New Father (18+)

5

Aunt Becky called me over when it was time to go. Her and Gabriel were awfully quiet as the four of us walked to the car. The only sounds were my giggles as Oliver whispered jokes into my ear and he pulled me close to him. It felt like old times again, but I was going to have to say goodbye to him again.

Gabriel and Aunt Becky got into the car, but Oliver didn't let me go just yet. He pulled me closer to him and wrapped his arms around me. He smiled down at me but the smile was filled with sorrow because he too was sad to say goodbye again.

"Come visit me sometime soon, yeah?" I asked and he nodded and brought his hand up and brushed my hair behind my ear. His eyes glanced down to my lips and he slowly leaned forward till his brushed against mine. An electricity flowed through me and I thought I would never feel this again. He pressed his lips against mine so softly and the kiss was sweet, but I felt like it was more of a bittersweet kiss. Because time would go one and people will grow older and Oliver wouldn't have time to come visit me like he said he would. I didn't know this now, but deep down my mind was telling me to make the most out of this. I pulled him closer and I ran my hand through his hair and deepened the kiss. The feeling of his tongue meliting with mine made a soft almost inaudible moan form in my throat.

He pulled away when we had no more air in our lungs and he smiled at me. This time is wasn't sad, it was breathtaking. He ran his thumb over my bottom lip that was now swollen, "Happy Birthday, Love" He said and we shared one more quick kiss before I returned to the car. It was silent when I shut the door and neither one of them spoke as Gabriel put the car in drive. I was embarrassed because they had to witness Oliver and I kiss, but the heavy weight on my shoulders overpowered my embarrassment. I was awfully sad now and I wondered if it would have been easier if I never bumped into Oliver today, but something in me tried to tell me I was stupid to think that. Yes it was sad we had to say goodbye again, but it was my birthday and I got to spend it with someone who I love. So a bittersweet smile emerged on my lips as I watched the fair become smaller and smaller behind us as we drove.

"Eleanor," My Aunts voice emerged from the tense silence in the car and I froze. "I would like to say sorry for not mentioning your birthday. I figured you wouldn't want to celebrate since it's the first one without Linda," I frowned as she turned her apology around and made me and Gabriel seem like the bad guys for getting mad at her for doing such a "selfless act" she always wanted to throw a pity party when she was in the wrong. She should have just said sorry and be done with it. The last part of her apology hit me and put me in a sour mood, but I still accepted it so her and Gabriel wouldn't fight anymore.

Everyone was silent again and no one talked when we exited the car and entered the house. Aunt Becky B-lined it up the stairs to her room while I kneeled and greeted Blue who was whimpering with excitement of everyone being home again.

I glanced up and noticed Gabriel went into the kitchen and I heard him start to scrounge around for something. I patted Blue a couple more times before I got to my feet and followed the sounds in the kitchen.

Gabriel was stretching up to search the top of one of the cabinets and his white shirt raised up and exposed the defined V of his lower abdomen. I quickly looked away and glanced up at what he was doing. I didn't ask any questions and I shuffled over to the fridge and pulled out some leftover soup Gabriel picked up for me at that vegan- vegetarian restaurant yesterday. He always did kind things like that for me or aunt Becky and it always made me feel good, like someone cared for me.

I heated up my food in the microwave and Gabriel was still searching around for something and he would mutter words under his breath when one spot didn't have what he was looking for. I avoided the counter that him and my aunt occupied this morning and I went over to the small dining table that we never ate at. We usually ate in the living room or at the counter so it was odd sitting at the table, alone.

I ate my soup silently and I heard a victorious sound leave Gabriel's lips and I glanced over at him, but his back was too me. I shrugged and continued to eat, but I looked back up from my bowl when I saw Gabriel walking over to me with his hands behind his back and a giddy smile on his face.

"What are you doing?" I asked cautiously and he wordlessly answered by setting a muffin in front of me with a single candle poked into the center. He flicked a green lighter and the flame hovered over the candle till it was lit. My eyebrows raised and I brought my hand to cover my parted lips as I gasped.

"Happy birthday to you-Happy birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Eleanor, Happy Birthday to you!" He sang softly, nearly above a whisper and my eyes constantly shifted from the candle to him singing and when he was done he told me to make a wish.

I bit my lip and I examined the burning candle and I thought about all the times I wished on my birthday and the wishes never came true. I knew this one would never come true so I could wish for whatever the heck I wanted and there would be nothing to fret about. So I closed my eyes and wished for someone to fill the hole in my heart. The hole that once held my mother, my grandparents and Oliver. All the people I loved but weren't in my life any longer. I wanted someone to fill that void.

I opened my eyes and saw Gabriel grinning at me, "I know it's no big chocolate cake or anything, but it's a chocolate muffin so it's basically the same thing," He said as he pulled the candle out of the muffin and pushed it closer to me. "I was relieved that we had at least one candle so at least something is going right on your birthday," He said and I nodded and began to separate the muffin in half and I pushed the other half back towards him.

I watched his eyes glance down to my mouth as I brought the dessert to my lips and took a small bite. He snapped out of his gaze and began to eat his wordlessly. "Thank you," I said when we both were finished eating. "You didn't have to do that, but thank you, truly," I smiled at him and I watched his eyes once again drift down to my mouth. My pink tongue ran over my lips nervously because his eyes stayed locked on my lips. Something shifted in me, like I discovered something in me as he began to lean closer to me. My heart rate picked up and I was frozen in place. My legs clamped together and my hands shook with nerves. What was he doing. He was about to ki-no he would never. But his face moving closer begged to differ. Just when I thought I was going to feel his lips on mine I was sorely mistaken when his thumb brushed over my cheek.

My eyes widened and he awkwardly smiled at me, "You had crumbs on your cheek," He said and he pulled away entirely from me and he got to his feet and pushed in his chair. "Good night, Eleanor," He said slowly before he spun around and left me stunned at the dining room table.