If I Bleed (you'll be the last to know)

Chapter 7

Six weeks later

"Hey! Happy birthday, sweetheart!" Leigh's mom calls out from the kitchen as Leigh hurries down the stairs. She runs straight into Amy's arms, a ball of energy, drawing bewildered looks from her mom and sister. Ever since Matt died, they are used to Leigh either being too quiet or too snarky. Today, of all days, they were expecting her to be something else much worse. But it seems they're mistaken as Leigh turns to Jules, yanks her in close, and kisses her hair.

Jules and Amy share a look. To say this as an interesting development would be an understatement. It's her birthday—her first one without Matt, who had been at the heart of her celebrations for the last decade. They hope Leigh finds some happiness, truly, but these past several months have taught them to temper their expectations.

They keep their silent exchange to themselves, watching as Leigh picks up a croissant and takes a heart bite out of it, her face lit up with the widest smile.

"Happy birthday," Jules grins, pushing a small envelope towards Leigh. "Got something for you."

"Thank you!" Leigh exclaims. She eagerly opens the envelope to find a bunch of homemade coupons, each promising some sort of favor from Jules, good for the next year. They range from "Will listen to your rants for 30 minutes, no interruptions" to "I will restart the book club you tried to get me and mom to do and actually read the books this time."

Laughing, Leigh flips through them. "These are brilliant, Jules. Might have to use one today," she says, already thinking about which one she'll cash in first. Then, she pulls Jules in a bear hug, as if it's the most exquisite present she's ever gotten in her lifetime.

"You okay?" Leigh asks when she notices Amy staring at her.

Jules gives their mom a warning look as Amy struggles to come up with a response. "Nothing, I just... I didn't think you'd be doing quite so well today. That's all."

"I didn't either but we all make choices and I'm choosing to have a great birthday. So, let's do this thing!" Leigh says in a manner that Jules feels too over the top. Amy starts laying out the plans for the evening and Leigh has a blank look by the time she finishes running them through it.

"I think I want a party," Leigh announces. It's met with astonishment, as if it's the last thing her family's expecting to hear.

"You do?" Amy.

"A party?" Jules.

Leigh isn't perturbed by their reactions. "I do. I want a party," she confirms. She delights at the dumb look on their faces as she reiterates, "Tonight. I want a big party."

-

"You're not having a big party."

Danny calls her up the minute he gets her Facebook invite. He's partly furious about receiving the invite through Facebook, given that they're "kind of seeing each other", and partly incredulous because he couldn't believe she's making plans on her birthday without considering the fact that they are "kind of seeing each other".

Leigh, phone wedged between her shoulder and ear as she flips through a recipe book on her kitchen counter, rolls her eyes so hard she worries they might stick that way.

"Well, yes, Danny, that's exactly what I'm doing," she fires back matter-of-factly.

Danny's frustration simmers on the other end of the line. He had already made plans, not bothering to consult Leigh because he assumed that their day would be spent together—privately, just the two of them.