When Summer Ends (71 page)

Sam was so totally opposite to what I thought he would be. I
would have never pictured him as a single dad, but he totally pulled it off.
Hopefully one day he’d meet a nice girl. Logan had told me last week that his
daddy liked another kid’s mom at pre-school. Sam refused to comment, but I was
pretty sure Logan was right, he definitely liked her. If she was a single
parent too then they’d probably be well suited. Sam deserved a happy ending
too, so I really hoped he’d get one. Any girl would be lucky to nab a Morris
brother so she’d be crazy not to give him a shot.

Someone grabbed my shoulders and span me around so fast that
I actually felt a little dizzy. I looked up to see Nick and his wife, Julia. I
smiled and hugged him tightly. “Hey guys, thanks for coming!” I chirped.

Nick smiled and looked at me like I was crazy. “I wouldn’t
miss this for the world, it’s tradition,” he replied. I laughed and hugged
Julia too. She was great. They had met at college, and were very happy
together. They’d gotten married about three months ago; it was so nice to see
Nick so happy.

Amy couldn’t come today; she was off travelling the world at
the moment. Her and Ryan hadn’t made it. The long distance of college kind of
ruined their relationship, but it all worked out for the best because she’d met
this incredible guy who was a travel writer. He was actually paid to travel the
world and write reviews of hotels, places, tourist attractions and things like
that. Of course he wouldn’t go without her, so she was usually gone for months
at a time with him. I got emails all the time keeping me up to date on where
she was, and all the fun she was having.

A cheer erupted around me, so I turned in the direction of
the door to see Will walk in. I smiled happily, my heart aching with love for
him and the little thing he had in his arms.

“Mom-mom-mom-mom-mom!” she chirped, holding out her chubby
arms for me.

I smiled and took her into my arms, grinning. My baby. She
was so beautiful. She had Will’s grey eyes, but her hair was a dark blonde like
mine. She was incredible and was the very centre of my world. I would do
anything for my little girl, absolutely anything. I would even stay up with her
practically all night because she had a cough, and I didn’t even feel the need
to complain.

“Hey there, beautiful,” I cooed, stroking her hair down.
She’d been to sleep too, that was why I went for a quick nap, because we’d both
been up all night and when I put her down to sleep, I went too before everyone
arrived.

Elise wasn’t planned; she was a total accident, but that was
the best freaking accident that had ever happened to me. She was one year old
today, and as per the Henderson tradition, we were having lunch here at our
house. Sure, we weren’t exactly Henderson’s anymore, Will and I had gotten
married a long time before Elise was born, but the tradition still carried on.

Will saddled up beside me, wrapping his arms around me and
kissing the side of my head as Elise buried her face into my hair, her little
chubby arms wrapped around my neck as people started singing happy birthday to
her.

I smiled and kissed the top of her head. She didn’t really
understand what was going on today, she was too young, but that wouldn’t stop
the adults - and Logan - from eating as much dessert as possible in her honour.

I settled her into her highchair as my mom and Angela
started taking off the coverings of all of the desserts on the countertop,
passing out bowls and spoons to everyone. Everyone had brought something with
them so that Will and I didn’t have to make it all. I spotted a slightly burnt
cake that was lopsided and decorated with Generator Rex edible stickers; the
icing had a couple of finger prints in it where they’d started eating it
already.

I smiled at Logan as Will lifted him onto a stool at the
counter and passed him a bowl. “Did you make Elise a birthday cake?” I asked,
smiling at him gratefully. He was such a sweet kid.

Sam laughed sheepishly. “Yeah we did, but we didn’t have
enough sugar like the recipe said, so I don’t know what it’ll taste like. The
icing’s good though,” he stated, tracing his finger across the top getting
another blob on his finger and eating it.

Logan gasped, pushing Sam’s hand away from the cake as he
went to get another blob. “Daddy, stop touching my cake, you maked prints!” he scolded,
shaking his head. Sam just laughed harder and got another blob, wiping it on
the tip of his son’s nose, sticking his tongue at him. They were always like
this, they were well suited.

“Right then, I’m going for three years in a row!” Will
stated, grinning proudly as he smirked in my dad’s direction. This competition
got fiercer every year. Will had taken over as leader. Him and Nick were the
only ones that really stood a chance. Will would suffer for it all afternoon though,
he’d be lying on the couch groaning and whining about it, but that didn’t stop
him from eating more on the following Henderson’s birthday.

Nick snorted distastefully. “In your dreams, nerd-boy.”

Sam laughed and high fived Logan. “We’re working as a team
this year,” Sam stated, grinning confidently.

My dad decided to chime in at the same time as William did.
“No chance, age wins it this year,” William chirped, patting his stomach, at
the same time as my dad said, “You boys got nothing, I haven’t eaten for two
days!”

I held up my hands to silence everyone. “Guys, guys, just
cut out the trash talk. You all seem to have forgotten something,” I said. They
all looked at me curiously. I smirked and slipped my hands down to my swollen
tummy. “I’m six months pregnant, I’m eating for two. I’m
so
kicking ass
this year!”