Learning to Fall

Decorating for a children’s party was what could normally be described as a relatively simple task, involving the parents blowing up a few balloons and adding some streamers in various parts of a room. I wished for nothing more then to be one of those parents, as this moment found me attempting one of the hardest tasks I had ever encountered – stringing a line of fairy lights across my patio roof.

Miranda had instructed me that while she was out picking up the cake from the bakery, it was my job to decorate the backyard, which I had mistakenly thought would be easy -until I had seen Miranda and Ella’s ideas of decorations. The party was to have a princess theme and because of such, the girls had purchased many decorations fitting to that.

I found myself halfway up an old ladder, trying to fix the lights to the roof as quickly as possible, as I seriously doubted it would hold my weight for much longer.

“Daddy, someone is at the door,” Ella yelled, coming out the glass door and out onto the patio. The ladder swayed dangerously to the side, causing me to whimper and clutch desperately at it.

“Coming,” I managed to choke out and scrambled down the ladder as quickly as I could, practically jumping from it in my eagerness to be away from the chore. I made my way over to Ella, grabbed her little hand and led her towards our front door.

“I think it might be people from Frank’s mom’s shop,” Ella mentioned in an excited voice.

“Oh, I hope so!” I replied, squeezing her hand as I recalled what a help Frank had been. With one quick phone call Frank had solved every single one of my dilemmas’ to do with Ella’s party. Apparently his mom owned a party supplies store that contained every single thing you could ever need for a children’s party. He had simply told his mom the theme, and she had promised to deliver a princess spacewalk, a cotton candy machine and a horse merry go round on the morning of the party, along with decorations and serving plates. Frank had instantly become my hero that day, and I had spent the rest of my afternoon as his personal slave. Though admittedly, he hadn’t asked me to do much except walk him to his car and hold the door open.

I reached the door and pulled it open, revealing two men in bright orange shirts waiting somewhat impatiently.

“Hi, can I help you?” I asked politely, while Ella peered behind the men in an attempt to see if it was her spacewalk.

“Yeah,” the first man replied gruffly. “We’ve got a few deliveries for you, is there anyway we can take them around the back to set up?”

I nodded and pointed to the drive at the side of the house. “There’s a gate over there, just go through that and straight on back.”

The man and his associate gave a brief nod before making their way back down the path and towards the truck. I shut the door and turned to my daughter, who was tugging impatiently on my hand.

“Daddy,” Ella began, looking very innocent. “When will Sophia get here?”

I sighed. “I don’t know, sweetie.”

Ella’s face crumpled. “I want her here now,” she whined. “I don’t even like any of the other kid’s mommy invited.”

I knelt down and wrapped my arms around the birthday girl. “I’m sure she will turn up on time,” I said comfortingly. “How about you go and put on your princess outfit on?”

Ella’s face lit up once more. “I’m going to be Cinderella!”

She wiggled her way out of my arms and dashed up the stairs, to where she had claimed the Cinderella outfit from the moment her mother had brought them into the house. Miranda had picked up a number of Disney princess costumes so that all the children at the party could dress up, as well as some Tiara’s and pretty dresses for the kids who missed out of one of the few Disney costumes.

I made my way over to where the costumes were and pulled out a special one Miranda had made sure to get for Logan, as he needed a smaller one then the other children. Logan was going as Prince Phillip, the prince from Sleeping Beauty, a costume in which he was sure to look adorable in.

“Logan,” I called, summoning him from the lounge where the Wiggles had been keeping him occupied for the last hour. His little, quick footsteps could be heard on the Italian tiles as he ran into the front foyer.

“What daddy?” He asked. I held up the costume for him to see.

“Time to get changed, buddy,” I informed him, gesturing towards the stairs. Logan instantly ran over to the stairs and began slowly making his way up them. He refused me carrying him up them normally, preferring instead to be a big boy and climb them himself. When we finally reached Logan’s room, I sat him on the floor and took off his clothes before pulling the costume out of the bag. It consisted of a small pair of black tights, with a navy blazer and a little gold crown. Logan immediately snatched the crown from my hands and put it on his head.

“Now don’t you look handsome?” I said, smiling at my little boy and held out the tights for him to put his legs in. He quickly complied with my request, letting me pull the tights up and then place the navy blazer over his arms. I then took the crown off his head and ran a comb through the small amount of hair he had, flattening it on his head so he looked more prince like.

“Gorgeous,” I pronounced, replacing the crown back on his head. “Go show Ella.”

Logan quickly ran out of the room and into his sister's, giving a cry of, “Look, me prince!”

I entered the room just as Ella was giving Logan her nod of approval. Ella herself was halfway dressed, and pulling up the white stockings underneath her sky blue dress, looking every inch the princess she was. She smiled at me as she saw me enter the room, hopping around trying to get her tights all the way up.

“Daddy, do my hair for me?” She asked, knowing I had become somewhat accomplished at perfecting her hair due to the years of practice.

“Sure thing, pumpkin,” I replied, plucking out the comb I had placed in my pocket for Logan’s hair. I quickly and easily swept her soft blond hair up into a somewhat elegant bun, placing a silver tiara at the front. Ella ran over to the mirror the moment I was done, admiring her reflection from every angle before running back over to me.

“Thanks’ daddy,” She said, giving me a kiss on the cheek and skipping out of the room, obviously pleased with the results. I glanced down at my son, who was digging a finger into a tub of lip gloss he had found on the floor.

“Not long now, Logan.”

“Daddy!”

Ella’s whine echoed through the kitchen, her small face scrunched up into a frown as she glared angrily at me. I resisted the urge to laugh, as that was all you could do sometimes and instead knelt down to her level.

“What’s wrong now, Ella?” I asked as patiently as I could, considering the last few hours had been filled with Ella complaining about the parts of her party she was not happy with.

She pouted once more. “I don’t know any of the kids here and they’re not playing with me,” Ella complained, “It’s my birthday party!”

I adjusted the tiara on her head so it was straight again, and said, “Darling, I know, I’m sorry.”

“It’s all mommy’s fault,” Ella told me, a statement which I completely agreed with. It was her mother’s fault. Miranda had invited her work colleague’s and their snobby children to the party, leaving anyone Ella actually knew and liked completely off the list.

“Sophia shouldn’t be too much longer sweetie,” I said, hoping that the mention of her good friend would put her in a better mood.

“Good,” Ella said, glancing out the glass sliding door to see the other children enjoying her birthday party. “I just wish- HEY!”

Ella quickly made for the door, pulling it open with some force and rushing over to where the costumes were hanging for the other children to claim as their own for the day.

“That’s for my friend,” she snarled, yanking the Belle costume from a small girl.

“I saw it first,” the girl protested, taking the end of the dress and pulling back.

Ella tugged it back into her arms, though the girl didn’t let go of it. “It’s my birthday, I get to do what I want.”

I sighed as I watched the display, knowing I would inevitably have to go and break it up.

“Give it to me!” The little girl yelled, reaching out an arm to hit Ella.

“Hey!” I called out, stopping the little girl in her tracks as she looked at me, unaware an adult had been watching. She quickly pulled her arm back, but didn’t let go of the dress, clutching it as if her life depended on it.

“Daddy, this dress is for Sophia,” Ella explained to me, her innocent blue eyes filling with tears.

I turned to the little girl, who was glaring at Ella. “Can you please give this to Ella? It’s for a special friend of hers,” I said patiently. The little girl reluctantly let go of the dress, knowing she was out numbered. She gave Ella one final glare before stomping away to where the party was taking place.

“You should probably go hide that, sweets.”

Ella nodded her head in agreement, before the sound of the doorbell ringing made her eyes light up. I followed her as she ran through the house, reached the large wooden door and flung it open. Her face dropped as she saw yet another business associate with her snobby child.

“You must be the birthday girl,” the woman said, a fake smile appearing on her Dior coated lips. She then looked up at me and said in a much flatter tone, “and you must be Gerard.”

“Yes, I am,” I agreed. The woman looked me up and down, before pushing a perfectly wrapped present into my arms and making her way through the rest of the house, her Prada shoes clinking on the Italian tiles. The woman’s daughter trailed behind her, her nose in the air as she surveyed the house.

I was about to say something to Ella, but the doorbell ringing once more stopped me. “You want to get that angel?” I asked my little girl, who was sulking on the stairs. She shook her head and buried her face in her knee’s.

I pulled open the door to see Frank’s smiling face staring back at me, with an equally cheerful daughter by his side. In his hands, Frank held a badly wrapped present, accompanied by a home made card obviously drawn by Sophia.

“Hey,” Frank said, grinning. “Sorry we’re late, had an accident with the wrapping paper, as you can probably see.”

“Hello,” I replied, before turning towards my daughter. “Ella, look whose here!”

Ella’s head shot up to look in the direction of the door, and upon seeing Sophia, she ran down the few steps and launched herself at her friends little body, wrapping her arms tightly around her.

“Happy birthday,” Sophia managed to say, before Ella pulled away and held up the Belle dress.

“I saved this for you,” Ella announced, somewhat proudly, as Sophia smiled and admired it. “Come change.”

I turned to Frank as the two girls ran up the stairs and into Ella’s room. “Come in,” I said with a smile and leading him through the house and out into the back lawn. “I suppose I should introduce you to my wife.”

I quickly scanned the lawn and spotted her entertaining some guests, all with expensive wine in hand and fake smiles on their faces. I gestured for Frank to follow me and lead him over to the group, who all sneered ever so slightly at us as we approached.

“Miranda,” I started. “This is Frank, Ella’s best friend’s dad.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Miranda said, in a tone that suggested otherwise, as she looked Frank up and down.

“Hi, nice to meet you too,” Frank replied easily, with a some what nervous smile. There was a moment of awkward silence.

“So…I might just show Frank where the food is,” I said finally, excusing us from having to stand there any longer before leading Frank to the table. “Hungry?”

Frank gave a nod, selected a green olive from the cheese platter and popped it in his mouth. “Kind of,” he replied with a smile. I smiled back at him and took a seat on one of the benches, gesturing for him to do the same.

“Where’s Logan?” Frank suddenly asked, scanning the children running around for a glimpse of my son.

I waved a hand in the air. “With Mikey somewhere. You want any wine?”

Frank shook his head and giggled. “No wine today, thanks Gee.”

I giggled too, recalling the last time we consumed wine together. “I think I am a bit the same,” I said in agreement, before spotting my brother and son. “Hey, Mikey!”

Mikey turned his head and lead Logan over to where we were seated.

“Hey dudes,” Mikey said, “I was just about to take this one on the bouncy thing while it is free.”

“Fank!” Logan squealed, attaching his body to Frank’s leg.

“Oo, we should go on that too, Frank!” I exclaimed, hitting his thigh lightly. Frank gave a small smile, shaking his head slightly at me, but stood up, detaching Logan from his leg at the same time. I scooped Logan up and ran over to the spacewalk, placing him on the ground just before it. I quickly kicked off my shoes and climbed in, leaving Mikey to help Logan get in it. Frank crawled in soon after, pushing down firmly on it to test the bouncy-ness.

I was soon standing up and giving a few experimental bounces, just testing out the capacity of the children’s fun house. Logan was of course already bouncing around like he was on crack, smacking into every wall, falling to the floor only to get back up and do it all again.
“Look me, Fank!” Logan would shriek every two seconds as he crashed into the wall again, thinking it was the cleverest thing any boy had ever done.

Frank clapped his hands together. “Very good, Logan,” he said encouragingly, jumping up and down a few times himself.

Mikey came bouncing towards me quickly, purposely crashing into me and knocking me to the ground.

“Fu-go away Mikey!” I cried, jumping up as quickly as I could and chasing him.

“Fank,”Logan suddenly whined, stopping bouncing and instead standing in the middle of the spacewalk, “Me hungry.”

I quickly looked at Mikey, who was trying to inconspicuously sneak behind a wall. “Mikey, be a doll and take Logan to get some food, would you?”

Mikey glared at me before taking Logan’s hand and leading him away with a, “Come on then buddy.”

Frank looked at me, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “So…”

“So,” I repeated, smirking at him, before running as fast as I could at him and crashing into his smaller frame, causing Frank to shriek with laughter as he fell to the ground below. I then ran to the other side of the spacewalk, not giving Frank the chance to retaliate and pull me to the ground with hm.

Frank stood up slowly, glaring at me before saying, “You are so dead, Gee.”

I placed a hand over my heart, and fanned myself with the other. “Oh, I’m so scared,” I said in my girliest voice. Frank suddenly charged for me, leaping through the air and tackling me around the middle, causing me to instantly fall down. Before I had the chance to get back up, Frank pinned me on the ground, tickling my sides until I was crying with laughter.

“No, stop, stop,” I pleaded, laughing continuously.

“Say your sorry!” Frank demanded, tickling my ribs.

I shook my head decisively, though my body was starting to hurt from the laughter that wracked it.

“Say it,” Frank said warningly.

I shook my head again, took a deep breath and quickly rolled us over, so Frank was on the bottom and now the one being attacked by my nimble fingers. He instantly started giggling and trying to push me away with weak arms.

“Now say you’re sorry!” I yelled, tickling under his arms which seemed to make him giggle even more.

“No,” Frank gasped out, his face turning slightly flushed.

“Say it,” I said in a low voice, barely heard over Frank’s shrieks of laughter.

“SORRY! Sorry, sorry, sorry!” Frank cried, “Now quit it!”

I stopped tickling him immediately, placing my hands either side of his body instead and smiled down at him.

“Good,” I whispered, watching as Frank breathed heavily beneath me.

“What was that?” He panted, eyes locking with mine.

I swallowed heavily. “Good.”

Frank just stared at me for a moment, before breaking out in a large grin. I grinned back at him, as he reached out a hand to touch my cheek.

“Gee-“

“Gerard!” Miranda shrieked from somewhere outside, “Gerard!”

I sighed and rolled away from Frank, lying on my back for a moment before pushing myself up and crawling to the exit.

“Sorry,” Frank muttered, rising to a sitting position.

I smiled at him.

“Don’t be.”