Page 63 of Never Really Over

“Okay, Tootsie Pop, what are we thinking here? Should we go with the blue and if you get it dirty, which, let’s be real, you’ll probably manage to do that before the party begins, and switch to the pink later?”

No answer so I figure she’s good with my choice.

See? She might not have any idea what’s happening, but it’s communication that wasn’t happening before and for each of us, it was necessary.

Once she looks like the most adorable baby that was ever put on this earth, I carry her out to the living room and set her down. I put away the few toys that are scattered across the living room, prompting her to help. It takes ten times longer, but she is so damn proud of herself, clapping after every toy is dropped in the toy box, that the added time doesn’t bother me.

Everyone should be here for the party in about fifteen minutes so I bring Poppy into my bedroom where she’s used to playing while I shower. After getting cleaned up in the bathroom attached to my room, I get dressed and guide her to the door.

The girls were going to set up the party outside and made me promise I wouldn’t peek once. It drove me insane, but part of me was happy about it. I was able to spend the entire day playing with Poppy, making sure she got a good nap in so she wouldn’t be tired for her party, and when we go outside, we’ll both be surprised.

I hear a knock on my door, Amy’s signal that we can come outside. Might sound over the top or ridiculous, but that’s Amy. She was determined to make this day incredible and for that, I couldn’t be more thankful.

The only part about today that I’m not sure of, is somehow Dalton weaseled his way to getting an invite. I blame Jenna. Or maybe his fiancée Bridget. But somehow Jenna and Bridget connected and well, here we are.

I pick up Poppy, giving her a big kiss on the cheek. She wraps her little arms around my neck and hugs me tightly. For a brief moment, I want to ignore what’s happening outside and lock ourselves in the house for the rest of the day, but that would be selfish of me. I’ve been talking up the party to Poppy all week and she might not know what’s happening, but I won’t do anything to make her question me. I won’t flake on her for the big or little things like my parents did to Natalie and me.

“Ready for your party, Tootsie Pop?”

She smiles and holds up one finger. I chuckle at how proud she is of herself and walk out the door.

And what greets me makes me suck in a breath.

It’s perfect.

It’s so perfectly Tootsie Pop that tears spring in the back of my eyes. I couldn’t have made this happen. There’s no way. But the girls? They outdid themselves.

We’re greeted by everyone shouting Happy Birthday in unison, startling Poppy a bit. She clings to me but the second her eyes land on the party, she wiggles her way out of my arms.

With her hand wrapped around my index finger, we walk around so she can see everything. I’m a little bit overwhelmed by it all, but Poppy seems to just be excited.

“You guys…” I start to say but get a little choked up. I knew they’d do a great job but this is even better than I expected. “Thank you,” I say quietly. Everyone nods, acknowledging my thanks. The unspoken words amongst a group of friends who know each other well enough that nothing needs to be said. The women share smiles, probably proud of themselves for a job well done.

Looking around at everything, I’m blown away at what they pulled off to celebrate Poppy’s birthday. Blown away and incredibly humbled. I would never thought of any of this besides food but what they put together is nothing short of awesome.

A small bouncy house.

A pretty large splash pad and two buckets full of water balloons.

The kids are already playing in both of those.

A station where Jenna is prepared to make balloon animals.

A station where Missy is prepared to paint faces.

The food table is unbelievably crowded. Enough to feed an entire army, but then again, we’re good ol’ Iowa boys and have big appetites. There’s an extension cord and a multi outlet plug for the crockpots. It looks like a combination of kid food and some things the adults will enjoy. Pulled pork, macaroni and cheese, a few different dips to go with fresh veggies and several kinds of chips, a bowl of fresh fruit, and I’m sure plenty of dessert items stashed somewhere. The only thing I contributed was funding the party and picking out her birthday cake, which is inside the house.

But the thing that I know will be Poppy’s favorite, is the pen that’s filled with puppies. All different shapes and sizes. Some are wrestling and some are sitting quietly. A couple are taking a nap.

“How in the world?”

Tori nods to the man sitting in a lawn chair next to the pen and pipes up, “My brother. He runs a shelter and I pulled a few strings.” She shrugs as if it’s not the most awesome thing in the world. I have no idea how they made this work, and I’m not even positive that it’s legal, but I won’t ask questions.

“I’m now a puppy owner, aren’t I?”

All the men say, “Yup.”

Poppy and I make our way through the party, saying hello to everyone. I can see she could care less, though. Her focus is on the puppies. I can’t blame her. They’re the cutest things. Spunky and full of life.

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