Page 7 of A Party for Lola

He sat down on the bed beside me, and then he was kneeling over my hips as he rubbed the oil into my shoulders and exposed neck. It would have been easier without my dress on, but I wasn't going to take it off again. If I did, it wouldn't go back on for a while.

His small fingers were perfect. I was quickly relaxed and warm under his careful work and soon enough I was trying not to fall asleep and it felt like he'd barely started. "We need to stop, as much as I hate to say it."

"Am I hurting you?" He sounded so worried as he slipped off my hips.

I pulled him down beside me and wished that we could stay in bed just like that for a few hours at least. If not all night. It had been a while since we'd had a date that was just the two of us.

"We have time for me to go down on you," he offered.

I loved him for offering, but just me getting off wasn't really what I had in mind, as much as I would have loved to look down and see myself between his lips. I kissed him again. One last time before we both got up and I got to putting up the decorations for the party. "Thanks, but I'd rather that you have fun too. And don't tell me that getting me off would be fun for you. As much as I know that's true, I like seeing you get off too."

He pouted, for a moment, and then he was getting up. I joined him at the edge of the bed. "What can I help you with then?"

"Want to help me make a mess of the house with lots of streamers?"

"Sure." He didn't sound particularly happy about it. Maybe he was picturing just what I'd meant by a mess. I could be a disaster inducing tornado when given half the chance. But he loved me anyway.

I'd made sure not to get glitter this time. But I did get plenty of other things. I just didn't want to hear about how glitter never came out of anything again. We went downstairs, hand in hand, and my bare feet thumping against the carpet as we walked. I never had figured out how to walk quietly.

Lola

By the time five o'clock rolled around I was so tired of work. I was ready to be done. All I wanted to do was just get home and hang out with my family. I was looking forward to getting my heels off, to eating spaghetti with the people I loved most, and probably spending the rest of the night watching TV and movies with them until we all piled into our bed, which was two kings pushed together to make one bed.

As usual, I was the last home. Four other cars stood in our long driveway. That had been one of the big requirements for a place to buy for the five of us to live in together. Space for every single one of our cars off the street. I pulled up behind Micah's little coupe. It made my full size sedan look more like an SUV. But he didn't need a lot of room. I didn't either, actually, but it was good to have the space when I was running clients around here and there and all over town.

I was so very done with that right now though. I had a much needed three day break from work. I needed the break. I wasn't ready to quit. Not yet at least. I made the most money in the house. I shouldn't quit. Not when Micah and I had been talking about taking another family vacation just a few hours ago. I could hold on until after the vacation. Then I'd talk to them all about the possibility of me quitting and how we were going to make it all work. Maybe then I could make a lovely digital magazine all about genderqueer people like I'd been wanting to. Something where my leading articles could be about how to treat your skin right while you're on T. Something that would matter more to me than what I did right now. I'd still have articles about finding the perfect lipstick shade for your skin tone, but my magazine could be so much more than that.

I was still thinking about my dream magazine as I went to the front door. I knocked. Too tired and too lazy to pull out my keys when there were four other people home to open the door for me.

But none of my partners opened the door. Instead it was my little sister, Emily, standing there with Todd on her hip as he sucked his thumb.

"What the—?"

I didn't get the words out before someone yelled "Surprise!" Followed by an even louder "Happy birthday!"

I'd had no idea. Of course they'd said happy birthday to me this morning, but I'd had no clue that they'd brought Emily and the kids here or... anything. I was amazed that they'd managed to keep this secret from me. And, after the day I'd had, this was such a relief. Having them there, having everyone I cared about under one roof, this was exactly what I needed. I was both overwhelmed and so relieved. I was a rush of emotions that quickly led to my mascara smearing as my tears started to flow. I'd needed this so much. Their surprise, having them all around me, having them make a big deal out of me.

I was ushered inside and Charlie shoved a bright lemon cupcake in my direction. Then they kissed me on the cheek. "Happy birthday, it's from Sophia so eat them up," they said. Then I got a bite on my ear too. I needed to get them back for that.

But I had Kiley wrapped around my leg first. I lifted her into my arms and kissed her cheeks. "I can't believe you three are here," I told Emily.

"It was all Tiffany's idea to bring us down," Emily said as she grabbed my girlfriend and thrust her in my direction.

"Thank you," I said to Tiffany. She kissed me and then quickly moved away, letting Micah come give me a hug. I hugged him and loved that he smelled like lavender and lemon, just like he'd told me he would.

Someone, probably, Sasha, had also changed out his collar. They were the one to have thought of that first. I touched Micah's silver collar and then I kissed him. "The house is beautiful," I told him. I knew he probably had a hand in decorating. It was so very him. Tasteful, but with a splash of someone who wasn't him. There was too much chaos in the streamers for it to just have been him. He was neat, tidy, and orderly in everything that he did. It was one of the things that made him perfectly him.

"Sasha helped me decorate," he admitted.

Of course. Now it made sense. Sasha with their wildness. I could picture them throwing the colorful streamers around and letting them land where they did.

As if someone had called them, Sasha popped up in front of me. I put my free arm around them, hugging them close. Then Kiley started to squirm so I put her down but that just meant I could hug Sasha even harder.

"You're all so wonderful," I said, stepping back from them so that I could see and speak to all of my family at once. "You did all this for me. I love the decorations and the cupcakes and—"

"And the presents!" Kiley yelled.

I had no idea what any of them had gotten me, but I was sure that I was going to love them too. "Yes. And the presents. Thank you all for this. So much."

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