JANUARY
Crouching down with Nora under the floating staircase, we watched John slowly come down the stairs dressed in a pair of jeans with a red flannel shirt tucked into his narrow waist. Nora giggled into her palm as I nodded and sent her out to scare him.
"Happy birthday, Granddad!" She screamed loud enough for all of California to hear, and as John jolted with his hand over his heart, I laughed so hard I had to lay down with my belly up.
"Jesus," John breathed, then began to laugh as Nora giggled and pointed at him. "Thanks, kid."
"Oh my God," I wiped the tears from my eyes. "You almost had a heart attack, that was amazing."
"Oh, I'm so glad my death amuses you," he chuckled as he stood from hugging Nora and helped me up to my feet.
"Happy birthday though, really," I smiled. "Come on, we made you breakfast."
Maria was in the kitchen cleaning up, meanwhile, we had a spread of scrambled eggs, chocolate waffles, bacon, and sausage on the table. Nora didn't have to go back to school for another two days, so Maria had been happily spending almost her whole Christmas and New Year's break with us.
"What was all that screeching?" Harry asked as he came in from his office.
"It's Granddad's birthday, Daddy! You missed it!"
"Oh, is it?" Harry chuckled, but he knew it was. "What are you, like a hundred?"
"Fifty-three, but thanks."
"Oh, well," Harry shrugged. "Little more than halfway there."
I laughed at the exchange as I stood to kiss Harry before he took his seat at the table. "So what are your birthday plans, Dad? You're off work today, right?"
"Mhm," he sipped from his black coffee. "I was, uh...I mean, if it's okay with you two, I was going to meet a friend for lunch."
"Oh," my smile started to fade as I glanced at Harry. "Which friend?"
"I actually met her at my night meetings. Her name is Rebecca, and we've been sort of talking before and after the meetings for a few weeks now."
My jaw dropped with a smile. "Dad...do you have a girlfriend?"
His hallowed cheeks were sort of flushed, which I thought was adorable. "I mean, we haven't really talked about that."
"Oh my God! You have a girlfriend!"
John turned to Harry with some kind of exasperated look, to which Harry shrugged at him as he took a massive bite from his waffle. "Anyway, would that be okay? Obviously Liam can take me and pick me up, or wait there. Whatever he needs to do."
"No, no, no," I scoffed. "I will take you. I'd like to see this Rebecca woman for myself, thank you very much."
So far, that was my only plan for the day as well, but Harry told John that he would take him to his meeting tonight because he needed Liam and all the guys for something else. He went as far as to say maybe the three of us could go to dinner afterward, so long as Maria was okay with staying later than usual.
"You don't have to do that," John said. He never agreed to any of Harry's offers the first time.
"I'm aware," Harry blinked at him. "I don't have to do anything that I don't want to."
I rolled my lips together as Harry so quickly switched from being thoughtful to threatening in a matter of seconds, and even John almost laughed as he simply nodded his head. "Great. Dinner it is then."
