*Second update of the day :) so read previous chapter if you have not yet friends!!!*

“Fucking right it is,” I glared out of the window. I had just yanked up the blinds and saw large billowy dark gray clouds outside. It looked like an impending storm was coming for sure. Of course it would be today of all days to be stormy and nasty out.

Glancing back at the bed, I wondered if I could just call, cancel my appointments and crawl back into bed for the day. Would anyone really care? Sidney, Geno, and the guys were all in Ottawa.

To make matters worse, the sting of last night’s game still hurt. I had ended up spending the evening at the Malkin’s with the Crosby’s. Sabina had been shooting little barbs my way all evening which I had pointedly ignored, but I felt Taylor becoming more tense all night. It didn’t help that the game went into double overtime and we lost.

But really, I couldn’t. It was Trina and Troy’s last full day here in Pittsburgh before they headed back to Canada. But not Taylor, who had elected to stay longer.

I sighed and fled to the bathroom to commence with my normal routine. My hair was a mess and my face seemed a little blotchy both probably from the very little, very restless sleep from the night before. Changing into some workout clothes, and grabbing a pair of running shoes and a sweatshirt along with my purse I headed upstairs.

Upstairs was completely empty. It seemed like everyone was still asleep, which was just as well for I was not not in a mood to talk to anyone.
I stopped in the kitchen and grabbed my water bottle which was resting in the fridge, staying cold and I headed out for my PT meeting.

---

It was a strange but fantastic PT session. He had kept me ages, literally hours. We did the normal rehab part on my ankle, then strength building on the recovering foot. We ran through a full body work out which took two and a half hours. Next he had me shower and then wanted me to get a massage there then acupuncture followed by another shower and then a sauna treatment and I need another shower before I could change into my clean street clothes.
I actually felt pretty incredible by the time we were completely done with everything even if it was mid afternoon.

Checking my phone on the way out to the car, I ignored the large amount of notifications and called Sidney’s house number.

No one picked up.

I frowned slightly as I left a message, “Hey guys, I am on my way back from gym. Sorry it ran way longer than I thought it would. I was just wondering if anyone needed anything from anywhere. I guess just call me on my cell if you do. See you all soon.”

I hung up and started my drive back to the house.

---

“I’m back!” I yelled as I walked into the house and slipped off my running shoes.
I walked down the hall through the empty kitchen and dinning hall and into the ---

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” Yelled a bunch of voices.

I jerked whelping.

“What?” I squeaked

Before me standing up from different hiding places were Mr. and Mrs. Crosby, Taylor, Mama and Papa Bear Malkin, Vero, Nathalie Lemieux, more people, and--and.

“Jen?” my voice cracked and I felt tears begin to leak from my eyes.

Jen ran over to me and threw her arms over me, hugging me fiercely.

“Wouldn’t miss today for the world,” Jen said in a low voice. Eventually my best friend let me go.

“But, but what is all of this?” I asked wiping my face before accepting a glass of champagne Mrs. Crosby was holding out. I stared around the room completely speechless. The normally more masculinely decorated large great room was now covered in streamers and balloons. Even on one of the tables, there was a pile of differently wrapped presents. How did they all know? When could they have planned this? And why did they do this?

“Your birthday,” Vero piped up with a huge grin on her face, “You really didn’t think we your friends would pass today up, did you?”

My friends. I bury my hands in my face trying to hide the tears trying to leak out.

And so the festivities began.

---

“It’s a traditional thing she does,” Jen announced as Mr. Crosby began to cut the cake.
I grinned and shook my head at Jen as she said this. It was true. It was a thing I’d done with my mom since I was little and since Jen and I had started doing birthdays together, it was a tradition she made sure continued. Though, last year, Jen and I were pretty drunk over a dinner when we had my birthday cake and made our birthday predictions. I think it had something to do with dyeing my hair green and naked snowboarding. Or something. It was all a bit fuzzy.

“So say anything she do next year?” Mama Malkin asked.

“Exactly!” Jen answered a bit too excitedly for my liking.

“Win gold medal!” Mama Malkin puffed up proudly beaming over at me. I reached an arm around the woman and gave her a half hug.

“No, no. Win two gold medal.” Papa Malkin piped in proudly, which caused everyone in the room to laugh.

“Learn how to change a diaper,” Vero quipped in which caused another round of laughs by the group. I rolled my eyes at the French-Canadian, but was grinning at the same time.

There were a lot of things from the people I wasn’t as close with such as win more snow board competitions, be on a cover of a magazine, travel to some new places, etc.

When it got to Taylor, she was grinning, “Attend a lot more hockey games.”

I shook my head smiling once again, glad of our new found openness.

Glancing around, I realized that Jen hadn’t gone. Not only had she not said anything, but she wasn’t even in the room. After we were all finished and the room was settling down, Jen returned.

“Hey sunshine?” I poised it more as a question than a greeting as I headed over to the corner of the room she was standing in, away from everyone.

“Hi,” she looked rather pensive as she paused before adding, “I didn’t want to say mine in front of everyone.”

“Jesus,” I shook my head, rolling my eyes at my best friend. What ridiculous thing was she about to say? Threesome? Foursome?

“This was all Sidney.” She gestured at everyone who were beginning to dig into cake that the Crosbys’ and Malkins’ were busy passing out.

I felt my fingers go numb followed by the rest of me and it was like an out of body experience as I heard my own voice ask, “What?”

“He knew he was going to miss today so he called me a couple of days ago and flew me out here. But he made sure his parents, the Malkins, Veronique, everyone knew about it. He planned this, and made sure everyone would be here.”

I didn’t know what to do. Even with the newest bump in our relationship or whatever we were calling it, he had still orchestrated all of this for me. Jen and I both stared at each other for a few moments.

Jen cleared her throat, “Lily, this next year you’ll say ‘I love you’ and mean it.”

I felt the bottom drop from my stomach.

“Lily, cake?” I glanced up and Mr. Crosby had appeared with a large piece of birthday cake on a plate for me.

I smiled tightly and took it.

---

Later during a lull in the party, I excused myself for a moment claiming the need of a restroom. I headed down to the basement to the bedroom I had started calling my own as of recently. I took out my phone from my pocket and quickly placed a call.
He answered on the third ring.

“I can’t believe what you did.” I stated before he could even say hello. It was the truth. I still couldn’t believe what was going on upstairs; it was unbelievable what he had pulled together so quickly just for me. Though I was still a little shaken from what Jen had said, I needed to hear his voice. Could I even be in a relationship with someone for that long. That someone she obviously meant Sidney. And the ‘L’ word.

“Lily,” he started.

“No,” I cut him off.

I didn’t know what I wanted to hear from him. There was so much I wanted to say, yet I didn’t know how to convey all of it.

There was a long silence on both ends of the phone.

“I haven’t been this happy on this day since--since before she died,” my voice cracked and there were silent tears running down my face, “But, why? Why did you do this? You aren’t even here.”

Sidney took a while to answer as well, as if trying to think carefully of the words he wanted to use before deciding on, “You are allowed to be happy. I want you to be happy.”

I felt my lower lip trembling.

“Win tomorrow and come back to me?”

“I’ll always come back.”

I wanted to believe it so much. Every inch of my being wanted to believe this man who entered my life in such a negative way and now I was beginning to feel lost without would do as he was saying now.

“Talk to you later Crosby.”

“Bye Rivers.”

I went into the bathroom, quickly washing my face to get rid of any evidence of tears before heading back upstairs to the party.

Notes

SURPRISE FRIENDS!!!!

Betcha didn't expect a double chapter!!! :D

Tomorrow is my birthday, so I thought it would be a present to all of you wonderful readers to give you two chapters in 1 day like you were asking before!!!!! I actually didn't plan on having it be the birthday chapter, it just sorta fell this way cause i didn't write for such a long time.

ANYWAYS!!! I hope you enjoy this happy!!!! I love your comments!!!!!! Hugs to you all!!!