Traveling was fun, but I was glad to be home. As we drove through town I started putting my things back in my bag. We had been in the car for like six hours straight. The floor around my feet was littered in trash and I couldn't find my book.
"Damnit." Jack laughed.
"Lose something in your dumpster over there?"
"This mess is mostly your fault." I told him as I shoved trash into an old grocery bag.
"Don't worry about it to much. We can clean it up later."
"By which you mean never and I'll have to ride with trash covering my feet for the foreseeable future. I don't think so mister. Aha!" I found my book and shoved it in my backpack. I got most of the trash picked up before we got within sight of the house. We pulled into the driveway and got out. We both stretched.
"I'll get the suitcases if you can grab the box from the backseat."
"Sure." I got the box, which had filled up a lot since we got it, and walked up to the door. And then I realized I didn't have a key. Jack came up behind me.
"I don't have a key." I pointed out to him.
"I will fix that." He unlocked the door and let me in first. I walked in and set the box down on the table. Jack followed behind with the suitcases. I kicked off my shoes and sat my backpack down beside them. I took my suitcase from Jack and started down the hall. Jack kicked his shoes off and followed me. My bedroom door was closed which I thought was weird. I was pretty sure I left it open when we left. I opened the door and gasped. My entire room had been redecorated. The walls had been painted a pale minty green color. My sheets had been replaced with pale pink ones. I had a dresser now as well as a bookshelf, a desk and a full length mirror. There was a cardboard box sitting on the bed. I tugged my suitcase into the room and went to inspect the box. It was full of books and laying on top of them was a stuffed rabbit that had seen much better days. There was a note laying in the box. Found this in a box under your bed. Thought you might like to have it back. -Allison. The rabbit had been mine when I was little, but I had no idea where the books had come from.
"Do you like it?" I dropped the rabbit in the box and turned in the direction of Jack's voice. He was standing in the door way, hands in his pockets.
"I love it. It's perfect. But how?"
"Alex and Lisa." I nodded. "See I told you I'd get you a dresser. And now you've even got a bookshelf and a desk."
"Thanks. What's with the box of books?"
"Lisa told me she had a box of books that had just been sitting in a closet and she thought you might like to have them. Is the color okay?" He glanced around the room.
"It's great."
"Oh good. I was afraid you would think it was stupid." I smiled and shook my head.
"You did a good job." I gave him a hug. "Now go rest. You look exhausted." I put my hands on his back and began pushing him out of my room.
"You're bossy. You know that?"
"I know. Now go rest." He laughed, but finally started walking.
"Fine. You should check the cats' food bowls."
"Ok. Oh and don't forget to set an alarm so you don't oversleep."
"'Kay." He headed to his room and I went to the kitchen. Surprisingly they still had quite a bit of food, but their collective water dish was almost empty. I filled it and then sat down at the table with my phone. I scrolled through Twitter and then Instagram. Finally I got the text I had been waiting for. I stood and went to open the front door. Alex was waiting there with a box of decorations and two trash bags filled with blown up balloons.
"Hey, kiddo? Have a fun trip?"
"Shh! Jack's door is still open." I whispered closing the door behind him. Then I tiptoed down the hall to Jack's room. When I got within a foot of the door I could hear him snoring softly. I giggled and shut the door. I ran softly back to the kitchen where Alex was pulling things from his box.
"So as requested I brought streamers, a banner, balloons, paper plates, cups, chips and . . . one bottle of soda. Damnit I must've left the other back at the house. I guess I'll get it when I go get Lisa."
"Did you invite everyone?"
"Everyone I could think of. People should start arriving at four. I'll go get Lisa before that."
"Did you get a cake?"
"Oh shit. I forgot."
"What?!" He was smirking, "You dick! You did get cake, didn't you?"
"I'm not stupid. Of course I got cake. Lisa is frosting it as we speak. Now let's decorate." And decorate we did. We threw streamers everywhere and hung the banner, which was a lot harder than expected because we were attempting to be quiet. We used up most of a roll of tape, but we did manage to get it up.
"Looks pretty good." I said when we were finished.
"Yep."
"And now we wait." I sighed and sat down on the kitchen counter. Alex leaned against the counter beside me.
"How was the road trip?"
"So much fun." I went into a very long, very detailed retelling of our trip and all the things we did.
"I need to see this video of you singing karaoke."
"No! It must die a quick and painful death." I replied and giggled. Alex pulled his phone from his pocket.
"I'm off to get Lisa. Back in a moment, princess." And then he left. I didn't move from my spot on the counter. I spent my time trying to a find a music app for my phone and I did right before Alex and Lisa arrived. The cake was rectangular and green. It said Happy Birthday Jack! in blue icing and had star shaped sprinkles all over it. Alex was also carrying a box wrapped in blue paper with balloons all over it.
"Hey!" Lisa said when she saw me. She set the cake down and wrapped me in a hug.
"Hey, Lisa."
"How was your trip?"
"It was a lot of fun."
"I bet. You guys did a great job decorating."
"Thanks. Do you think he'll like it?"
"If you're the one who thought of it I'm sure he'll love it." Shortly after that people started arriving. Jack had a lot more friends than I realized. The first person to arrive was Rian.
"Hi. I'm Annalise."
"I'm Rian. I've heard quite a bit about you."
"Has anyone ever told you that you look and sound a lot like Joshua Jackson?" I asked without thinking. I felt my cheeks heat up. Rian just chuckled.
"No they haven't." My face was crimson. Lucky for me other people arrived and Rian got distracted. I had everyone step into the living room or kitchen so that they couldn't be seen from the hallway. Lisa put candles on the cake and then we waited. A few minutes later Jack's bedroom door opened.
"Baby girl?" He asked as he started down the hall.
"I'm in the kitchen." I called back. Where I was standing I could see into the living room as well as the kitchen. I held up three fingers and slowly put them down one at a time. Just as Jack walked into the kitchen everyone yelled, 'Surprise!' He stopped and stared.
"Happy Birthday!" I said and smiled up at him.
"Did you do this?"
"I planned it, but Alex threw it all together."
"Don't discredit yourself. It was mostly you." Alex piped in. He was holding the cake, which now had lighted candles on it. He held in front of Jack and started singing. Everyone joined in and then Jack blew out the candles. After that Alex connected his phone to a speaker and started music. The party lasted for about three hours, but after about one I got really bored. I took my book and a cup of soda and went out to the backyard. It was the first time I'd been out there. Two lawn chairs sat by a small firepit. There was a shed in the far corner and a fence surrounding the whole yard. I sat down in one of the chairs and opened my book. It was one I got while we were on our trip, called The Search For WondLa. It was a sci-fi story and definitely one of my favorites.
"What are you doing out here?" I turned in the direction of the voice and saw Jack.
"Parties aren't my thing. Plus I don't really know anyone here. Today's about you. I'm fine just sitting here reading my book."
"Thank you for the party, but why did you do it?"
"I felt bad that you didn't do anything on your actual birthday." He smiled and shook his head.
"You are something else, Annalise. You know that?"
"You should go back inside. It is your party after all."
"Tired of me already?"
"Yes. I'm trying to read and you're making it very difficult." He stuck his tongue at me and I did the same to him. He chuckled and walked back inside. I sat and read until everyone was gone. And then Jack and I spent the next hour cleaning up.
"Thank you for the party, baby girl. It was great."
"I'm glad you liked it." He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and kissed the top of my head.
"How did I get lucky enough to have such a considerate daughter?" The word daughter stirred something inside me. It had been so long since I'd heard that term in reference to me.
"I-I-" I was at a loss for words, "I-" I couldn't get my thoughts together.
"Are you okay? You look kind of-" I threw my arms around him.
"Thank you." I mumbled into his chest. 
"Uh . . . for what?" He asked as he wrapped his arms around me.
"For being you."
"You're welcome, I guess." I pulled away and smiled up at him. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm better than okay." He gave me a suspicion filled look.
"If you say so." I giggled.
"We should finish cleaning." Jack sighed overdramatically.
"If we must."
"And then we can eat cake and watch a movie." I bargained.
"Home Alone!" He exclaimed and began picking up trash. I giggled again.
"You weirdo."
"Offense! That is rude!" He couldn't even get through the first word without laughing.