Page 55 of Saving Little Jenna
When everyone drove in pairs back to our house, I didn't suspect anything. But the moment Daddy opened the door and turned on the lights, I wiggled in excitement at the sight before me.
"Surprise!" Everyone shouted in unison as they stepped in.
Michael began singing the birthday song but stopped when he realized no one else was.
"Oh, the song comes later then?" He giggled as he ran up to the fancy decorations, soon joined by his Daddy.
Kristen and Marcus got busy getting the cake ready.
"Aw, don't you like your surprise?" Daddy said as tears suddenly formed in my eyes. "I shouldn't have, knowing how you find public gatherings overwhelming."
I shook my head and buried my face in his chest before looking up at him. "I'm just so happy that I get to celebrate my birthday instead of mourning it like I did all my life. I sometimes think of a younger version of myself sitting in the dark basement, dreaming about escaping to a life of light and happiness. Back then I knew it was just a fantasy. I just never thought I would ever get to live such a life. Yet here I am, and it's all because you helped me get the life I wanted. I'm so glad I got my happily ever after in the end."
"No, Little one," he said with a smile. "You did that all by yourself when you decided to run away. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you either, but this isn't the end. It's just the beginning of our love. The best part is that we'll have each other every step of the way."
We stood there for a few minutes as Daddy hugged me, rocking me side to side as I cried tears of joy to my heart's content.
When we finished checking out all the colorful decorations together, everyone sang as I cut the beautifully decorated giant cake. I could hardly believe the huge pile of presents by the Christmas tree. I got emotional opening the twenty-one presents because they were meant to be one for each birthday I'd missed. Little had I known as I cried every birthday that I'd get all my yearly presents together in the future, but back then I was too preoccupied with the struggle of staring in the dark and doing nothing. Brightness and darkness were both an important part of life because it was what made a person. Darkness had led me to Daddy and now we had nothing but brightness and joy to look forward to.
Each present was bigger and better than the previous one, but it didn't matter what the gift was. All that mattered was what it symbolized.
After everyone else gifted me, uncle John stood up and cleared his throat. Silence fell in the living room and when he extended his hand to Michael, he looked just as confused as me.
When Michael took his hand and stood next to uncle John, they just stood there and looked at each other for a moment with love in their eyes. My father had once said that two men couldn't love each other, but I knew without a doubt that what Michael and John had was true love, just as true as mine and Daddy’s.
"Watching Jenna in trouble today made me realize something." He pulled Michael in closer until he was practically cuddling him, Michael looking up at his Daddy with big loving eyes. "That life is short. I got to call Michael my boyfriend, Little, and fiancé. The truth is I've always wanted to call him my husband since the day I fell in love with him. There's no point in waiting when life is so unpredictable. One day you have everything you want and the next, it might all be taken away from you. So I'm glad to announce that Michael and I are getting married next month."
"We are?" Michael's eyes got bigger if it was even possible.
When he nodded with a smile, Michael turned into a ball of energy. He was so excited he didn't know what to do with himself. He could barely stand still, bouncing and throwing his arms around his body as he vibrated with joy.
When they kissed, I was the first to jump out of my seat and clap. I turned around and looked at Daddy. Was he thinking what I was thinking? That he and I were going to have this special moment too one day. It might be years down the line but I knew I'd be just as excited as Michael now was.
"Congrats!" I hugged him when his Daddy let him go.
"Can you imagine me in a tuxedo?" Michael said when I broke the hug. "I mean, I'd look cute in anything. Oh, you have to come shopping with me, Jenna. There's so much to do and so little time! How can a boy get camera-ready for a wedding in a month?"
He went on a tangent about wedding arrangements, but I knew it was just a front for how excited and nervous he was about getting married to his Daddy.
Chapter 21: Jenna
I couldn't believe it was all happening. I was attending my first wedding. Not just any wedding, but my best friend's wedding. So much could change when you surrounded yourself with the right people.
When they took the stage and said their vows, I imagined myself and Daddy in their places. Michael looked dashing in his tuxedo and there were way too many people than I imagined. Most of them were from the age play club they liked to hang out at. I was promised a tour once they'd return from their honeymoon in Europe.
"By the power vested in me by the state, I pronounce you husband and husband."
Uncle John swept his boy off his feet and gave him a searing kiss on the lips. When it ended, I saw something I never imagined I'd get to see. Pink stained Michael's cheeks as he blushed profusely.
Maybe it was time I followed my own advice I had given Michael, to drop hints that getting married was something I wanted. The trick was to be as subtle as possible.
"They're so stinking cute!" I said to Daddy who was holding my hand and sitting next to me, the smile on his face just as wide as mine. "Do you picture us doing this one day?"
He nodded. "Sooner than you'd think. I don't wait for years when I want something. Your uncle John and I are very different in that regard. You better be prepared with an answer because just when you least expect it, I'll go down on one knee. Meanwhile, you have plenty of time to think about the answer."
I liked the idea of getting married soon too. I couldn't wait to start a family of my own so I could be a far better parent than the ones I had.
"Think about it? The answer is yes, Daddy. It'll always be yes."
