Almost Easy

Five Year’s later

“Happy birthday Liz!”

The room full of friends and coworkers erupted in a cheer as the blonde entered the room, a smile instant on her face as her eyes scanned the crowd of smiling faces.

“Oh my god no way!” She held her hand over her mouth to stifle a disbelieving laugh, “You didn’t!”

“Of course I did. Well, we did.”

Liz turned just in time as a small set of arms wrapped around her neck, “Awe, Colty did you help Danny plan this?”

“Yeah! I picked out the cake!” Colton’s arms tightened around his mothers neck, causing tears to prick at Liz’s eyes, “And the balloons!”

“They’re beautiful.” Her eyes landed on a smiling Danny, his hand reached up and held her shoulder, “You shouldn’t have done anything, I told you not to-“

“Babe, you deserve it. It’s been a long few months you need to be celebrated.” He smiled back as a few of Liz’s friends made their way over.

“Girl congrats on another trip around the sun! What are you now, twenty-one? You ageless witch!”

“Aurora, yeah right!” Liz chuckled and balanced Colton on her hip, Danny dispersing to help cut the cake, “More like too close to thirty for my comfort.”

“Ugh, I know the feeling. Thirty bit me in the butt far too soon.” Another friend, George laughed as everyone began mingling and conversing, “Also, congratulations on the little secret you two think you’ve been hiding.”

“What?” Liz blew some hair from her face as Colton twined his fingers in his mothers locks as he always did when bored, “What secret?”

“Girl,” Aurora lifted Liz’s left hand with a smile, “You don’t ever wear jewelry.”

“Yeah, Mrs. Heely I think it’s time we told everyone about your little mid summer vacation.” Danny walked back over, handing a plate of cake to Colton and releasing him from his mothers grasp, “I keep almost slipping up and calling you my wife around everyone and I’m sure Colton’s ready to tell Gram and Gramp.” He gestured to his parents who were sitting at the kitchen table of the house talking with the crowd.

“I guess,” Liz bit her lip slightly and looked down at what she had hoped was a discreet wedding band but apparently her friends knew her better than that, “Uhm, Excuse me, everyone?” She raised her voice enough to catch the attention of the crowd, and especially Danny’s parents, her now in-laws, her boss…

“Happy birthday Lizzy!”

“Thanks,” She smiled a little bit as her eyes caught Colton climbing up on to the couch to listen and simultaneously eat his cake, “Danny and I have sort of an announcement to make to you guys..”

“Oh my god are you pregnant!?” Anita shrieked, holding her hands to her mouth.

“No, no no.” Danny laughed a little bit, even though the topic had come up before, it wasn’t in their near future plan, “We took a vacation this summer, to Mexico, as you all may know considering you voiced your jealousy pretty loudly on social media.”

“Guilty.” George raised his hand with a smirk.

“Well during that trip, Daniel and I made a pretty big decision in our relationship. We’ve been together five years now and we made the decision…”

“To get married.” Danny finished for Liz as the faces of everyone contorted to smiles, “So this is the newest Mrs. Heely.”

“Oh Liz!” Anita bolted up to her and hugged her tight, “Oh thank God! Finally! I’ve been banking on this for years now!”

“Well, we didn’t want a big wedding, a big hullabaloo, we wanted something small. We technically filed our marriage license here, but we had a small little ceremony celebration thing down there. Just the three of us.” Danny gestured to Colton who had accompanied them on their getaway, “So that’s our big news, now let’s get back to celebrating my lovely wife’s birthday!”

“One more till thirty!” Aurora yelled, earning a very glare from Liz.

.:.:.:.:.:.:.

“Babe,” Danny walked in to the kitchen, wrapping his arms around Liz’s waist from behind, kissing her neck softly, “Stop doing dishes and come to bed. I told you I’ll get them in the morning, or better yet I’ll leave them and hire somebody to do it.”

Liz turned to scowl at her husband, her wet hands gently moving his arms from her waist, “You know I don’t like doing that, I can do them myself.”

“I know, I just hate seeing you busting ass after a long night.” Danny pulled her close, “I am so glad we told everyone tonight, I’m so proud to call you my wife. Look at you.”

“Look at me? Yeah I changed in to my pajamas, my hair has cake frosting in it thanks to that little food fight you instigated with George and Colton. My makeups gone, and that cake already put five pounds on my ass. My nails are chipped and my dark circles under my eyes are becoming black holes lately.”

“Not what I see.” Danny pushed a stray clump of frosting crusted hair from her face as she laughed under her breath, “I see the glowing beautiful woman I met five years ago, opening the door as me and my buddies dragged in nursery furniture my mother forced me to bring over. I did not want to pick any of that stuff up but I am so glad I did. You’re incredible, you navigated being pregnant away from your family, in a new state, getting a new job to support yourself, and having a child by yourself. The moment I met you, pregnant or not, I knew there was something about you I needed in my life. And it was all of you.”

“Oh gross,” Liz laughed, “You’re so gross.”

“But it’s true.” Danny pecked Liz’s lips, “You’re the strongest woman I know, a dead tie with my mother. That says a lot, and you’re selfless, you give so much to every one you can..”

Liz sighed and turned back away from Danny, shutting the sink water off after rinsing her hands, “You always know how to make my heart melt, don’t you?” Liz turned back and kissed him gently, “Is Colton asleep yet?”

“Yeah, I read him two books and he passed out. You gonna come to bed now or keep cleaning?”

Liz looked around at the mess still awaiting her and sighed, “I’ll come to bed, I guess. I’m exhausted.”

“Good,” Danny kissed her cheek and took her hand, “Because if you come to bed now it means I can call a house cleaner to come tomorrow.”

“Oh god.” Liz rolled her eyes and followed Danny off down the hall to their bedroom.