My Wish

Chapter 10

A few hours had past and the party was underway. A few stragglers were still coming in but for the most part everyone was here. Stacey was happy to see that Joe had found some solace from the overload of Disney and Frozen stuff with a few of her guy friends and family over by the make shift drink bar her dad had set up for the day.

"Hey slut, stop ogling your boyfriend and help me carry this butt load of gifts I brought your awesome offspring." Stacey heard from behind her. Turning to see Caroline and her husband Rob standing there each with an arm full of gifts.

"Bitch please!" Stacey responded with a laugh before grabbing some of the gifts out of Caroline and Rob's hands and walking them over to the gift area and setting them down. "Thank you for coming and I've told you before you don't have to buy her so much, you spoil the crap out of her."

"Nonsense, she deserves it and that skinny bag is for you." Caroline said waving her hand at her friend dismissingly and then pointing at a black bag in Stacey's hand.

"Thank you maybe later we can bring this out" Stacey said knowing it was a bottle of wine from a winery near where Rob grew up. "Not that you don't already know, but snacks are over there and bars over there so help yourself to anything and food should be out shortly." She continued pointing in various directions around the party even though the basic party set had been the same at every one of Kennedy's birthday parties.

"Thanks G. Now when am I going to get to meet this new man of yours?" Caroline asked Stacey who smiled and blushed. She had told her best friend about Joe but because of their schedules she had not seen Caroline recently enough to give her any of the details about anything.

"He's around so I'm sure you will get to meet him soon." Stacey responded with a smile.

Joe was in the middle of a conversation about the college football playoffs when he glanced over to see his girlfriend laughing and talking with another couple. Joe instantly recognized Caroline from several pictures he had seen around Stacey's apartment and her parent's home.

Joe excused himself from the group making his way over to where Stacey was standing on the deck talking to Rob and Caroline. As he approached he heard Caroline ask if she was going to get to meet Stacey's new boyfriend, to which his girlfriend responded yes.

"Hey babygirl" He said as he reached his girlfriend putting an arm around her waist.

"Hey handsome" She responds before continuing "Joe I would you to meet my best friend and college roommate Caroline and her husband Rob. Rob also went to school with us." Stacey said to Joe.

"Nice to meet you both." Joe responded as he reached out to shake both of their hands.

"So you're the Joe, G here keeps telling me about." Caroline says as Stacey blushes at her statement.

"I am." Joe responds to her.

"Well it's nice to finally meet you. We'll talk later, but now I need to go find little G and get my fill of hugs." Caroline tells Joe and Stacey.

"She's in the bounce house castle out that my dad and Joe set up." Stacey tells her as Caroline and Rob walk away.

"They seem nice." Joe said looking at his girlfriend.

"They are the best. I owe Caroline a lot; she really there for me in college when I was going through everything." She told him as she watched her daughter climb out of the bounce house and take a short running leap into Rob's arms before turning and doing the same to Caroline.

"Hey, mom wants to know if you're ready to put the food out." Maggie said coming up from behind Stacey and Joe.

"Yeah, let's do it. I bet the kids are hungry." Stacey replied as she and Joe followed Maggie into the house to start setting up the food.