May 2019
Matty walked around his kitchen and living room hunched over with his daughter using both his hands as support as she led him through circles. Denise was setting up decorations for the birthday party. Every time the two of them trotted by, she cheered for Viola and said hello to them both.
Both adults in the room heard the front door creek. A voice called out from a small distance, confident and clear, "Hey, it's me!"
Viola perked up at the sound of her mother's voice.
"And me," Nell called out.
The footsteps that belonged to the voices moved closer.
"Viola," Matty said, "Let's go say hello to mummy and your aunty Nell."
Nell put down the colorful gift bags beside her feet. She bent down and let her arms open wide. "It's the birthday girl," she enthused as Matty let go of Viola's hands. Nell gave the baby a hug.
Jade would've joined in sooner, but she struggled to carry in a large cake box. She set it down on the marble counter and sighed with relief.
"Hi, baby girl," she said once she was at Nell's side. Her hand brushed over Viola's small blonde curls, "Happy Birthday." Her eyes softened as she looked at her daughter who was reaching for Nell's face with her curious little hands. It made all the adults in the room laugh with adoration when her hand fell onto Nell's nose. Something about Viola's movement reminded Jade of the first time her small hand wrapped around her finger. Jade's smile became weak with nostalgia. "God, she's growing up quickly," her eyes searched for Matty's focus. He was also glued to their daughter. "A year goes by fast, doesn't it?"
His gaze made its way onto hers, his face burdened with empathy. In that moment they knew they had felt the same way. It was a complex thing they felt. There was something painful about feeling time pull its way out of their grasp. There was also a bit of a high of knowing they had made it through a year in all its chaos and glory. It was like hiking up the top of a mountain to see a breathtaking view, the air thinning out amongst such beauty.
"Yeah," He replied, "too fast if you ask me."
"It felt like it was just yesterday that I was rushing to the hospital to meet her for the first time," Denise chimed.
"That was the happiest day of my life," Matty stated with a slight chuckle.
"Mine too," Jade said with a similar pattern to him.
Matty leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. He left his head to fall to the side. His eyes rolled back up to Jade, who was now taking hold of Viola. "You were pretty amazing that day."
"I was all sweaty and gross. Amazing isn't the word I would use," Jade responded as she raised her eyebrows, a physical action she hoped would brush off his compliment.
He tilted his head forward a bit, hoping to break through her humble facade. "Well, you were. Twenty-four hours of labor and you handled every second with grace."
She gave him a smirk that signaled defeat. "It was so painful."
"I don't doubt that," Nell said.
"But so worth it," Jade grinned right before kissing Viola on the cheek. Then, she set her on the floor, letting her free to explore.
"So," Matty said as he adjusted his posture. He started to put out paper plates by the cake and the other food on his kitchen counter. "I'm surprised you didn't come with Johnathan." His sentence was a question in disguise, begging for further explanation.
"I told him that I needed to come early to help set up. He'll be here later."
"You invited Johnathan?" Nell asked Jade.
YOU ARE READING
About You. (Matty Healy)
Romance"Well, I wrote a song about you." It had been a long time since she heard him say those words. Maybe she was relieved to hear him say them again. Maybe this is what she had been missing. #1 in mattyhealy on 4/23/23
