The Escape

Chapter 34: The End

ABBY

At last, my twenty-second birthday was here, and my mission was to make it one of the best birthdays ever. My past was almost entirely put behind me, and I was thrilled with how my life was going. In all my life choices, I don't have a single regret. Each one has made me become the person I am today.

"Good morning, sleepy head," Jace said, standing in his bedroom doorway. Technically, it was our bedroom now, considering I'd been sleeping next to him for a while now. "I've got some breakfast for you if you're hungry, birthday girl. French toast and eggs sunny side up."

I quickly sat up in bed with a smile on my face. "I'm starved, thank you!" Jace laughed and brought me the tray of food. He kissed my forehead and sat down next to me.

"Happy birthday babe. I love you."

"I love you too. Thank you for this breakfast. So far, it's yummy. What's the plan for today?" I asked.

"You're the birthday girl. We can do whatever you want to do today. Shopping, traveling, staying in, or anything."

"This will sound weird, but I want to go to the zoo today. As a kid, I always begged my parents to go. We ended up going all the time for my birthday. I loved it so much, and I want to take Bella. It'll be the last time she gets to go on a day trip like this for a while. She's starting kindergarten next week."

"The Zoo sounds great. I haven't been since Rose was little. This should be fun," Jace said.

"Why don't we see if Rose and the rest want to come too? We can make it a big outing. I'd love for us all to go."

"Let me text Lauren and find out what they're doing today. You, on the other hand, enjoy your breakfast. I'll be back in a second."

Jace left me to eat the rest of my breakfast, and then I started to get ready for the day. I didn't know what it would bring, but I was excited. It was my birthday, after all.

Once I was done about an hour later, dressed in shorts, a T-shirt, and good sneakers, Jace was outside waiting, leaning up against his car. "Thought we could take the Lamborghini. It's your birthday, and if you want, you can drive." Jace tossed me the keys, and I caught them in total shock.

Jace chuckled. "You are going to let me drive this? The most expensive car I've ever been inside, and you want me to drive it? Are you crazy?"

"I may be a little crazy, but I'll let you drive it if you want. Or I can chauffeur you around. It's up to you."

I grinned. "Oh, I'm driving this. Don't worry, I won't scratch it," I said.

"I'm not worried about it getting scratched. I'd be more worried if you got a scratch. You're more important than a car. This could be replaced."

I nodded. "I'm glad you think so highly of me," I laughed. Jace shook his head, but I saw a slight smile. I loved that we could quickly make fun of each other or crack jokes without getting upset.

Later, we all ended up at the zoo. The kids, Lauren, Callum, and I even invited Layla. It was nice to have her around. She was my best friend before I met Jace, and she's still a wonderful friend now, even though I don't see her as much.

The zoo was just like I remembered. There was lots of walking around and so many cute animals. This was Bella's first time at the zoo, and she loved it. She ended up with many stuffed animals, and I knew they'd go right in the hammock she had at Ryan's house.

"Alright, I think I need a nap," I yawned. We'd walked all over the zoo since nine o'clock this morning, and it was now almost three.

"That sounds like a good idea to me. You ready to get out of here then?" Jace asked. I nodded and leaned my head onto his shoulder as we walked out with everyone. "I'll drive, sleepyhead."