Surprise!
“Surprise!” Everyone yells when Dwayne and Jessie enter through the front door.
Jessie’s hand clenches his chest as he looks around at all our friends and his parents that came into town special for the occasion. Jessie’s bright eyes open wide as he takes in all the guests and the bright blue banner that reads ‘Happy Birthday!’ His tie is loose, and the top few buttons to his white work shirt are unbuttoned. I can tell by the squint in his eyes and the placid smile on his lips that he is plowed. I give Dwayne, a quick glare. He was supposed to take him out for a few drinks, not get him too drunk to function.
Jessie shakes hands and hugs people as he makes his way to me. When he finally reaches me, he smiles wide and wraps his arms around me, laying a big sloppy kiss on my lips.
At first, embarrassment courses through me. Jessie stops kissing me, pressing our foreheads together until Dwayne eggs him on, yelling, “Get it, birthday boy!”
Jessie takes the bait and dips me, stealing another long, messy kiss. He tastes like vodka and Jessie. Everyone in the room whoops and hollers. I wrap my hands around his neck and submit to it. This is the love of my life, after all. If he wants to kiss me in front of all of our friends and his mother, who am I to deny him?
He pulls me up, and my head rushes from the blood pressure change. He grabs the beer out of my hand and raises it in the air, “Cheers to another year with the best friends and the woman who makes every day the best day.”
“Cheers,” everyone repeats and raises their beer, wine, and cups to the sky.
“Happy birthday, husband,” I whisper.
“Thank you, wife,” he says, pressing his nose against mine.
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𝘈 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦.
After Delia’s parents abandoned her and her sister at a young age, she spent her childhood dreaming of a better future. As an adult, Delia finally has everything she’s ever dreamed of—a husband, three great kids, surrounded by the love and stability that she craved as a child.
Mitch has retired from the army and is nursing mental and physical battle wounds from his time spent overseas. In his second career as an EMT, he takes solace in saving lives and running from the regrets in his past.
One fateful night Mitch and Delia’s paths cross, changing the course of their lives forever.
Will these two be able to find their way to 𝘈 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦?
