Painting Flowers

“Happy Birthday Alyssa,” Sam whispered softly in my ear as I woke to a dimly lit room. I rubbed my eyes to regain my vision and smiled sweetly at him.
“Thank you,” I replied and pecked his lips before stretching my tired muscles. “What time is it?”
“It’s almost noon.”
“Seriously?” I asked in disbelief, even after the move I still slept in too late. “Is she okay? She’s probably dead by now! Oh my God Sam how could you let me sleep so late!?”
“Calm down I’ve been up.” Sam responded in a laugh, “She’s fine I checked up on her multiple times and she’s had breakfast already.”
I felt my heart rate gradually slow down, “You scared the shit out of me Handler.” I growled at him before throwing the covers to side and slipping out of bed.
He followed me down the hall into the little room that sat opposite of ours, I flipped the switch to the dark room and she smiled at me instantly.
“Well good morning to you too,” I smiled and reached out for her. She sat in the crook of my hip, not taking her eyes off me. “It’s mommy’s birthday today, are you gonna spend the day with me?”
“Speaking of which I have bad news,” Sam spoke from behind me. I turned to face him before he continued. “I got a meeting today in a bit, I won’t be home until around five.”
“Sam.” I frowned and he kissed my forehead lightly.
“I know I’m sorry I tried getting out of it but it’s for some new technology innovation project and they said I had to be there. With it being my business and all.”
I sighed before nodding and he headed back down the hall to shower. Don’t get me wrong I think it’s great that Sam is running his own recording studio and business, he’s been making a lot of money from it but was definitely annoying when it wanted to be.
It had been a year since graduation and Sam and I haven’t gotten officially married yet. Of course I said yes to him when he asked but getting married is not a top priority for me, but apparently it is for Sam. He asks me almost everyday when we’re going to tie the knot but I keep stalling and pushing it back for more time. Maybe a little part of me thinks that things could still work out with Alex if he just saw his daughter once.
I laughed cruelly at myself for thinking such things, Alex had his own life now and it was definitely one that didn’t involve settling down any time soon. All Time Low was still on tour and he still had Katie attached to him at the hip. I haven’t seen him in so long, not since graduation. The last time I even saw Jack was at Christmas and it was already summer by now. I missed them so much but they were all so busy with their new life. It made me wish I would’ve stayed and been their photographer through tour but I knew that’s not what I wanted to do with my life. Yet, here I was spending my days taking classes with no job in mind and taking care of a one year old.
“I’ll be back before you know it and I have a little surprise for you when I do.” Sam grinned before kissing my lips, he had on a gray fitted suit and a stubbly face, his hair tousled in the perfect way he always has it. I bit my lip hard in an attempt to keep myself from taking him into the other room.
“Later,” he whispered seductively into my ear, sending chills down my spine. He kissed Addie on top of her head before flying out the door.
I set her on the floor to crawl around a bit and play with her toys while I studied. Spending the day alone was not how I imagined my birthday to go. I longed to see my family and friends, I talk to Patrick on the phone regularly but that wasn’t adequate. He’d tell me he’d try to come down one of these days, he missed Addie. I hadn’t even seen Rian and Kara for some months and they lived in California! I was too homesick for my own good, how was I going to live out here when I constantly miss everyone?
I shook all the thoughts from my head, it was my birthday! I shouldn’t be sitting here thinking about how alone I was! I turned my attention back to my computer screen to try to at least get something done.
~~
“Alyssa! Babe come here!”
I followed his voice out to the front room, relieved he was finally home. He grinned at him with tired blue eyes.
“I told you I got a surprise for you and now it’s here.” He grinned wider. “Come out guys!”
I looked at him puzzled as the door opened and out walked Patrick followed by Jack, Rian, Zack, Kara and even Alex and his Katie. My jaw fell open, it was like he read my mind this morning.
I pulled all of them into tight hugs (except for Katie, we weren’t exactly that close) tears welling up in my eyes.
“Where’s Addie?” Patrick asked me lowly.
“She’s taking a nap in her crib.”
“You have to show him. It’s been too long and you know he’s had to have thought about her once.”
“I know I’ll just wait until she wakes up.” Truth was, I was terrified to introduce Alex to Addie. I was scared he wouldn’t care for her and not like but at the same time I was scared he’d like her so much he’d try to take her from me.
“Thank you for this,” I whispered to Sam before kissing his lips. When I pulled back I could see Alex staring out of the corner of my eye.
“Let’s do cake and presents!” Kara squealed, clutching her pink bag tightly as she sat down on the couch. Everyone followed, it reminded me of a grade school birthday party, everyone wanting their present to be opened first.
I opened Kara and Rian’s first, pulling out a red party dress and matching heels. I gave her a look and she laughed. “You never know when you’re gonna need to wear that!”
Jack’s was next, he gave me a Digimon Monsters keychain wrapped in newspaper and covered in duct tape.
“Yeah, haven’t made as much money on tour as I thought I would,” he shrugged and I laughed.
Zack got me a t-shirt with “Zack’s Number One Fan” printed on it in gold lettering which pictures of him all over it and Patrick got me a locket with my mother’s picture in it.
I thanked everyone for the presents and as they helped themselves to cake, Alex approached me.
“Happy birthday Alyce,” I looked down and in his outstretched hand he held a folded up letter. I took it from him and examined it, the edges were all frayed and the paper had a couple light stains on it like it had been handled numerous times.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“Remember in high school? Mrs. Hurley’s class?”
Then, it hit me. When we took Creative Writing together one of the assignments was to write a letter to someone you love telling them why you love them. He told me that day that he knew exactly who he was going to give it to and when.
“Alex I can’t-“
“Take it. Please.”
“Ok. Thank you,” I whispered and he nodded.
“Lex, let’s get out of here I still want to hit up some clubs,” Katie came up from behind him, draping her arm around his shoulder.
“Wait, Alex I have someone I want you to meet,” I said quickly, knowing I had to do this or else who knows when I’d see him next. He gave me a puzzled look as I led him down the hall into the room opposite of ours. I flipped the switch and there she was, smiling at me again, already awake like she knew she was going to be meeting her father this evening. I picked her up in my arms before turning around to face him.
“Alex,” I said looking down at her, a nervous smile planted on my lips. “I’d like you to meet your daughter, Addison.”