The Good Part (Sequel to 'Normal')

1: happy birthday

      "Move it a bit to the right," I said, adjusting Winter on my hip. Ryan moves the corner of the banner where I directed and looked down at me for a hopeful approval.
     "How's that?" He asked, struggling to keep the banner up.
     "Hmm, I don't know. What do you think, Winnie?" I asked Winter in my baby voice that now was used more than my normal voice.
     "Gee mom, I think it's perfect!" Ryan said in a squeaky voice, making me laugh. He ripped off a piece of tape and stuck it onto the banner and climbed down the ladder.
    I looked up at the Winnie the Pooh birthday banner with a big number one on it.
    "I can't believe he is one today," I said resting my cheek on his head. "My little baby."
    "I know," Ryan said, wrapping his arms around us. "Next thing you know he's off to college five states away like his mom."
     "Oh, don't say that," I said, slapping his shoulder lightly. Winter let out a small giggle as he looked up a both of us. Ryan and I went into a fit of baby talk at him to continue his smiles.
I looked around at the red and yellow decorations that flooded our house. With Winnie being one of Winter's nicknames and Ryan and I's love for Disney, we couldn't help but theme his first birthday party to Pooh Bear.
The doorbell rang, making us all jump a little at the sudden sound.
"You get that and I'll get Win dressed?" Ryan asked, holding out his arms for Winter to grab.
"Sounds like a plan," I said smiling, watching Winter climb into his dad's arms as they went up the stairs. "Remember, the red onesie with the black pants, please!"
"Roger that boss!" Ryan yelled down the foyer, disappearing down the hallway with a laugh.
I opened the front door to Jack, Adam, Jess, and Emily standing in the heavy snow.
"Hey! Come in," I said, opening the door wider for them to come in. The cold from the outside flooded the foyer.
"Where's the birthday boy?" Jack asked, taking off Jess' coat for her. I could see the excitement in his face.
Since Ryan and I moved out of the city, Jack and Adam don't get to see Winter as much as they did when we lived in the apartment. Usually, Ryan goes to the city for writing and recording sessions while Winter stays with me so they have a quiet space.
"Ryan is getting him dressed for the party now," I said, crossing my arms. "Adam, I asked you guys to just bring books as gifts, what's this?"
Adam held up the big wrapped box in his hands.
"Emily insisted, you'll see," he smiled, taking the present into the living room.
"Is mom and dad coming into town?" Jess asked.
"No, their flight got canceled because of the weather but we are gonna fly out there after the New Year," I said, kind of bummed that my family wasn't going to be here. It sucked that my parents were missing out on such important milestones of Winter's life.
"That's good! And you got us," Jess nudged, giving me a small wink.
"There's the big boy!" Jack smiled as Ryan walked down the stairs with Winter. Ryan set Winter on his feet at the bottom of the stairs and let Winter run to Jack.
"He has missed his uncles a bunch," Ryan smiled, walking over to me.
"Oh gosh, tell me about it," I laughed as Ryan wrapped his arms around me. "All I hear all day is "Jack Jack" or "Eedam" when he plays" I laughed, mimicking Winter.
"Winnie is too cute for his own good," Emily said, pinching his cheeks. "Little Hanukkah baby."
"He is spoiled. Hanukkah, birthday, and Christmas all in the same month? He's lucky his dad is famous," I laughed, taking their coats and hanging them up in the closet.
***
Soon enough, the whole house was filled with family and friends all gathered around conversing. At my sibling's children's first birthdays, I always thought the idea of it was so weird. The kid isn't going to remember it, so why have one? Now being a mother it's mainly for the parents, but mainly for Ryan in our coupling.
Ryan ran around the house with his phone out, taking so many photos of everyone and the decorations, and of course of Winter. Fans ate it up when one of us posted anything about Winter on our social media's, it made me laugh.
"Dad, can you get a photo of Winter, Lo, and I?" He asked, handing his dad his phone. I picked up Winter and set him on my hip as Ryan and I posed in front of the huge banner that we hung up earlier.
"How do I-" Gary said, confused at the screen. "I think I just took one of myself. Ah, there we go!"
"Winnie! Oh Mr. Winter! Win win!" Ryan's mom, dad, and brothers all said to try and get Winter to smile. Jack was contorting his face, which got an instant laugh from all three of us.
"Perfect, thanks dad," Ryan said smiling, taking back his phone and posting it to the ajrbrothers Instagram account story.
"You guys crack me up," I laughed, adjusting Winter on my other hip.
"Well, when Winter is the only baby in the family, we have to spoil him," Ryan's mom said, pinching at Winter's cheeks making him hide his smile in my neck.
"Um-" Emily said. "Actually..."
"I knew it!" I said, my face lighting up.
"We are expecting!" Adam said, having the whole party go into a cheer. Ryan and I hugged Adam and Emily.
"Winnie you're getting a cousin!" I said, my voice excited.
"We are so happy for y'all," Jess smiled.
"Hey everyone!" I said over the noise of the party. "I want to thank you all for coming today and I have something special I want all of you to do."
Everyone listened in as I walked over to a cardboard box on the foyer hallway table.
"Since Win won't get to remember this special day, I was wondering if everyone could write a little letter to him for his 18th birthday. Ry and I are gonna add some newspaper clippings and pictures from today in the box as well and we are going to give it to him 18 years from now."
"How sweet is that," Emily said, putting her hand on her chest.
"And once everyone is done with that we can sing happy birthday and open presents!" I said to Winter, going into my baby voice again.
***
"Okay everyone," I said, holding my phone up and hitting record. Winter sat in his high chair with only a diaper on, ready to dig into his smash cake. "One, two, three.."
The whole crowd starting to sing happy birthday as Winter looked around the room confused. I started to tear up as we all sang happy birthday. I looked over to the hallway to the laundry room and Ryan stood there on the phone.
"Get that cake!" Jack laughed, taking his own photos.
"Hey," Jess whispered to me, nodding towards Ryan in the hallway. "What's he on the phone for?"
I looked at her, getting a little angry that Ryan missed happy birthday.
"Couldn't tell you," I said, clicking off my phone.
****
Ryan and I stood on either side of our bed, pulling off the pillows one by one.
"Okay Lauren," he said putting his hands on the pillow so I wouldn't grab another one. "What's wrong?"
"What do you mean?" I said, ripping a pillow away from under his hands and throwing it on the floor.
"Well you're about to be a pillow serial killer for one," he said, trying to make a joke. I rolled my eyes and scoffed, walking into the bathroom. "Oh cmon, Lo."
"No it's obviously nothing, Ryan if you can't seem to think of anything wrong," I said, taking out my earrings in the mirror.
"Just tell me what I did," he said, attitude in his voice rising as well.
"Missing your son's first 'happy birthday' song, Ry? Being so distracted during presents? Basically being absent for the last half of your son's FIRST birthday party? Nothing in that whole ordeal seems wrong? It's all normal?"
Ryan let out a small laugh and moved from the door frame back to the bed, continuing to take off the pillows.
"I guess it is," I said, going to slam the door shut, but before I could, Ryan stopped me with his words.
"I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want to take away from Win's birthday," he said quietly with a smile.
"What? What is so important that you missed all of today for?" I said, hands on my hips.
"We are nominated for best album at the grammy's this year," He said, looking me in the eye with the biggest smile.
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