set up in the back garden for her birthday party. She tapped on the door, then mentally kicked herself; there was no point, no one would be able to hear her. She walked into the back garden and her smile grew even larger when a chorus of, ‘Happy Birthday!” hit her and Brian slinked an arm around her waist, “Happy birthday Gracie,” he whispered in her ear. She smiled up at him.

“Hey Grace, happy birthday!” both Matt and Val said walking up to her.

“Thanks you two, hey, where’s Dylan?”

“He’s at his grandparents, can’t do keg stands when you’re running after a two year old can you?” Matt said smiling, showing his dimples, Val looked up at him and shook her head.

“He still thinks he’s eighteen.”

Grace laughed, “So, where do I put the alcohol,” she asked indicating the bottle of Macallan whisky, she was never a fan of Jack Daniels, it wasn’t a real whisky, she did bring a bottle for Zack though.

“You brought drink to your own birthday party?” Brian asked amused,

She smiled sheepishly, “Yeah, I felt bad not bringing some.” Brian shook his head and directed her over to a table near the barbeque that Matt and Jimmy were tending.

After eating Brian dragged her over to a deck chair and made her wait on her presents coming to her.

The first was from Jimmy and Leana, it was a pearl bracelet, they knew how much she loved pearls, Grace hugged both of them in turn.

Matt and Val bought her a photo album, “Open it Gracie,” Val smiled as Grace obliged. Inside were photos of her and the guys from the last two years of knowing each other. That holiday in the mountain cabin, in the studio, times where Grace didn’t even know there was a camera, and she loved it.

Vengeance 6661 hoodies and merch came her way from Zacky and Gena, they knew she’d had her eyes on them for a while.

“You need to learn to just chill out and relax, Grace.” Lacey said handing her an envelope. Grace opened it tentatively, it could be anything with those two, it was however, a day out at a spa with her girls.

Last, but not least, Brian turned to her, “You have no idea how unbelievably hard you are to shop for Grace, I mean seriously.” he muttered handing her a box.

She laughed, “Really? I don’t think anyone’s ever said that before,” she opened the box and inside were two rose bushes, “Brian, they’re beautiful, thank you,” she smiled giving him a kiss on the cheek.

“Dude, you got her rose bushes? Are you really that unimaginative?” Jimmy asked laughing.

“I’ll have you know there’s method in my madness,” everyone looked at him, “What?” he asked.

“Are you going to tell us or make us guess?” Matt laughed.

“Oh, shit right, well see, the red one, is supposed to symbolise courage and respect, and the pink, well they mean grace, sophistication and elegance, you have all three. I also figured they’d get more beautiful with age, just as you do,”

“Pussy,” Johnny said under his breath, earning him a slap from anyone who was near him.

“Thank you Brian, really they’re beautiful.”
***

After they’d ate and Grace had opened her presents they all went down to the beach, Brian was meeting his latest girlfriend, Claire, there, “Hey, guys, I’m going to go for a walk, be back soon yeah?” Grace told the guys, getting up from the coarse white sand.

“I’ll come with,” Zack said doing the same.

Her long auburn hair blew about her face due to the salty sea air, as her and Zacky strolled along the beach. There was silence between them, it wasn’t awkward, or at least Grace didn’t feel so, but Zack, well Zack doesn’t know when to keep quiet.

“What’s wrong Gracie?” he asked, putting an arm round her shoulder and drawing her closer to him. She always felt at ease with Zack, more so lately than Brian.

“I, I just, I’m so confused Zack,”

“About Bri’?”

“Am I that obvious?”

“Only to me,”

“I just, shit, Zack, I think I love him.”