Hell & Half of Georgia

6

Finally, the day had arrived! Georgia's Sweet Sixteen!

Tory and Robby had always gone all out for their children's birthdays - she and Robby hadn't celebrated half of their childhood birthdays and they learnt the hard lesson that life won't throw you parties, you had to make your own.

When Georgia came downstairs for breakfast that morning Tory was putting the finishing touches on her homemade birthday cake.

"It's 7am, I don't really want cake." Georgia objected as Tory sang her happy birthday. "Must you sing the whole song?"
"Yeah." Tory paused to answer before continuing. Georgia reluctantly blew out the candle in the middle of the cake. Tory sighed at her lack of enthusiasm and handed her a card from Johnny and Carmen,
"You opened it?" Georgia questioned.
"They sent 500." Tory informed her.

Suddenly, Austin rushed into the room and handed Georgia his homemade card. "Oh, thanks, Austin." She squealed hugging him.
"Cake!" He shouted.
"Cake!" Tory repeated glad someone was excited. "Sixteen. An adult. A little woman. My little woman. You really are growing up." Tory beamed.
"Does that mean you'll start treating me like a grown-up? Trust me with important factors of your life, like, I don't know, off the cuff, the fact that you have a brother." Tory simply picked the cake up and shoved it in Georgia's face. "Happy sweet sixteen, jerk."

The doorbell rang and Tory happily went to answer it. She signed for the large package and shouted on Georgia.

"Georgie, it's for you!"
"What is it?"
"I don't know. Open it and find out."

Once they got all of the packaging away, the mysterious present was revealed to be a keyboard.

"Here, there's a card." Tory said passing it to Georgia.
"You don't want to read it first." She rebuffed taking it out of Tory's hand before she could change her mind. "Oh! It's from Dad!"
"Course it is." Tory had to stop herself from rolling her eyes.
"Will you help me bring it up to my room, Mom?"
"Sure."

They sat it down on top of Georgia's desk. "I can't believe Dad got me a piano!" They both chuckled in amazement. Georgia played a few bars from a song she had learned years ago while Tory watched on. "I still remember it."
"You think this is good, wait till you see what I got planned for tomorrow."
"Oh god. What does that mean?"
"It means tomorrow I planned a secret surprise."
"Oh goody. More secrets." Georgia quipped before her phone dinged with a text from Max inviting her to a party that weekend which made Georgia smile.
"Whoa. What's going on? Why are you smiling like you're about to tell Pinky the plan is to take over the world?"
"Nothing." Tory simply narrowed her eyes at her daughter not believing her. Turns out, Robby wouldn't be making it home on time for Georgia's birthday, and no one was more upset about it than him.

Thank you so much for the piano, Dad. I love it 😍

Glad you like the piano. Happy birthday, Georgie. Sorry I couldn't make it in time.

/ /

Tory was out with Ellen for coffee when Maxine came up to them filling them in on her day and schemes:
"Hi Mommy. Tory. Hi. I'm so amped for tomorrow. Georgia has no idea. We were all like, 'Wait, what? You're spending the day tomorrow with your mom? Whatever.'"
Tory laughed "Good work keeping it a secret."
"She was so cute. We decorated berry tree with balloons, and then Hunter did this super sweet tap dance. He's such a king. Their love is so real, you know?" She rambled.
"OK. No more coffee for you." Ellen said taking the cup away from her.
"Have you ever been in love? Like, real love?" Max asked Tory.
"Yeah, I have."
"I have too. You call him Dad."
Max ignored her mother "Yeah. How do you know? When it's, like, Bachelor love, not Bachelor in Paradise kind of love."
"Am I speaking? I know my lips are moving, but is sound coming out, or..." Ellen said sarcastically.
"You think you're getting there with Sophie?" Tory realised why Max was asking making the two mothers gasp.
"No! No." Max protested. "Just... Just how do you know?"
"It's about this spot right here." Tory touched Max's temple. "When that spot smells like home to you, that's when you're in love." Tory still remembered resting her head against Robby's temple for the first time during the slow dance at junior prom.
"I've only been married for 18 years, but sure, ask Tory." They all laughed.
"So, the party..." Tory got them back on track.
"Yeah! So, I told Abby and Norah to wear wigs, but if they don't it's fine because I have a box of wigs in my closet."
"'Course you do!" Ellen commented.
"I'm excited. It's gonna be so cool. I think Georgie's gonna love it. We're gonna have karaoke, pedicures, cake, a movie, sleepovers."
"Sleepover?"
"Yeah."
"I asked Tory to make it a sleepover 'cause your dad and I are in Maine this weekend, and that way, you won't have to be in the house all alone." Ellen explained.
"Hmm. What about Marcus?" Max asked.
"He'll be in the house all alone, but he likes to be alone."
"Yeah."
"Sleepover!" Max exclaimed pretending to be happy about it.
"It's fun!"
"So fun!" Tory agreed excited for Georgia as she never got to do these kind of things for her own sweet sixteenth.
"So fun!"
'I'm so excited!"
"Yeah."
"Georgia's really gonna love it."