Furry Humans | ✓

37.

"Happy Birthday!" they all shout simultaneously.

My eyebrows shoot up in surprise as I soak in everything, Samantha, Stella, Dylan, Justin, and Riley were crowding a cake that held the number one and right candles; small presents pushed off to the side, it wasn't much but it still made my heart swell.

Stella comes bounding towards me with a gentle smile, "Happy Birthday, girl." she says, hugging me tightly.

"Thank you," I look over her shoulder and back at her. "You guys didn't have to do this."

Her smile widens, "We wanted to, and we figured you might not celebrate considering your situation."

I gaze back at Xavier over my shoulder and he shrugs at me, the half-smile never leaving his face. Staring for a little longer, I gave back towards the others, my expression soft and heart beating with warmth and content for the first in a while.

"Thank you."

~ • ~

The hours pass with the dining room filled with joy-filled laughter and a light atmosphere and a half-eaten cake on the table, despite being away from one another, we all talked like we haven't left each other's side to deal with our own lives. Stella sat on Justin's lap, folded into his embrace with a content look on her face, she leaned back and turned his face planting a peck on his lips; the sight was cute.

I turn my eyes away and stare down at the small box in my hand that I've been fiddling with for some time, snapping it open, I admire the chain with conflicted feelings.

"Ooo that's a beautiful necklace," I heard Stella say out loud, gesturing towards the item in my box. "Who gave it to you?"

I twirl the box in my palm, closing it shut. "My brother."

Everything went silent, and it didn't take a genius to guess they knew about the strained relationship between Mason and me.

"Can I see that?"

I side-glance at Samantha who was looking at the box with a face of wonder, her nostrils flaring slightly. Passing the box over towards her, she inspects it before slowly bringing it to her nose and inhaling deeply, I blanched in surprise and connected gazes with from across the table with Stella wondering if she was seeing this too.

"Uh. .what are you doing, Sam?"

She snaps out her small trance a red hue begins to color her cheeks as she keeps her gaze down at her lap while pressing her lips the side. "I don't know. The scent surrounding the box . . smells. . .good for some reason."

I peer at Samantha even after she hands me the box back, gauging her expression, but nothing shows besides the sound of her heart that drums a little faster than its original pace. From the side of her, Dylan was doing the same. The ringing of the doorbell shatters the silence that encased us as Dylan was the first to react.

"I'll get it," he announces, disappearing into the hallway. My ears twitch as I hear the door open and muffled voices drifted.

A moment later, Dylan comes to the archway and his gaze immediately finds me. "There's someone here for me." and from the tone of his voice, he was definitely confused about something.

Rising from my seat with a frown, I stride to where he waited, Xavier right behind me as we all walked to the front door where— in the blistering cold, waited my Mom as she nervously stood just outside the door but not stepping inside.

Our eyes clashed together and hers glistened with unshed tears, I walked closer suddenly worried that she was outside pregnant and in the cold.

"Mom? What are you doing here?" I step towards her, my hands finding her shoulders as I look around, the car parked a short distance from here.