Doing it Alone

New Years Eve

"Do you want the sparklers." the man behind the stand asks Bryan.

"Sure what's New Years without little sparklers, toss in 6 dozen." he points to the boxes.

"72 sparklers isn't that a little much." I ask Bryan.

"No the kids go through these like crazy." he laughs "Toss in another 3 dozen." he asks the guy. We collect the bags and walk back over to the car. "Still deciding on moving." Bryan asks.

"Sorta I've been weighting my options." I shrug at him. "Mainly just want to consider what's better for Chris, what do you think." I look at him.

"Uh my answer would be a bit biased." Bryan laughs.

"Good point." I nod. "Maybe I'll just give Houston another year and then move back if I still feel the same." I tell him.

"Sounds decent just plan more visits, we still love you and Chris." he smiles. "So has Houston brought anything good." he adds.

"Nothing special it's the same as Dallas really." I answer him.

"How about that sappy love life of yours." he laughs.

"Nope doesn't exist." I joke.

"Well you are certainly living, Ryan would encourage you to move on." he shakes his head.

"And how would you know that." I look at him.

"I know Ryan more than anyone else, he just wanted you happy Bethany. If someone makes you happy don't hesitate to act on it." he smiles and pulls into the drive way. We walk into the kitchen and Chris is watching Rebecca cook.

"How did the firework buying go." she looks up to Bryan.

"Same as last year but a little better, bigger bangs and brighter sparks." he waves his hands around.

"Well the New Year is only 7 hours away and people will start showing up so get dressed." She points at us.

"Get dressed." Chris yells and the three of us laugh. I walk across the house to the guest room and shower. I wonder who would be here, and what would they think of my being here.

It's been a while so I don't really know how these people have changed. I hop out of the shower and pull on a pair of dark jeans and a red shirt. Keeping it a bit festive but casual, I'm 7 months pregnant it's no time for a fashion show.

I finish my hair when there's a knock at the door. "Come in." I yell.

In walks through Courtney Ryan's older sister. "Someone told me you were here, but I didn't believe it." she laughs and hugs me.

"Well I'm here," I laugh.

"I can tell, so what is it." she pats my stomach.

"It's a girl she's due February." I smile at Courtney.

"That's great now come on my mom is already setting the table and needs help." she laughs.

I walk into the kitchen and Bryan his wife and son are there. Courtney's husband and 3 kids also race around the house. Finally Jeff his son and a pregnant wife are walking in.

"Well well the rumors are true, Bethany finally came back." Jeff laughs. "Good to see you." he hugs me.

"It's been a while I'll agree with that." I laugh.

Dinner starts at 8:30 and we all talk about what we've been up too. They mainly interrogate me on Houston but it's funny. Being at the dinner almost felt like Ryan was there, the conversation was all there minus his laugh.

But he did love life he was always a go get it guy. The type to be awkward even if we were married, the type that always smiled.

There it was, the connection I was looking for. Ryan always smiled, every time I looked at him a grin just came on his face. It was a thing I only noticed on him, that was until Phil.

Phil shared that same small act, the one where I always see him smiling at me.

Dinner wraps up in hour and it's 9:30, only 2 hours and 30 minutes until the New Year was to begin. We all move to the sitting area but my phone rings.

"Hello." I answer.

"Just wanted to say a Happy New Year." Sam laughs. "And don't get logistical with me, the remaining time left don't count."

"That's fine, what are you doing." I ask him.

"I'm actually planning to head to your mothers, heard it was some sort of block party." he jokes.

"Sounds like a blast." I say sarcastically.

"Oh it will be, you know I'll be there." he laughs. "I have to go Veronica is texting me to speed it up."

"Better hurry up." I laugh "Happy New Years."

"Thanks, I'll make sure Phil calls you later." he laughs and hangs up.

I walk back into the living area and they all turn to me. "Who was that." Jeff asks.

"Just a friend from Houston." I sit back down.

"Pretty nice friend to be calling you." Bryan jokes.

"He's nice." I shrug.

"So it's a he?" Courtney claps.

"It's nothing like that." I laugh.

"Oh please do tell, we like stories." she smiles.

I look around and they all seem captivated by this love life of mine. I start off by telling them about how I met Phil. "A teachers assistant sounds like a romance novel." Rebecca shrills.

The next thing I told them was about Veronica and Phil dating. I said the two have been dating since October and whatever, I even mention my odd feelings for him. "Veronica is such a tramp." Jeff laughs.

I then forward to meeting Sam and our relationship that lasted not even a day. I basically explained and went back-and-forth with these people for a hour about my life at Houston.

"I'm team Phil." Jeff raises his hand.

"Defiantly team Phil." Bryan nods.

"He went with Veronica no way, team Sam." Courtney looks at her brothers.

"Sam seems like the better choice." Jeff's wife nods.

"Sarah you're suppose to agree with me." Jeff laughs.

"I'm a team Phil." Rebecca raises her hand and so does Bryan's wife.

"It's 4 Phil and 2 Sam." Jeff laughs. I couldn't believe they were picking sides it was hysterical. "What exactly do you think Bethany." he smiles at me.

"I don't know...team Phil." I sigh.

"Well you need to get Veronica off that wagon ASAP." Courtney shakes her head.

"I'll just let them be for a while, she seems to like him I want her happy." I shrug at them.

"Yeah but it isn't exactly making you happy is it now?" Bryan comes back with.