The knock on our door is manic, it yanks me out of sleep to find Travis lying awake with an arm placed behind his head, playing a muted game on his phone. The cabin in all its glory has no internet connection and for the purpose of 'detaching from the real world', Zayn has refused to fix that little problem.

"Hey". He greets me with a smile.

"Hey". I can't help the confusion and he catches it.

"It's just Meghan". He answers my unasked question. The knock comes back, heavier this time.

"Well, what does she want?"

"Who cares? It's definitely something crazy".

"If you two morons don't get out of bed this minute and make my boyfriend's birthday fucking memorable, I will_"

"Shit. It's Zayn's birthday". Funny how it is supposed to be the reason for our being here and we somehow managed to forget it. I rush out of bed as Travis lets out a tiny sigh.

"We heard you woman, give us a second". He yells out to the woman outside our door while I scavenge my bag for the present I had gotten Zayn.

"Let me guess". He is suddenly beside me. "Lingerie". He points at the wrapped box.

"Nah. Did that one for his sweet sixteen".

"Boys don't get sweet sixteens".

"Ah, but sweet Roberto did even if he'll deny it till he perishes, as does his middle name". Travis laughs and I want to freeze this moment for a little while but we don't have time, Meghan Summers is outside our door that will soon be floored if we don't get out in the next ten seconds. So I kiss his cheek instead and hope I can give him a lot more smiles.

"What is it then?" He ask as I throw on a T-shirt.

"You'll see in a minute". He gives me a are-you-serious look and when I don't divulge anything, he walks to the beside drawer and yank the bottom one open with a calm 'fine'. He pulls out a rectangular shaped gift that is neatly wrapped, complete with the red bow. He catches my surprised expression and gets a bit defensive.

"What? He is my sort of friend too". I let out a chuckle.

"It's just new". And a long way from attempting to murder him.
"And totally welcomed".

       Meghan isn't outside of our room when we step out so we head for the living room but the only person here is Zayn with a bowl of ice-cream, legs crossed on the center table and a big grin on his face.

"How you doing birthday boy?" His grin somehow widens.

"Feeling sixteen again". I share a look with Travis who chuckles.

"I bet you do. Happy birthday man". I hold out the gift and he takes it, then rises to hug me. The hug always comes before the unwrapping because more times than not, the nature of the present usually left the recipient with the urge to punch someone or too amused to get it together.

"Happy birthday Zayn". Travis holds out his present and Zayn cannot hide his surprise either.

"Ehm_ Thanks Trav". He begins unwrapping it immediately to reveal a medium sized book. "Gardening for dummies". He reads out loud and I laugh but my boyfriend doesn't find it funny and cast me a warning look.

"You talked about missing your mom's green room and I thought this could help you start your own. I can give you some seeds from ours". I like the inclusion even as all I contribute to that garden is mix planting.

"Thank you". Zayn caresses the book. "It was very thoughtful".

"That's who he is. My thoughtful baby". Zayn raises his brows in question and mild amusement but I brush him off.

"Go on. Open mine". He grins with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Where is Meghan by the way? I thought she was going to be here with some grenades when we came out". I say as he begins tearing into his present.

"Right. You are dating a crazy person". Travis adds and I give him a blank stare.

"You dated her too". I point out and he shrugs.

"And I am going to ask that crazy person to marry me. How many more layers are there to this thing?" He groan as he rips off the second wrap sheet.

"Just about enough to teach you patience".

"You want to ask Meghan to marry you?" Travis dwells on the important topic like I should have but we all know that Meg and Zayn are endgame, marriage or not. Marriage just happens to make more sense.

"What if she says no?" Zayn stops his violent unraveling long enough to glare at me. "Or kicks you in the nuts?" He grimaces.

"She is not going to say no". Travis intervene.

"Thank you Travis". He caresses the cover of his now unveiled gift.

"No assurance for your nuts though". He rolls his eyes at my boyfriend before opening the album.

I watch expectantly as his eyes skim through the first photo and I have to hold back my laughter when I see the wrath in his eyes.

"How did you get these?" He ask through gritted teeth, clenching the book like he could murder me with it.

"Come on Zaynie, mom gave it to me. She was glad to help".

"I'm sure she was".

"Does that contain embarrassing baby pictures?" Travis eyes the book with amusement.

"All of them". Zayn reply just sets me off.

"And then some". He hauls the book at me but I duck and it barely misses Pokello, painting horror on all our faces except hers.

"Pregnant woman in the house, guys. No flying books". She looks down at the book that has opened to a particularly interesting page.

"Zayn, why do you look like you just saw your parents having sex here?" She points at it and the mental image alone is disturbing. I mean Isaac and Linda are a wonderful couple but they have been like my parents since Zayn and I became friends and no one wants to see their parents having sex.

"This is not the birthday I was promised". He groans as Meghan walks into the room and holds out her phone to him.

"Conan". She smiles as his face suddenly explodes with joy.

"Hey wolverine". He cheers as he moves away from the rest of us to talk to his son. Meghan faces us all with hands on her hips.

"Here's the deal. Zayn loves food and I can't make half of it so you are all going to help. Travis, Newt, you keep him busy. Kello, I am gonna need your guidance in the kitchen but for now_ Jake, shopping".

I was really hoping that by some streak of uncommon luck I'd find a way to slip out of that one but I guess my fate has been sealed.

I like shopping, I mean I don't mind it. It is a necessity but Meghan somehow makes it into the most strenuous chore on the planet. We have rounded the fruits and vegetables aisle five times and so far, we only have tomatoes in our cart.

"If you could just let me see the list, maybe I could be of help". Like she has been doing for the past hour, she ignores me. She leads us to the meat aisle and spends five minutes looking between frozen chicken and turkey.

"Zayn likes chicken". I try to help but all she does is sigh. "Why am I here?"

"To push the trolley around". She supplies without turning around.

"Guess I would have felt a little helpful if there was anything in it aside these succulent tomatoes". She chuckles lightly and turn to me.

"I don't have anything against you, Jake". She says, matter of fact.

"Really? Because it hasn't felt like it since__ forever".

"You are Zayn's best friend and I can see all the reasons why he loves you, I am not blind. You are a good guy, it's why I let you be Conan's godfather. It's just, I am protective of the people I love and I know it wasn't your intention to hurt Katie but you did and I had to watch her pull through it and I care about Travis, a lot and Conan is going to grow up looking up to you as a role model and I am worried about the image you are painting. Just figure yourself out Jake, before more people get hurt".

Meghan's honesty has always been her greatest feature but I have never experienced it directed at me like this before. All I can think is how much I have been dumbstruck lately.

"I love your son, Meghan and I promise I'll do my best to ensure he gets a good upbringing. And you are right, I didn't mean to hurt Katie, or Travis, everything is just a mess but I'll fix it. I promise".
She stares at me with the deepest brown eyes.

"Okay".

"So. Can I see the list now?" She turns away but not before I catch her smile.

"There isn't one".

"What?"

"I'm not really big on planning". Unbelievable.

"So we are just winging it here".

"Pretty much". I laugh and she joins in.

"Okay. I still vote chicken though". She smile and toss one into the cart.

     Our shopping doesn't improve much after our little bonding session but it can't be easy buying ingredients for a meal you haven't decided on. We agree on making something simple and Meghan interpret that to mean some ancient Italian recipe that even Zayn's dad probably hasn't heard about. After shopping for foreign ingredients and a lot of seafood, we load up our full cart into the car and drive back to the cabin.

Pokello's face twists up at the varying condiments and she looks relieved when I call her out of the kitchen.

"What's up genie? Things good with Trav? I saw your mushy grin earlier". Her tone is disgusted but her eyes are teasing and it almost makes me smile but not right now, I can't.

"Yeah, we are getting there. Kello, I need a favor".

"What is it? If it takes me away from Meghan and her indecision, I'm game".

"Ehm, for a minute at least". She considers it for too long.

"Are you stalling?" I ask and she nods, drawing a chuckle out of me.

"What do you need?"

"Katie's number". She hadn't been expecting that, damn even I hadn't expected it.

"Why? Is there a problem?"

"No. I just need to talk to her". I need to make things right and Pokello seems to understand because she takes her cellphone out and shares the contact with me. She gives my shoulder a gentle rub before returning to the kitchen.

      With Travis and newt busy carrying out their duty of keeping Zayn busy, I slip into our bedroom and place a call to my one and only ex-girlfriend. It takes a while to connect with her being out of the country and when she picks up, she sounds like a different person.

"Katherine Langston speaking. How can I help you?"

"Hi Katie. It's Jake". There is a slight pause on her side.

"Levinson?" The chirperness has left her voice.

"Yeah".

"Oh. Hi. How are you?"

"I'm okay. How are you?"

"I'm alright".

"Sweet". I don't know why I'm suddenly nervous, things cannot get worse than they already are.

"Are you going to tell me why you called, Jake?"

"To apologize".

"What? It's been like seven years and you already apologized".

"But was it enough? Because everyone keep talking about how hurt you were by my actions and I didn't even realize and I am sorry that I made you believe I was someone that I wasn't".

"But you were everything you claimed to be and that is why it had hurt so much because I felt I just didn't deserve you and that is why you chose someone else over me".

"It wasn't like that at all".

"I know that now. It is nobody's fault that you are gay and I don't want you to apologize for that anymore, not to me or anyone else".

Figure yourself out Jake. I know exactly who I am.