Noelle.
"Happy birthday to you." The server's at Olive Garden sang as I shot daggers at my older brother and little sister as they sat next to each other, stifling laughs while singing along with them. I did my best to keep a smile plastered on my face the entire time, but I could feel the embarrassment rising within me as strangers sang along, watching the entire thing.
It's really sweet, but it wasn't my birthday. Nowhere near, actually. I'd gotten up to go to the bathroom and I guess they told the server it was my birthday and asked if they could sing for me. The song ended, everyone clapping, I got a few birthday wishes from neighboring tables as Ayva and Keith doubled over in pain laughing, recording the entire thing.
I reached across the table, slapping my brother on the arm followed by my sister, "Welcome home, Noelle!" Keith spoke enthusiastically, a grin on his face, doing spirit fingers. If my parents, grandparents, and child weren't at the table, I'd for sure had have cursed at him, or even lifted my middle finger. I laughed at his words, "Grams, look away. I have something to tell your grandson" I spoke through gritted teeth jokingly.
My grandma covered her eyes, turning her head to the side. She a real one. I covered Leilani's eyes and quickly lifted my middle finger up at the two who were still snickering, thrusting my hand towards them repeatedly and jokingly aggressive. "Okay, times up" my grandma laughed, causing everyone to burst into laughter.
We'd spent the morning together, we went to church then headed to my Grandparents house after just to spend quality time together. We all dispersed then made our way back together for a family dinner. Aria had come to church with us, but decided to go spend a few hours with her family since she'd been spending so much time with ours this weekend.
"What time is your flight tomorrow?" My grandpa questioned, popping a piece of his garlic bread stick into his mouth. "Noon. I have a 5:00 maternity shoot that I have to make it back in time for" I replied, putting my straw to my mouth and taking a sip of my pink lemonade. "I don't have to go to school?" Leilani looked up at me from her plate, her big brown eyes staring into mine a little too excitedly.
"No, you get to come to set with me tomorrow, unless you want to go to daycare" I stated, she shook her head quickly, "I'll go with you" she spoke, quickly looking back down at my phone that was in her hands, playing some makeup game on it that she tricked me into downloading while I was talking to my parents. She got me with the 'mommy, look really quick' trick, making me verify the download with my face minutes before, sly little girl she is.
"So how is that going? Do you have your own company? Or do you work under someone else? Under another company?" My dad questioned. I shook my head, "I have my own company, I got a LLC and everything. It's not huge or anything right now, but I have a lot of reoccurring clients. San Fran is like, the fourth largest city in California in population, so there's a lot of clientele, many opportunities for networking." I affirmed.
A smile spread on my grandpa's face at my words, "My grand baby is a businesswoman, I love the sound of that" he chuckled, his eyes sparkling with a sense of proudness in me. I could feel my cheeks rise into an ear to ear smile, "It's nothing huge, but it pays the bills and then some" I shrugged, not wanting to give myself too much praise. I wouldn't have been able to any of it if it weren't for God, gotta make sure to give Him most of the credit.
"What about you guys?" I asked, turning my head to my parents. "You still doing mechanical work, dad?" I questioned. "Yeah, actually. I'm still at the same place. The owner spoke to me about looking to sell the business since he doesn't have any family to take over. He's getting up there in age, so me and your mom are looking to take out a second mortgage loan so that I could buy it off him. Now that I've been sober, I think that keeping my mind and my hands busy with owning the place could be good for me, let alone the money to pay off the first mortgage loan for the house" he informed me, wrapping his arm around my mom, kissing her temple.
YOU ARE READING
Noelle.
Romance"Noelle." He spoke. That was my first time hearing my name off his lips, and I may have lost my cool for the first time in my life. "Now that I say it, you're more of a Noelle than a Nikki" he gave a goofy grin.
