Four Makes One (Book 1)(Completed)

Chapter 25 - Happy Birthday!

Frankie

Ronnie ends up staying an extra couple of days due to her bruise getting worse before it got better. She signed up for self-defense classes and found some for me to join here also. I've been taking the classes and really like them so far.

The next couple of weeks go by quickly and before I know it, February is here. I'm sitting in class with Cameron and the teacher decides to let us have the rest of the period free. We pull out our homework and start discussing it. When we finish, I ask, "What are we doing for Dylan's birthday?"

"I don't know. Do you have anything in mind?"

"I don't. What do you all normally do for his birthday?" This is the first time that I have celebrated anyone's birthday.

"We normally just take him out to dinner at his favorite restaurant and hang out at the arcade or something," he tells me.

I pull out my laptop for birthday ideas. I've never done this before and I want to do this right. I know that I need to have a cake. I'll also cook dinner.

"Do you have friends here that you would like to invite over for his birthday?" I ask.

"Not really. We talk to some of the guys around here, but mostly keep to ourselves," he tells me. It makes me realize how lucky I am that they chose me.

"This is what we will do. I'll make his favorite meal and his favorite flavor cake and we'll figure out an activity for him to do. What does he like to do?"

"I know that he'll like the dinner and the cake, but he'll want to you to pick out something that you would like to do for an activity. He wants you to have new experiences also. Think of something that you would like to do and we'll make it happen," he leans over the table and grabs my hand.

I squeeze his hand and think of something that I would like to do but haven't. I'm going to have to do some internet research because there's so much that I haven't done. "What is his favorite meal?" I ask.

"He likes the comfort foods, like pot roast, mashed potatoes and veggies with some cornbread. Our grandma used to make that for him on every birthday," he sounds wistful.

"Where is your grandma?" I feel his hand tighten on mine a little.

"She died last year. We really miss her. She was the only person in our families that didn't try to control us or bend us to her will. She just loved us unconditionally. I believe that she was the one who talked our grandfather's into signing our trusts over to us when we turned eighteen," his eyes start to look far away as he remembers her.

"Whose grandmother was she actually?" I can't help myself. I need to know as much about them as possible.

"She was mine, but she treated us like we were all her blood grandchildren. That's why we all spent as much time as possible with her. When she was around, there was no tension or anyone trying to bend us to their will. Just love and time spent together," there's a catch in his voice.

"I'm glad that you all had that in your lives," my eyes start to mist over. I'm starting to feel a little sorry for myself that I didn't have that.

He squeezes my hand, "Sweetie, you will have the love that we received from her as long as you want us. We love you so much and I love you to distraction."

I smile, but still not sure, "But what about your families? What are you going to do about them? I know they expect you to take over the family business."