Adopted

Chapter 85

"SURPRISE!!!!" 

The minute we walked in the door to Pete's place, a bunch of voices screamed at me. I was stunned. I stopped, looked around, and then ran out the front door, crying. 

"Jess!?" Someone shouted. I was running down the driveway. 

"Hey, Jess, stop!! Jesus. You're fast! Kiddo! Stop!" It was Dad and Pete. 

"Hey, hey, what's this all about?" Pete asked. I was sobbing. 

"I-I didn't..." I sobbed. 

"Expect a party?" Pete asked. I  nodded. 

"Especially a surprise party?" he asked. I nodded again. 

"So this is... happy tears?" He said wiping a tear from my cheek. I laughed a bit. 

"Kinda?"

"We totally got you, though," Dad said. "You were totally convinced that we left everything to the last minute. Pete, you should have seen her. She was so mad.  She didn't talk to Sarah and I for three days. We had to literally force her to talk to us."

Pete smiled. 

"Didn't your orphanage lady say you were stubborn?" he asked me. I was now sitting on the ground, my face in my hands, trying to control the sobbing. I was so overwhelmed, but with the love my parents truly had.

"I really thought you forgot," I squeaked to Dad. 

"Is she okay?" Mom said, coming down the driveway. "I told everyone she was overwhelmed and surprised and we'll be back in a minute."

"She's fine. And she was overwhelmed and surprised," Pete said. 

"I just thought we were coming for cake and ice cream," I laughed at Pete. 

"Well, Meagan did bake you a cake and I did buy chocolate and peanut butter ice cream.  So, that wasn't an entire lie," he smiled. 

They gave me a few more minutes to compose myself, then Dad helped me stand up. I gave him and then Mom a hug. 

"I'm sorry I was such an ass this week," I said. 

"Well, I'd like to say that it's okay, but, you were really kind of a brat," Mom said. "So, I'm glad we kept this secret, but I was *this* close to telling you, because you were so depressed and angry all at once."

I smiled. 

"I'm sorry,"

"Don't be," Dad said. "Made this that much more authentic." 

I rolled my eyes again. 

"Ready to go back in?" Mom asked, her arm around my shoulder. I nodded. 

We went back into the house, and everyone acted like nothing happened and we picked up from just before I ran out the door. Astrid and Paige came over first. 

"You should have seen your face, Urie," Astrid said. "You looked so upset when you came in, and then I think you invented shades of red before you ran out the door."

"You guys are jerks," I said. "You lied to me!" 

"All for the greater good, Urie," Astrid said. 

Not only  had Mom and Dad invited my school friends, and my baseball team, and Darren, John and Adam, but of course, all their friends, too. The biggest surprise was that Tyler was there, too! With Jenna. And Josh and Debby. My whole family!

My friends, and teammates kept coming up to me all  night and laughing at how surprised I'd been, and laughing.  

I have to tell you, when your dad is a musician, and his friends are musicians, 'Happy Birthday' will never sound the same to you, again. God it was so cringey. All of them sang in different keys. Patrick, Pete, Dad and Tyler sang. But then everyone sang the usual tune of 'Happy Birthday' and, well, you can probably imagine how that wound up sounding. 

I blew out the candles, and cake was served.  I moved around the house, saying hello and thank you to everyone. I spent most of the time outside in Pete and Meagan's back yard with my friends from school. The whole group of us just hung out, singing to the music Pete was  playing, and pretty much ignoring the adults. 

It was almost like there were two parties going on.  Except the uncles kept coming out and hanging out with my friends and me. I know there was alcohol, but the guys seemed to be keeping it pretty low key. 

Mom and Dad kept coming out, checking in and bringing food and drinks out if we wanted. 

I don't even know how long the party went on. My friends trickled out one by one as it got later and their parents came to get them.  When the last one left, I stayed inside with my family. 

"Just leave her," I heard. "She can have a guest room, you guys can take the other. She looks comfortable. It would be a shame to wake her up and take her home."

Someone picked me up, deposited me on something soft, and I felt my sneakers get taken off. I rolled over and dropped off into a deep sleep. 

"Mom!?" I cried out when I woke up. I didn't recognize where I was. "Dad!?" 

Dad came into the room. 

"Good morning sleepy head," Dad said. "We're at Pete's. You fell asleep and they didn't want us to wake you up to take you home. So, we carried you up here and put you to bed."

I rubbed my eyes and looked around. 

"She okay?" Pete said, sticking his head around the door frame. 

"A little disoriented, but fine," Dad said smiling. 

"You want some breakfast, birthday girl?" Uncle Pete smiled. 

"Uh, sure, I guess.  Thanks," I said. 

"Alright! Be downstairs in, oh, ten minutes, I guess," Uncle Pete said. 

Mom came in and sat on the bed. 

"Good morning, Birthday Girl," she said, sitting beside me and giving me a hug. "Did you have fun last night?"

"I did. Thanks so much you guys," I hugged them. 

"You're welcome, best 14-year-old in the world," Dad said. 

"We are so proud of the person you're becoming," Mom said. "I know we've only been your parents for a year. And what a year it's been. But, Jess. You are one of the most incredible people I've ever met. You are so smart, strong, resilient, beautiful, kind."

"Mo-om," I said. "You're embarrassing me."

"Good," she said, pulling me close to her and kissing my head. "Jess, we knew when we adopted you that we could be in for some rough times. And we've had more than we expected. But each time you've come back stronger than before."

"Kiddo, I don't think it's possible that I could love another person as much as I love you," Dad said. 

"What about Mom?" I asked. 

"And Mom," he said, ruffling my hair. "You, my darling daughter, have been, one of the best decisions I've, we've, ever made. We love you so much, and we are going to be with you through everything, you know that, right?"

I looked down, because I knew what he meant. 

"Yeah. I do."

"Yo, Uries! Breakfast!" Uncle Pete called from downstairs.  Mom, Dad and I smiled at each other and went downstairs together.