A New Life (River Phoenix)

Happy Birthday, River

River's birthday was a complete success so far.

The company was great, the food was good, and River was the happiest I'd seen him since we'd met.

Once the clock had hit 7, he was all mine.

"We'll clean everything up, just go have fun." Keanu reassured me as I slipped on my converse.

I thanked him and hopped up from the couch, standing at the front door.

I shook all of my nerves out of my hands as Piper approached me.

"You excited?" She wondered, folding her arms.

We turned our attention to River, who was saying his goodbyes to everyone across the room.

"More nervous than anything." I confessed.

She laughed and leaned against the wall near me.

"Understandable. You never really get to do couple things, so this might be interesting." She realized, shrugging her shoulders.

I sent her a slightly uncomfortable smile and sighed.

Once River had said goodbye to his family, he headed my way.

A smile plastered across his face for miles and his cheeks rose along with it. It was so cute.

"And where to now?" He asked as he approached me, looking ready for his big surprise.

"That's a surprise." I answered, dragging him out of the house.

A chorus of "goodbye" could be heard through the house as we left, beginning to walk down the lawn.

"This has been one of the best days of my life," River started as I guided him. "I can't believe you guys got everyone here. How long have you planned this?"

"A while," I told him. "I'm glad you liked it though."

"Loved it." He corrected.

We smiled at each other and remained quiet until I had finally reached my stopping point.

I looked around, arriving at the entrance of the forest, and turned to River.

He looked around curiously and then focused his eyes on me.

"What are you doing?" He wondered, grabbing my hand.

"Now you have to close your eyes." I insisted, laughing slightly at his confusion.

He chuckled and shook his head, allowing his eyes to glue shut.

"Alright, but I'm trusting you. So, if I get mugged, it's your fault." He said.

"That's a risk I'm willing to take." I told him, grabbing his hands so that he would follow behind.

I ventured through the forest, occasionally checking on River to make sure his eyes were still closed. Surprisingly, they were.

"Ouch!" He yelled, causing me to turn back.

His eyes were open when I looked at him and a smile spread on his face.