Getting Along

71. The 4th

Lucy chucked her bowl down to the floor, where both dogs were waiting to eat whatever bit of food she’d left behind. “Please don’t throw things, Lucy.” I said, putting my hair up in a ponytail before shooing the dogs away to pick the bowl up.

“Ma,” she whined. “No.” After quickly putting the bowl in the dishwasher and starting it, I lifted Lucy from her highchair and took her into the living room. Niall was upstairs recording with his new friend Robin. I think he was a new member of his friend group—it was even better because he was Irish.

So far, of his friends group, I knew there was Jason Who’s-Last-Name-Starts-With-A-G-I-think, Ace Duncan (who I haven’t met yet), Brody, Mac, and Finn Mayer (another Irish guy who he met at an album release party). I was so glad Niall was starting to make his own friends. Not that he was suffocating me or anything; I just knew he wanted some guys to hang out with. And they’re all great guys from what I hear from him and Brody, so I don’t have to worry about him hanging out with bad influences…or severe dumbasses…

“Ma,” Lucy muttered, pointing to her new blocks that Brody bought her.

“Want to play with the blocks?” She made a sound which suggested she did, so I sat on the floor with her. Her favorite thing to do with them was just hand them all to me, seeing how many she could fit in my hands before something fell. Why? I don’t know, but she loved it. And once it fell, I was supposed to drop them all so she could start again.

Dasher came running in the room with Fuzz right behind him, both of them carrying new pig ears to chew on. Niall must’ve given them the treats to occupy them…which is understandable.

“Ma.” Lucy squeaked.

“Yes?” She babbled something I couldn’t understand, despite the fact that I was hanging on her every sound. “That’s amazing,” I chuckled. “Oh! You know what we can do?” I reached for my phone on the coffee table. “We can check to see who’s coming to the 4th of July barbecue on Saturday.”

She moved to my lap as I tapped around on my phone, getting to the group text message I sent out a couple days ago. Brody, Annette, Kasey (along with her husband), Calum (and Shannon) and Logan (and his girlfriend Maddie) had already confirmed they were coming.

Since Calum and I had that talk months ago, we kind of just pretended it didn’t happen. He proposed to Shannon that following week and they were supposed to be getting married next October. I was happy for them, really.

Harry and Erin said they were coming too, but that was almost a given since they were in the city. Erin’s sisters were staying with their friends’ families for a week. All that was really left to confirm was if our out of country friends would be able to make it.

Me: So?! Who’s coming!!?

Lemon: Sean and I are coming! Our flight is tomorrow :)

Brice: as is mine and Liam’s.

I couldn’t wait to see Brice. It’s been way too long since I’d seen her at the wedding. She was eight months pregnant now—ready to burst basically—and changed her mind about what gender the baby ‘felt like’ just about every day. Oh, I miss her.

Zayn: We’ll be there too. Actually getting on the plane tonight xx

Oscar was seventeen months old now, and just, so, so chubby and cute.

Me: yaay :) see you all then!

“Everyone will be here Lucy. Are you excited?” She uttered something that sounded like ‘pickle’ and reached for one of the millions of books lying on the floor, pulling it into her lap. “Are you going to read to me?” She shook her head, but started pretending to read the words on the page, moving my hand to the touchable things.