“Speech,” Dom bellows, cupping his hands around his mouth.
I stand to my feet and clear my throat and look around the table at these people who mean so much to me. “Thank you, everyone of you, for today. As you know, I was both dreading and excited about this day. There are two people missing the celebrations today. Two people who meant the world to me. The last twelve months have been so hard, but it is all of you sitting here that have helped me through. So thank you, not just for today, but for welcoming me into your family. I went from having no one, to having all of you in my life, and for that I am so grateful. I love you all.”
I look around the table and all the females are dabbing their eyes and wiping away tears. My dad I can tell is fighting back his emotions and Grayson looks up at me with such pride and love.
“Can we eat cake now? My belly is rumbling like a dinosaur,” Olly chirps up, and everyone immediately starts laughing. The atmosphere turns from emotional to celebratory in an instant.
“You can pick the first cake, Everly,” Olly tells me as leans forward and licks his lips in anticipation.
“Why thanks, buddy.” I lean forward and look at the cakes on offer.
“You won’t like that one with the chocolate balls on though,” Olly says, and I have to fight a giggle.
From beside him, Sophie smiles at me and rolls her eyes.
“Oh, you don’t think so?”
Olly shakes his head and pulls his face. “It’s yucky, but I’ll eat it for you.”
“That is so kind of you. Here you go.” I place the small cake on his plate and Olly salivates looking at it.
I am used to Olly’s tactics. When there is a food item he really wants, he will tell you it is yucky so that he can eat it for himself.
“Has Mum been in touch?” My dad asks me.
I nod as I swallow the piece of sandwich in my mouth. “Yes, she text first thing this morning. She is going to Facetime me later if she can get a decent signal.”
Grandma was away on a cruise of the med. She had booked the holiday before she even knew I existed but when she had realised that she would be away for my eighteenth birthday she had been adamant that she was going to cancel. I had managed to persuade her not to, and we’d agreed that when she got home, we are going for a weekend to London for cocktails and shopping. I adore my Grandma. She is fun, feisty and independent and lives her life to the full. Her social calendar is a lot more exciting than mine, that is for sure.
After we have all eaten and had our fill of the delicious cakes. Happy birthday music comes on over the speakers in the restaurant. I blush smiling as my entire family and a trio of waitresses sing happy birthday to me. My cake is amazing. It is as Olly had let slip, a Game of Thrones cake. It is the iron throne with a girl that very much looks like me, sitting on it and a dragon at her feet.
Olly dances up and down in his seat with excitement and sings as loud as he can. I lean over to blow my candles out and stop when I see his eager face.
“You going to help me?” I ask him.
Olly does not need asking twice. He leans in beside me and blows as hard as he can until they have all extinguished.
“Present time!” Abi announces as she produces a bag from under the table and holds it out to me.
I am spoiled beyond words. Abi has bought me a collection of my favourite skin care products. Dom and Izzy give me a Fitbit. Lottie’s present is a spa day for three at a local luxurious health club. I am overwhelmed with their generosity.
“My turn,” Grayson announces.
I can’t help the excitement I feel about Grayson’s presents. He has really surprised me today with all the lovely things he had planned. Having a tattoo and arranging the plaque for my mother’s ashes is more than enough of a present.
He reaches in his pocket and pulls out a black box, and everyone falls silent. It’s too big to be ring, but it is clearly jewellery.
“Open it,” he urges me with a half-smile.
I reach out and take it from him and pop open the lid. Inside is a delicate silver chain, and the pendant is a small jigsaw piece.
“It’s gorgeous,” I tell him, looking up at him with a big smile on my face.
“Read the back.”
I lift the chain from inside and turn the pendant over. ‘His and mine are the same.’ Is engraved into the back of the jigsaw piece.
I look up at him knowing full well what this refers to, and he smiles and lifts a thicker silver chain from under his school shirt that has a connecting jigsaw piece and I know then that his piece has the beginning of the quote engraved on it.
I throw my arms around his neck, still clutching the necklace in my hand. “I love it.” I whisper in his ear before dropping a quick kiss on his lips. Grayson takes the necklace from me and I turn in my seat so that he can put it on me.
“It looks lovely,” Sophie says, and I see her squeeze my dad’s hand. My dad is looking from me to Grayson with a deep look on his face.
“Thank you, all of you. You have made what was going to be a tough day so perfect. “
“Can we eat the cake now?” Olly chirps up, breaking the tender moment, and everyone laughs.
“No more cake today, Olly. You’re going to be in a sugar coma if you have any more,” Sophie tells him, and he pouts his bottom lip.
I nudge him with
