'Cause I didn't say only till the night time comes

No, I didn't say only while we're both still young

No, I didn't say only while the music plays

I said always, I said always

~*~*~*~*~*~

Friday, April 20, 2021

"Happy birthday to you / Happy birthday to you / Happy birthday, dear Juliette / Happy birthday to you!"

I smiled groggily as I forced my eyes open, rolling over in bed. Henry was walking into the room, balancing a tray on one hand as he closed the door to our bedroom behind him. He sat down on the edge of the bed, a happy but still sleepy smile on his face, his eyes sparkling. "Happy birthday, baby," he said, leaning forward to kiss my forehead.

I beamed up at him. "Thank you, babe." I slowly sat up, my back resting against the mountain of pillows on our bed, and Henry placed the tray on my lap. On it was a plate with a short stack of chocolate chip pancakes, two birthday candles in the shape of a two and a nine stuck into it. A can of whipped cream stood next to the plate.

Henry retrieved a lighter from the pocket of his gray sweatpants and lit the two candles. "Make a wish."

I thought for a moment as I stared at the flickering lights of the candles. There wasn't much I really wanted anymore. I looked at Henry and smiled.

I wish to always feel at least this happy and content.

I blew the candles out in one breath and Henry grinned. "And now for the most important part..." He pulled the candles out of the pancakes carefully and placed them down on the tray, grabbing the can of whipped cream. He shook it before uncapping it and spraying a smiley face onto my pancakes. "Dig in, beautiful."

"Only if you help me eat it."

"Honey, I made it for you."

"I know, but we'll also have lunch with my parents in a few hours, and I don't want to be too full for that. Not to mention the dinner tonight."

He sighed, but there was a smile tugging at his lips. "Fine."

We shared my knife and fork as we ate, feeding each other bites every now and then. When the short stack was completely gone, I grabbed the can of whipped cream, shaking it with a vicious smirk on my face.

"Juliette, don't even think about—"

It was too late. I'd already sprayed a little bit of cream onto his cheek. It very slowly slid down his face, making me giggle. "Now you're even more delicious."

Henry wiped the whipped cream off his face with his finger and sucked it off. "You are the worst, Juliette Morrison."

I grinned at him, trying to look innocent. "It's my birthday. I can do whatever I want."

"Yeah? That doesn't mean you can get away with everything, though. Sometimes a little payback's in order." He grabbed my hips and tugged me down so I was lying flat on my back, no longer resting against the pillows. He pushed my shirt up (which was really one of his navy Royal Marines sweatshirts that I'd claimed for myself early on in our relationship), and sprayed a line of whipped cream on my exposed belly.

I gave him a mock-stern look. "You had better clean that up, Cavill."

He grinned cheekily. "Gladly." He licked the whipped cream off my stomach, sucking on my skin until everything was gone. He gently bit on the flesh just below my bellybutton. "Is there anything else that needs cleaning?" he asked, his voice low.

"Loads," I answered airily, knowing what he was really hinting at. "I need a shower, so I should probably go do that right now," I said as I propped myself up on my elbows.

"Really? 'Cause I'm kind of hungry."

"You just ate," I reminded him, fighting a smile.

His grip on my thigh tightened and his eyes darkened. "I want to eat something else."

"Fuck, Henry," I protested, feeling heat pool between my legs at just the thought alone. "I really should shower, though."

"We can at least shower together, right?"

I nodded, and before I knew it, Henry was standing on his feet and I was slung over his shoulder. I giggled and shrieked as he took me to the bathroom, slapping my butt as I hung there helplessly. He didn't put me down until he'd turned the shower on.

"Time to take back what is mine," he said, tugging the Royal Marines sweatshirt over my head.

"You know full well that that shirt is completely mine now," I said, grinning.

He threw the sweatshirt on the ground, missing the hamper by miles. He cupped my face in his hands, stepping closer so we were nose to nose. "It's ours," he mumbled, nipping at my bottom lip.

I smiled. "Ours, huh? I like that."

"Good," he said, and he kissed me, sweet and slow at first, but quickly gaining intensity. He pushed me back until my back hit the glass door of the shower cabin, his lips never breaking away from mine. He tugged my hipster down until it fell to the floor, and I stood there, trapped between him and the shower door, completely naked. I pulled his pants down, evening the score. He tipped my head back with his hands, placing sloppy kisses on the sensitive skin of my neck. I moaned when he sucked on a particularly sensitive spot and dug my fingers into his waist.

I felt him smile against my skin before he pulled me tighter against him, pulling me away from the shower door so he could open it. Then he forced me back until the warm water cascaded over both our heads, his lips never breaking away from my skin. He kissed down to my collarbone when we were both soaking wet, gently biting into my skin. He slowly kissed lower, to my breasts, to my stomach, to my hipbone... Eventually he was on his knees right in front of me.

"Now let me give you your first gift of today, birthday girl..."

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Now that you've so loudly enjoyed my first gift," Henry teased when we'd finished showering and were sitting on the bed, wrapped in towels, "let me give you my second gift."

He reached over to the nightstand on his side of the bed and got out a square Tiffany's box. By the size of it, I could quite safely presume it was a bracelet. I opened the box with an expectant smile and gasped once I saw what was inside. It was a hinged white gold bangle, half of it covered in three rows of small brilliant diamonds. It was gorgeous.

"Oh my God, Henry... It's so beautiful."

"It's engraved," he said, pointing to the inside of the bracelet.

I read the inscription and smiled at its simplicity. I love you. X – Henry. "It's perfect," I told him honestly. "Absolutely perfect." The inscription might've been quite simple, but I liked that about it. It didn't need to be complicated and an entire novel's worth, as long as it was genuine and heartfelt.

"I'm glad you like it, love."

"Will you put it on for me?"

"Of course." He opened the bangle and clasped it around my wrist. "It looks even better on you than I'd envisioned."

I smiled and cupped his face in my hands, capturing his lips with mine. I tried to pour all my love and gratitude for him into the kiss. I didn't want to pull away, but knew that I eventually had to. Resting my forehead against his, I muttered, "We really should start getting ready. My parents..."

"I know," he mumbled back. "But I kind of don't want to let you go."

"You won't have to. You'll be coming with me."

"I know. But that's not what I meant. I just want to sit here with you forever. Just kissing you whenever I want to." He smiled. "Which is all the time."

I took one of his curls in-between my thumb and forefinger. I gently pulled it straight, watching, enraptured, as it sprang back into place when I let it go. "Same."

He took a deep breath, as if gathering up the courage to let me go. "All right. Let's get ready." He got up, draping the towel that had been wrapped around his waist over the door to the bathroom.

In attempt to not get distracted, I avoided looking below his waist and quickly went to get dressed myself.

But when I had the skirt of my military-style dress hiked up so I could roll up my fishnet pantyhose, Henry apparently decided he couldn't take it anymore. "All right, that's it," he said, marching over to the dresser standing underneath the TV. He opened the drawer holding his underwear and socks, and rummaged around in it.

Confused, I finished putting on my fishnets and let my skirt drop down again. "Henry, what are you doing?"

He found what he was looking for and marched over to me, wearing only jeans, his belt still unbuckled. He hid whatever he was holding in his hand.

"Juliette," Henry said, looking into my eyes with an urgency that immediately demanded my attention. "I love you. I know I say it all the time, but I don't say just how much nearly enough. I love you so much, it makes my chest ache. But it's a good ache. When I look at you, my heart smiles. You know when you're smiling so big, your cheeks hurt? It's like that. I love that just us being in the same room is enough for me, and yet I will always need more of you. I love it when we have a night in and you're wearing my clothes, no bra, no makeup, your hair's a mess, and you've never looked more beautiful. I love when we're laughing so hard, we're rolling on the floor, tears running down our faces. I love it when you tell me I can calm you down with just a single touch, because I feel exactly the same about you. I love it when you burp louder than me just because you can. I love it when you say my name, whether you whisper it or scream it at the top of your lungs—it doesn't matter; it always sounds like magic on your lips. I love how you can calm the storms in my head by just looking into my eyes. I just really, really love you."

I stared at him in amazement, trying hard not to cry at how sweet he was. "I love you, too," I mumbled, my voice breaking. "I love you in exactly the same way."

Henry smiled, his eyes shining. "I had been planning to wait, but I guess you can't plan a perfect moment. You just know when it arrives. And this is it." He took a deep breath. "I guess what I'm trying to say is..."

I gasped as he dropped down to one knee, finally revealing what he'd been holding in his hand. He opened the box, revealing the most beautiful piece of jewelry I'd ever seen. "Juliette Morrison, will you marry me?"

The blood rushing through my veins, I felt my knees get weak as a single tear finally spilled. "Henry..." I managed, my voice hardly above a whisper. "Oh my God..." I looked into his blue eyes, so filled with hope and love that I couldn't help but smile. "Yes. Yes, I'll marry you."

Henry grinned widely, relief and pure happiness on his face. He took the ring out of its box and slid it onto my left ring finger. It was a beautiful vintage-style ring, made of platinum and covered with tiny diamonds that sparkled in the light. The center stone was a two carat diamond that caught the light perfectly, reflecting it on its many facets. Once it was securely wrapped around my finger, he pulled me down to my knees, his arms wrapped tightly around my waist as he pressed his lips to mine, kissing me hard. "I love you so much," he muttered against my lips.

I couldn't stop smiling. "I love you, too."

"I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Me neither." I pulled back enough to admire the ring more closely. "It's so beautiful, Henry. I'm never taking it off."

He smiled, running the pad of his thumb over the ring. "I'm glad you like it. It was a lot of pressure, picking out a ring you'll hopefully be wearing for the rest of your life."

"I will. Don't you ever doubt that."

He kissed me again, and I couldn't remember ever being this happy. "Good."

"I have just one condition for marrying you, though," I told him, tangling my fingers in the curls at the back of his head.

He raised an eyebrow, trying to look amused, but I could see a twinge of worry seeping into his mind. "And that condition would be?"

"That we get married in Jersey."

That clearly took him by surprise. "You want to get married in Jersey?"

I nodded. "I never really properly thanked you for settling down here in Los Angeles with me, which really meant a lot to me. I know it was a sacrifice for you, no matter how small you say it was. So the least I can do is marry you in Jersey. If that's what you want, at least."

He grinned, getting up to his feet. He lifted me up with him and spun me around, my legs flying into the air. "Yes," he said, setting me back down on my feet. "I would love for us to get married in Jersey."

I never wanted to stop staring at my engagement ring, never wanted to break physical contact with Henry, but knew that, eventually, I had no other choice, unless we really wanted to be late to lunch with my parents.

And so I pulled on my brown boots while Henry pulled on a light blue V-neck sweater. I brushed my hair up into a high, messy ponytail and quickly did my makeup, and we were ready to go.

As he drove, Henry didn't let go of my hand once. We'd always felt a strong need to stay connected physically, but it was like, since he'd slid that ring onto my finger, that need had intensified. Like it was insufferable to not touch each other.

We reached the restaurant and held hands as we entered. We spotted my parents quickly, sitting at a table for four in the back. I temporarily released Henry's hand to hug them hello. I hadn't seen them in months, and though, yes, I'd just gotten engaged to Henry, I'd missed them dearly.

"Mom, Daddy! God, I missed you two!"

"Oh, we missed you, too, love," Mom said, tightening her arms around me. "Happy birthday!"

"Happy birthday, baby girl," Dad told me with a smile.

We sat down at the table set for four, Henry taking out my chair for me.

"We got you a little present," Dad said, taking something out of his pocket. "It was your grandmother's."

"From your father's side," Mom clarified.

My eyes widened a little as I accepted the black velvet box Dad handed me. My grandmother on his side had died two years before I was born, so I sadly wasn't fortunate enough to have ever met her, though both of my parents had regaled me with stories of her. I opened the box, finding a beautifully simple gold chain with a single diamond hanger. "It's beautiful... But Dad, are you sure you don't want to keep this? I mean, it was grandma's..."

He smiled, but it was a little sad. "I have no use for a necklace, baby girl. You might actually wear it, and honor her through that. I thought you might like it."

"Daddy, I love it. I really, really do. I just wanted to make sure that you were really sure about this."

"I'm sure, don't worry. But I see you've already got a bigger diamond on your finger," Dad said, looking pointedly at Henry.

I quickly pulled my hand back, but it was already too late. Dad had obviously already spotted the engagement ring, and if he'd spotted it, Mom probably had, too, but she was just waiting for us to say something about it first.

Henry's cheeks turned red. "I had actually planned to ask you both for her hand formally, but I just... I looked at her today and I just couldn't hold it in any longer. I just had to ask her to marry me. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not," Mom said, smiling so wide the phrase 'face-splitting grin' came to mind. "I've never seen Juliette happier than when she's with you. Besides, asking parents for their daughter's hand in marriage is an outdated concept anyway, wouldn't you agree, Jack?"

"As long as I get to walk my beautiful girl down the aisle," Dad started with a smile, "I don't care about anything but her happiness. You are happy, right?"

I looked at Henry, and automatically, a huge smile took over my face, butterflies dancing around in my stomach. "Yeah, I definitely am."

"Good," Dad said, satisfied. "I'm really happy for you both."

"Thanks, Daddy."

"So, when's the wedding?" Mom asked, her smile widening even more.

"God, Mom, we literally just got engaged an hour ago," I said, laughing. "We haven't really discussed it yet. But we do know that we want to get married in Jersey."

Mom's eyebrows shot up. "You want to get married in New Jersey? Isn't there anywhere more glamorous you want to go?"

I smiled. "Not New Jersey, Mom. Jersey, as in the island where Henry was born, close to the coast of France."

She laughed. "Well, that makes a lot more sense, doesn't it? So how are you going to do that with your guests? Are you going to fly them in, or are you planning on keeping it more private?"

I looked at Henry. "Well, I don't want too many guests, but I do want my family and friends there, and I'm guessing you do, too."

Henry nodded. "Jersey doesn't really have venues that can hold a lot of guests anyway, so we'll have to keep that in mind for when we make the guest list. And we could definitely fly people in. We'll figure it out."

I smiled at him. "We'll figure it out," I echoed.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"I have another present waiting for you at home," Henry said while we were in the car, my parents sitting in the backseat. "It should be waiting in the living room now, courtesy of George."

"Another?" I exclaimed, turning in my seat to look at him. "Henry... You've already given me so much. You really didn't have to get me another present."

Henry grinned knowingly. "Trust me, Jules, you'll like this one."

"I can attest to that," Mom said, wearing a copy of Henry's grin.

I turned to look at the backseat, staring at my parents. They were both obviously in on Henry's secret present. I turned back, staring out of the window as I gnashed my teeth. I hated surprises. It had to do with my anxiety. I always had to know what was happening. Also, when people were in the know and I obviously wasn't, I always felt excluded. It wasn't Henry's fault, nor my parents', but it was still a sucky feeling.

I took a deep, slow breath. I was being absolutely ridiculous. This was Henry we were talking about. He would never do anything to hurt me, and he would never surprise me with anything I wouldn't like.

I wrung my hands together and started a little when I felt the ring around my finger. I looked down at the engagement ring and smiled automatically. It really was quite beautiful. I traced my finger over the stone and the intricate platinum band it was set in. The two carat diamond was probably smaller than the one Henry had wanted to give me, but I appreciated that he'd restrained himself while shopping for the ring.

When we arrived home, I found that me being left out of my own surprise didn't really matter anymore. I was actually kind of looking forward to my present. The bracelet around my wrist was proof enough of Henry being great at giving gifts.

"Holy shit," Dad said as soon as we stepped out of the car. He was looking up at the house with wide eyes, his mouth slightly ajar. Mom was wearing an equal expression. "You really have done well for yourself, haven't you, baby girl?"

I smiled at my parents. "Come on inside and we'll give you the grand tour."

When we reached the living room, giving my parents a grand tour was the last thing on my mind, though.

"Oh my God!" I exclaimed, my hands flying up to cover my mouth. "Oma, Opa, what are you doing here?"

My grandparents stood up from the couch, where they'd been petting both Kal and Persephone, and smiled at me. "Henry here flew us in as a surprise for you," Opa said.

"Happy birthday, dear!" Oma said brightly, walking up to me. She gave me a tight hug, rocking me from side to side. I hugged her back just as tight.

As Opa joined us for the hug, tears clouded my vision. The last time I'd seen my grandparents was when I'd visited them with Henry during promo of If You Love Someone, a year and a half ago. It had been much too long, and I'd missed them so much, without really having realized it.

I pulled away from the hug and turned to Henry. I pointed at him. "You... You are both the worst and the best. Thank you so much."

"Happy birthday, sweetheart."

In the middle of Henry's sentence, Oma snatched my hand out of the air. I had pointed at Henry with my left hand, the one wearing my engagement ring. "Juliette! Why didn't you tell me you and Henry got engaged?"

"They what now?" Opa asked.

Oma showed him my ring—the only problem was that my hand was still attached to it. She nearly made me fall over as she pulled my hand towards him. "Look at this giant rock!"

"Actually..." Henry started, "I wanted to go bigger, but I knew Juliette wouldn't want me to."

I smiled. "I knew it. And Oma, I would've told you sooner, except for the fact that it happened only a few hours ago."

She dragged me over to one of the couches and forcibly sat me down. "Tell me all about how he asked you, dear. Were you in a nice restaurant? What were you wearing?"

"Uh, not much," I said, and I immediately felt myself grow bright red as I saw the looks on my grandparents' faces. "Oh, God! Not like that! We were in the middle of getting dressed when he suddenly decided to propose. I was still pulling on my fishnets and Henry was only wearing jeans."

Oma grinned mischievously. "Well, I'm sure you didn't mind being proposed to by a shirtless Henry."

"Oma!" I protested, laughing. I was still blushing a little when I admitted, "And, no, I definitely wasn't complaining about him being shirtless when he proposed." I looked at Henry and smiled, remembering his proposal fondly. "He was really, very sweet, though. He recited all the ways he loved me before he finally popped the actual question."

"Not all," Henry said with a grin. "I didn't even begin to make a dent."

"Oh, shush," I said, trying to suppress my wide smile.

"I, for one, am very happy for the both of you," Oma said. "Of course, I already knew the two of you were meant to be. You looked so in love already back when you visited, a year and a half ago. Both clearly in denial, but obviously in love."

"Oma!" I protested again.

Henry smiled. "Well, is she wrong?"

"No," I admitted grudgingly. "No, she isn't. Anyway, how would you guys like a grand tour of Chez Cavill?"

Henry and I gave my parents and grandparents a tour of the house, showing them each floor. Right when the tour was over, the doorbell rang.

"That's probably Hanna," Henry said, already getting up to open the front door.

"Oh, good," Oma said with a smile. "I haven't seen that girl in much too long. So you two are still good friends?"

I smiled. "The best. I don't think we can ever really be—"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Before I could fully realize what was going on, a small person flung herself at me, and I was pinned to the couch in a monster hug. I laughed as I awkwardly hugged her back from my crushed position on the couch. "Hi, Hanna."

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JULIE!" she yelled into my ear.

I scrambled up into a sitting position as much as I could with Hanna on top of me. "Thanks, Han."

I heard my grandmother laugh. "Yes, still thick as thieves, I see."

Hanna shot up, her eyes wide. "Oma, Opa, hey! It's so nice to see you both again." She greeted them both with hugs. "Jack, Anne, it's really nice to see you guys again, too." After having hugged my parents as well, Hanna turned to me, a stern look on her face. "Jules, why didn't you tell me your grandparents were visiting for your birthday?"

I grinned. "You know that I would've, had I known myself. It was a surprise from Henry."

Hanna turned to glare at Henry. "And why didn't you tell me about this surprise?"

Henry returned Hanna's glare with a grin. "Because you can't keep your trap shut," he joked.

Before Hanna could retort with a playful jab of her own, Scott quickly stepped in, introducing himself to my grandparents. He'd already met my parents on their visit to the If You Love Someone set two years ago, and he greeted them both warmly. Then he turned to me. "Happy birthday, Juliette," he said, giving me a tight hug.

I smiled. "Thanks, Scott."

Scott pulled away from our hug and pounded Henry on his back. "And you, congratulations with your beautiful girlfriend."

"Actually..." I started slowly, and I held up my left hand for them to see.

I didn't entirely know what I'd been expecting, but I definitely hadn't been ready for Hanna's high-pitched scream. She didn't even form words at first—she just screamed. I automatically covered my ears to protect them from her loud screech, but I couldn't stop smiling.

When Hanna finally stopped screaming, she started jumping up and down in excitement. "Oh my God! Oh my God! My best friend is engaged! Come here!" She pulled me into a tight hug, but quickly pulled away again. "No, wait! Show me the ring! Show me the pretty! Oh my God, tell me everything about how he asked you! Was it romantic? Did you cry? Well, of course it was romantic, it's Henry we're talking about, and it's you, so you definitely cried. Come on, tell me everything!"

I grinned. "I will, as soon as you give me the chance."

Hanna quieted down a little. "Right. Sorry. I'm just so excited for the both of you! Sorry. I'll calm down now. Just tell me."

After I'd finished telling Hanna and Scott everything, Henry filling in some gaps here and there, everyone helped to set up for the party tonight. Eleven more guests would be arriving later, bringing us up to a grand total of nineteen. We'd be having dinner together, and then just relax with a few drinks. When Henry and I first got this house, I never thought we'd have any use for a huge dining table that could seat twenty people, but I guess I was mistaken.

Sadly, I wouldn't have the time to cook dinner myself, so Henry and I had hired a few professional chefs to cook for us. I had, however, made the dessert myself. I'd worked all day yesterday to make enough stroopwafel ice cream for at least twenty people, but I knew it would definitely be worth it. It would also be fun (and terrifying) to have Oma taste what I'd done with her recipe. I prayed to God that she would like it.

As the chefs cooked in the kitchen, delicious smells already filling the house, we set the table. I'd gotten special plates earlier this week. They were white, lined with gold, and they fit nicely in the elaborate-looking dining room. The room would look absolutely stunning once it was dark outside and the candle centerpieces were burning later tonight.

"You do have yourself a nice place here, love," Mom said once the table was set. "This dining room is especially elaborate."

I smiled, looking around the room with its red velvet chairs and golden details. "I know. We've never even used it before, but it's good for dinner parties like this."

"Dude, you should use this room more often," Hanna said. "You on one end of the table, Henry on the other... It'll be just like a Disney movie. Like Beauty and the Beast!"

I laughed. "That's a little impersonal, don't you think? Besides, what would the two of us do with a dining room big enough for twenty people when we have a smaller dining room too?"

"I guess that's a good enough point. Anyway, we'd better get changed before everyone starts arriving. I know Cynthia, she's always early."

Henry and I went up to our room to get changed. I traded my military style dress, fishnets and boots for a white lace skater dress and silver gladiator heels. I pinned my hair back with a pearl clip, but kept the long stands straight, having no time to curl them. Henry traded his pale blue sweater for a white button down and a black skinny tie. He tucked the shirt into his jeans and turned to me.

When he saw me, however, he froze. "Juliette, wow..."

I self-consciously smoothed down my dress. "What? Is something wrong?"

"No. No, of course not. You look absolutely breathtaking. It's just..."

"Just what? Henry, you're making me nervous."

He closed the distance between us and took my hands in his. "There's nothing to be nervous about, baby. You really do look beautiful. It's just that, in this dress... you look kind of bridal. And I guess it's just now hitting me that we really are getting married."

I couldn't help it—I smiled so wide that my cheeks hurt. "It's strange, isn't it?"

"I knew I wanted to marry you the moment you literally fell into my life, but seeing you like this..." He took hold of the lacy material of my dress. "It just makes it more real."

I wrapped my arms around his neck, tangling my fingers in the curls at the back of his head. "I love you."

He smiled, cupping my cheek in his hand. "I love you, too."

He kissed me, wrapping his free arm around my waist to pull me close against his body. As I kissed him back, I felt that familiar fluttering in my stomach that always made me want to kiss him a little harder, press my body a little closer to his.

"Christ, why do I keep doing this to myself? Geez! We don't even live together anymore!"

I pulled away from Henry with a smile, turning to look at the entrance of our room. Hanna was standing there, a hand covering her eyes. "Hey, Hanna. Did you need something?"

"I wanted to ask if you had any bobby pins. My bun won't stay secure on my head. But if you're busy, I could probably figure out a way to make it stay without."

I laughed. "Yeah, I've got some bobby pins. Do you need me to put them in for you?"

"If you could, that would be a great help," Hanna said.

I took her to the bathroom, positioning her in front of the mirror. I took a few bobby pins from my collection of hair products and slid them into her hair, securing her messy bun to the top of her head. "There you go. Do you want me to curl the loose strands?"

Hanna snorted. "Jules, it's your birthday. You don't have to glam me up."

"Yeah, I know, but I kind of want to. It's been too long since we've done something like this."

"True."

"I see I'm no longer needed," Henry said with a grin. He was leaning against the doorpost that connected the bathroom to the bedroom.

I plugged the curling iron in before walking up to him and pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "I'll always need you."

"I'm glad."

I finished curling Hanna's hair just as the doorbell rang, and we made our way down the stairs. When we got there, I discovered my mom had already opened the door, letting Keegan and Klarissa in. Keegan was, in true Keegan fashion, greeting my mom with a big hug. "It's good to see you again, Anne."

Mom laughed. "It's nice to see you again, too, Keegan. And you as well, Klarissa. Are the two of you still together?"

Klarissa smiled. "Four years and counting."

"JULIE! Happy birthday!" Keegan yelled before Mom could respond.

I grinned. "Hey, Keegs! Riss!"

"Happy birthday, Jules," Klarissa said with a wide smile.

After that, guests started arriving quickly, and we were almost ready to get seated. Before we did that, though, I wanted to mingle a little, make sure that I'd greeted everyone already.

"Natascha, it's so nice to see you again!"

"It's so nice to see you again, too! Oh, you look so gorgeous. And this house! Holy shit, dude!"

I laughed. "It's nice, isn't it?"

"Understatement of the year," she teased. "Oh, hey, there's Ella! Let me say hi real quick," she said, and before I knew it, she'd dashed off to greet Ella, who'd been talking to Keegan, Klarissa and Cynthia. Belatedly, I realized Natascha had never met my other friends before, apart from Hanna and Scott, but I knew she'd get along with them perfectly. She'd fit right in with our group.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around, only to have Harvey wrap me into a tight hug. "Happy birthday, ex-employee!"

I laughed, hugging him back. "Hey, favorite ex-boss. How are you?"

"I'm great," he said, and his eyes sparkled as he grinned. "You know me. Anyway, I was a little mad at you, though, when I found out you're having this party catered. Why not just let me do it?"

"Because I wanted you to actually enjoy the party, not stand in the kitchen for most of it," I told him, though what he said was giving me ideas about what his role might be in the wedding.

"True enough. You've got a nice house here, by the way. It looks like it's come straight out of a fairytale, and I know how you love your fairytales."

I smiled. "That is very true. But hey, there's someone I want you to meet."

Harvey narrowed his eyes at me in suspicion. "You're not trying to set me up with someone again, are you?"

I gave him a guilty smile. "Maybe. But you'll like her, I promise."

"Fine," he said, and he let me drag him over to where Ella was still talking to Natascha, Keegan, Klarissa and Cynthia.

"Hey guys!" I said happily as I butted in on their conversation. "Harvey, this is Ella, my occasional makeup and hair guru, and this is Natascha, my favorite production assistant and good friend. Guys, this is Harvey, my favorite boss of all time."

Just as expected, Harvey and Ella immediately hit it off extremely well. So well, in fact, that they soon secluded themselves from the conversation, leaving Natascha, Keegan, Klarissa, Cynthia and me so they could talk more privately. Maybe if I got a little more alcohol into their systems, by the end of the night, they'd be ready to go on a date.

"You sly dog," Keegan said, laughing. "You always have to play matchmaker, don't you?"

I just grinned at him in response.

"Matchmaking, huh? Do you have someone for me?" Natascha joked, nudging me with her elbow.

A slow smile crept over my face. "As a matter of fact..." I said, my eye falling on Alfie, "I think I have the perfect guy."

Keegan just shook his head as I led Natascha over to Alfie, where he was joking together with Shaye, Ryley and Braeden.

The only one I hadn't greeted yet was Colin. I looked around the room for him, and was amused to find him being coddled by my grandmother. "Do you eat enough, boy? You look so scrawny. It's like you haven't eaten anything since I last saw you. How have you been doing? I'm sure such a strapping lad like you has already found a boyfriend."

Colin blushed furiously. "Actually... I have."

"Holy crap, Col!" I called out, butting in on their conversation. "You've got a boyfriend? How come you didn't tell me earlier?" I said, too surprised by this news to remember that I hadn't even as much as said hello to him.

"I wanted to, but I wanted to tell you in person."

"Oh my God, I'm so happy for you!" I said, giving him a tight hug. "What's his name? What does he look like? Do you have a picture? Does he treat you well? Because my God, he had better treat you well, or I will grab one of Keegan's brother's swords and stab him in the gut."

Colin laughed. "So far, Liam's treated me very well, so I think you can hold off on the sword threat, at least for now."

"So his name is Liam, huh? Do you have a picture of him?"

"Yeah, I do," Colin said, his cheeks still a little red. He retrieved his phone from his pocket and searched through it for a picture of his boyfriend. Finally having found it, he showed my grandmother and me the screen. On it was a picture of Colin kissing Liam's cheek. Liam had a friendly face, a big smile plastered on it. His eyes were green and his hair was curly, actually not unlike Henry's, but his were blond instead of brown.

"Aw, he's cute," I gushed.

"He most definitely is," Oma agreed.

"I especially like the curls," I said, pointing at the screen.

"What curls?" Henry asked, suddenly appearing behind me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder. "You wouldn't be talking about my curls, would you?"

"Don't be so egotistical," I joked. "I was talking about Colin's new boyfriend."

Henry perked up at that. "You've got a boyfriend? Hey, congrats, man!" He clapped Colin on the back before turning to me. "Have the proper sword threats already been made?"

I nodded. "They have."

Oma giggled. "What's this sword thing about? Is it like a running joke or something?"

"It sort of is, yes," I said. "Keegan's brother is a history nut, and he has actual swords hanging on his wall. So now every time one of us is in trouble or has a new boyfriend or girlfriend, we threaten to use those swords on them if they hurt our friends. But, we still totally have to threaten Liam in person, so when are we meeting him? You could've brought him to the party, you know."

"I know," Colin started, "but we haven't been dating for that long yet, and I also didn't really want to spring a new boyfriend on you and just bring him along like that. But soon, though, I hope."

"We had better," Henry joked. "We'll throw another horror movie night so he has an excuse to come around and meet us."

Before I could agree with that plan, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to find Hanna. "The chefs are ready to send out the first course," she told me.

"Oh, okay. I'd better get everyone seated then," I said. "By the way, Col has a new boyfriend."

Hanna released a high-pitched yelp. "Oh my God! I'm so happy for you! Quick, show me a picture."

As Hanna and Colin gushed over Liam, I told everyone to get seated. Before the chefs brought in the first course, I stood up and tapped the side of my wine glass with a fork to get everyone's attention. "I've always wanted to do that," I said, making them all laugh. "Anyway, hey, guys. I just wanted to thank you all for coming tonight. It really means a lot to me. Especially to those who have come a very far way to be here tonight; thank you," I said, smiling at my parents, grandparents, and Natascha, who'd flown in from Louisiana just for my birthday. "I couldn't imagine better people to start the last year of my twenties with than you guys. That having said... I have an announcement to make." I looked around the table, at the people who already knew what I was about to say and were smiling brilliantly back at me, to the people who didn't know and were probably worried that I was about to say that I was gonna die soon. Getting ready to say the words aloud, an unstoppable smile covered my face. "Henry and I got engaged this morning!"

People all reacted at once, in different ways. Natascha, Cynthia and Klarissa all released high-pitched squeals, and Keegan exclaimed, "HOLY FUCKING SHIT!"

Before I realized what everyone—even the people whom I'd already told—was doing, they were standing up and hugging Henry and me in the biggest group hug I'd ever been in.

I stood there, surrounded by all my favorite people, my best friends in the whole world, the people I couldn't imagine living without. They hugged me tight, all congratulating Henry and me, and I just couldn't stop myself—I cried. The tears streamed down my face as I realized just how lucky I was to be loved the way I was, and to love in return. Already, my birthday wish was coming true.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Henry and Juliette are engaged! You probably saw this coming from a mile away, but I still thought it was kind of a cute scene, haha! Here's to hoping that their future is as bright as that sparkling ring around Juliette's finger ;)

On another note. A lot is going on in the world right now, I hope you are all safe and healthy out there and I hope this chapter can bring you a little bit of joy.

The lyrics at the start of the chapter are Always by the Veronicas.

Don't forget to vote⭐️ and comment💬!