The next morning, Eddie runs out to get us some Dunkin doughnuts and coffee as I get ready. I feel like trash, but I take some Tylenol and try to keep it rolling. Leave it to bean to give me a hard time today out of all days.
Elvis seems to realize that something fishy is about to go down because he has decided to hide underneath Eddie's bed and no number of treats or psst psst psst's can get him out. We are just going to have to wait until we lift the bed out of the room to try to catch him. Poor little guy. I had sprayed the room with some calming spray the vet recommended last night and he slept really well, but I can tell he is still scared.
I sit on the bed and lace up my sneakers. It's warm today, so I decided on dark gray cotton shorts and a baggy George Michael t-shirt, much to Eddie's dismay. The shirt is worn and an old favorite and honestly, just what I needed to help me feel a little better.
My hair has gotten just long enough to put up and I decide on two low ponytails, trying to avoid any more of a headache if I can help it.
I can hear Wayne's truck rumbling into the yard just as my stomach starts to growl and I sigh gratefully. Wayne had borrowed Eddie's van and let us borrow the truck for the day to help with the move. I meet Eddie in the kitchen and he sets the box of doughnuts and coffee on the counter. I love my coffee with more cream and sugar than actual coffee, honestly, so Eddie indicates which one is mine, so I don't accidentally drink his nasty sludge. He pulls a chocolate sprinkle doughnut from the box and bites into it happily as we settle at the table. I am a fan of Bouston Creme and I pull the biggest one from the box and excitedly chew the chocolately goodness.
"Everyone should be here soon and we can get started." Eddie says, looking over at the clock above the stove and I nod.
"Are you sure you don't want to get changed?" I say, gesturing towards him. He's in his usual black jeans and t-shirt, but I can imagine it will be sweaty and hard for him to move in those pants. "I set out some long shorts for you just in case."
Eddie slowly sips his coffee before setting it down. He plays with the plastic lid and for a moment, I worry something I said upset him.
"I just don't want everyone to make fun of my pasty legs," he grumbles. He gives me a shy little look through his lashes and I smile around my cup.
"I love your little ghost legs," I tell him with a wink and he rolls his eyes. "Besides, let me hear them say something. I'll give them a purple nurple."
I lift my fingers and pinch my fingers in the air between us as if I'm tweaking imaginary nipples aggressively and Eddie laughs.
"You'd even give the girls a nipple twister?" He asks skeptically and I shake my head.
"Nah, can't give you the satisfaction," I say, sticking my tongue out at him and he laughs again. "I'll just have to think of something creative for Max and Robin because, let's be honest; they are the only ones who would say anything."
Eddie nods at that. He has finished his doughnut and a small amount of chocolate has stained the corner of his mouth. I grin softly and get up. I lean over the table and reach for him. I collect the chocolate on my thumb. The entire time, his eyes are on mine. I plop back down in my chair and stick my chocolate covered thumb into my mouth, licking it clean. Eddie flushes slightly and I smirk around my finger, knowing exactly where his mind has gone.
"Seriously, Eds," I say. "I don't want you to die of heat stroke. Could you wear the shorts for me?"
I bat my eyes and lay it on thick, pulling my most doe faced expression. Eddie blinks a few times as though he is lost in thought before he gulps once and then nods. He gets up to move to his bedroom, but when he passes, he ducks to kiss me once, a hot and tantalizing kiss before leaving me aflame at the table.
I finish the rest of my doughnut and coffee before wiping my face and hands off with my napkin. Eddie walks down the hall, looking absolutely delectable in his shorts. I stand up and wrap my arms around his waist, pressing my chin against his chest as I lean back to look up at him.
"See, what are they going to have to say? You look so good in shorts. So good, in fact, that I can't wait to get them off of you later." I murmur, kissing just below his Adam's apple.
"Let's see if either one of us has the energy after today and if so, I'll hold you to that promise," he chuckles, running his hands lovingly up and down my back.
I know he's right and I'm glad he's thought of it. I hate to disappoint, but I know moving can be a pretty exhausting endeavor.
A knock sounds at the door and Eddie kisses the top of my head before moving around me to answer it. Steve, Robin, Chrissy, Max, El, Lucas, Mike, Dustin, and Will are all just beyond the door. It's like walking into a loud room. They are all talking at once and about what? Who knows? It's always like this and honestly, if they were ever quiet and still, I'd be afraid for my life.
"Good morning, mom and dad," Steve calls loudly with a smirk on the threshold and Eddie and I smile at one another before saying good morning to everyone.
"How the hell did you get everyone here?" Eddie asks, taking a quick head count. Steve's car definitely couldn't hold everyone.
"We took my car and Chrissy's. And we may or may not have made Dustin ride in the trunk," Steve says sheepishly and Dustin scowls.
"Fair enough," Eddie shrugs and he gestures for everyone to come in.
"Let's do this," Robin says cheerfully, looking around at all the boxes and Eddie and I start to direct everyone on what to do. About halfway through getting situated, Gareth and Jeff show up and jump in, eager to help. The boys prioritize the furniture and heavy boxes containing appliances my mom bought us and books while the girls carry out lighter boxes, bags of clothes, and light furniture like lamps, nightstands, and ottomans. We only use the truck for the big items. Otherwise, Mike has bought two wagons from his house that he convinced his little sister, Holly, to let us borrow. Since the other trailer is within walking distance, we stack small things inside the wagons and walk back and forth, genuinely having a good time with it.
"I think it'd be a good idea if you went to the new trailer and started getting things settled. You can take Chrissy and Robin and they can help you maneuver some of the big stuff." Eddie says after a while, placing his hand on my hip as he talks. I nod along to what he is saying, taking a quick sip of water. The afternoon sun is really beating down at this point and we are all sweaty and warm.
"El and Max can borrow Will to help move things back and forth. Do you know if we have any sunscreen?" Steve asks coming up behind Eddie. He looks concerned as his eyes roam over Max and El's faces. They are a little flushed in the cheeks. I shake my head, looking sadly up at them.
"I don't think so, but Wayne may have some under the bathroom sink." I say and Eddie takes a step towards the house as if he is going to go check.
"I have some sunscreen in my car," Chrissy calls happily as she steps out of the house with her keys in her hands. She pops the trunk of her car and after a moment, she comes around with a tube of sunscreen. Steve takes it from her and starts to rally the kids together, fussing at each of them to coat their skin before they continue what they were doing.
"He's gonna be a great mom someday," Chrissy says ruefully, watching after Steve as he lectures Dustin about needing sunscreen even if he is wearing a cap.
"You're one lucky lady, Chrissy," Eddie laughs, clapping her on the back and she smiles.
Chrissy, Robin, and I walk the short distance to the new trailer and head inside. There are boxes everywhere, but at least they are labeled. We set out just moving the correct boxes to the right rooms. As Max, El, and Will all take turns showing up with more stuff, we make sure everything gets moved to the right place.
We should be getting a furniture delivery at some point today as well. For a graduation present, my mom decided to help furnish our new home. She took us to a little furniture store in downtown Hawkins called The Cozy Corner, and Eddie and I picked out the pieces we wanted. My mom had watched from a distance, giving us space, but on multiple occasions, I saw her smiling at us both as we laughed and bickered over the furniture.
"This place is so nice," Chrissy says, her eyes wandering over the tiny space with admiration. "It's small, but in a really quaint and peaceful way. Did you see the landlord's flower garden in the front?"
I nod with a tiny smile. It was one of the things I first fell in love with when Eddie and I came to view the trailer together.
Mrs. Caldwell said that when she first bought the trailer, her son was very small. It was shortly after her husband had passed in a car accident and the boy had taken it hard. To help cheer him up, they worked on the garden together. They went to the library and read books upon books about flowers. She even took him to local nurseries to find different types of seeds and to talk to professionals. Her son is now a botanist.
The only thing she took with her from the garden when she left was the very first flower they ever planted, a tall thrieving sunflower, and the little memorial plate they had painted for her husband. I had told her both were welcome to stay, but she plans to start a garden in her new home with her grandchildren and she wanted to carry those things with her. It is one of the sweetest stories I've ever heard and Eddie and I have already consulted Wayne on how to best care for her garden while she is away.
"Delivery from The Cozy Corner," a deep male voice calls from the open front door and I come around the corner to greet him. Both delivery men are actual giants and I have to crane my head way back to look up at them. They are polite and I go through the list of furniture with them, explaining where everything should go. My mom paid for delivery and assembly, so they will be moving about, putting everything together.
"And where would you like these items, ma'am?" The gentleman asks, flipping to the last sheet. My eyes scan over the itemized words and my eyebrows furrow. I shake my head and look up at him.
"We didn't order these," I explain. "I'm not exactly sure what those items even are."
The store has the items listened by color and description on the delivery form, but that doesn't always mean it plainly states what it is. All of the other furniture was self-explanatory, and as I read the description, I could picture the things we had picked out.
"We will just call over to the shop and make sure there wasn't an error with your order, and then we will start moving things along."
He moves to talk into the radio on his dashboard. I lean against the doorframe and wait as Chrissy and Robin start to prep the kitchen, cleaning the counters and cabinets so we can start unboxing. I can't hear what he is saying to the other person on the line, but he nods and drops the mic, coming back to my side.
"So these were last-minute additions to your order made two days." He says and I look up at him shocked. "It's a crib, changing table, and rocking chair."
My face falls in disbelief. My mom really outdid herself. I can tell I'm going to cry and I think this guy can see it too because he takes a step back, worry striking across his face. I take a deep breath and lift a shaky hand, pointing down the hall.
"Those things can go in the smaller bedroom on the right," I instruct him and he nods. I turn on my heels as the waterworks threaten to burst forth and I barrel right into Robin. I throw my arms around her and ugly cry, wailing loudly and snot running down my face.
"Whoa, what happened?" She asks, trying to peel me off of her so she can look at my face, but I just cling harder. "Were those guys assholes? Do I need to call Eddie? Are you hurt anywhere?"
I frantically shake my head and Chrissy comes up to rub not only my back but also Robin's, calming us both.
"What happened?" Chrissy asks in a tender tone and I sniffle into Robin's neck.
"My mom not only got us furniture for the entire house, but she also got furniture for the baby," I cry, my voice muffled on Robin's shoulder. "Isn't that the sweetest thing?"
I hiccup and Robin's shoulders noticeably relax. I hear Chrissy giggle softly, but I don't look up. I'm still too emotional to move.
At that moment, Will comes around the corner holding a large bag of clothes. His eyes widen as he sees all of us huddled together and he notices me visibly sobbing into Robin's chest.
"Uh," he says awkwardly, looking from us to the door. "Do I need to get Eddie?"
"No, but you need to bring me back a bottle of wine right now. Otherwise, I'm not going to make it through the rest of the day," Robin huffs. Her arms have come around to pat my back but she lifts one hand to point assertively at Will.
"The biggest bottle, you got it?"
"On it," Will says with a little salute before vanishing.
"Alright, girlie," Chrissy says, trying to encourage me to detangle myself from Robin. "Where would you like your utensils? And I guess we should find your glasses before the wine gets here."
I finally let Robin go and she gives me a weary look, but doesn't say anything. I wipe my face with a paper towel and then I set to work, ripping open boxes and figuring out where everything should go. At some point, we unearth the radio and turn it to the first station we can find. Funnily enough, the first song to come on is Movin' Out by Billy Joel and we all sing loudly together, twirling around the boxes.
When Will returns with the wine, the rest of the group is on his heels. Robin snatches the wine from him and starts to dig in the boxes, looking for the corkscrew. Chrissy laughs and kisses Steve once on the cheek before turning to help her. Eddie's eyes are concerned as they scan the kitchen, but when they land on me, they soften ever so slightly. He moves to wrap me up in his arms, hugging me to his chest and I stare up into his deep brown eyes.
"Will said you were crying," he whispers, leaning down so our noses touch and I sigh.
"I got a little emotional when I found out my mom bought the baby furniture."
Eddie pulls back with a shocked expression but it slowly melts into a smile.
"Aw, baby, that's so cute," he teases and I use my palm to shove against his chest, blushing with embarrassment.
"Oh, hush. It's these damn pregnancy hormones."
Eddie's hand moves down to flatten lovingly over my belly and for a moment, I can completely forget the troves of people around us. But reality always has a harsh way of making its presence known and Dustin's cheeky little face pops up beside us, making Eddie groan and drop his forehead to my shoulder.
"So sorry to interrupt," Dustin says with a wide grin.
"No, you aren't," Eddie mutters into my shoulder, but Dustin ignores him.
"But we were promised lunch and some of us are wasting away to nothing."
"Pizza should be here in ten!" Steve suddenly yells, walking in through the front door and everyone cheers, making Eddie roll his eyes.
"God, you'd think I'm working them into the ground or something." He huffs and Dustin gives me a loaded look. I laugh and turn to Eddie.
"Did you get everything?" I ask him and he nods.
"What about Elvis?" I ask, concerned for my little man. I peek into the living room for his carrier and find Elvis curled up asleep in El's lap. She's sitting on the floor, watching the movers put together the couch and the little kitty snoozes peacefully in her embrace. I look back up at Eddie and he shrugs.
"He came right out for her. She didn't even put him in the carrier, just carried him in her arms the whole way over."
"What a little traitor," I huff and put my hands on my hips as I continue to witness Elvis' complete act of betrayal. Eddie laughs and rubs my back, reassuringly. I turn to look up at him and he kisses my nose.
"Once lunch is done and we have unloaded the truck, we are going to go get all your stuff from your mom's." He says and I nod.
"Everything is already packed and good to go, so you should be able to just get in and get out." I say.
The pizza delivery guy pokes his head inside and Eddie walks off to pay him, taking the large stack of pizza boxes from his arms. Everyone crowds around on the floors and outside in the yard as we try to keep out of the way of the furniture guys.
The realization that we are finally living on our own finally sinks in, but this time, I'm not panicked or scared as I look around at all my wonderful friends. My heart swells with love for each one of them as we laugh and kid over our lunch. When it is time to get back to work, my smile lingers and I enjoy the time with my friends, fully looking forward to our futures.