Chapter 24
Aiden
Over the last severaldays, Hazel and I have worked our asses off to get the store ready to reopen. We ended up covered in paint, lots of papercuts, but it's ready. Everything is in place, including the brand new sign. As soon I set eyes on this place, it didn't take me long to come up with the name and stick with it. George has been by and actually teared up when he took a look at the changes, and told me his wife would love it. This means so much to me because this was her baby, and I didn't want to take away from the vibe she gave it. The bottom has been transformed into a used book basement with over forty shelves filled to the brim with books and all separated by genre. Hazel made a good point about organizing them by genre but not necessarily by author since there are so many. There will be no way we can keep up with thousands of used books being alphabetized. The main floor is now the new book area along with new signage specific to authors like Colleen Hoover, Stephen King, and Nicholas, Sparks who have them on shelves filled with their books. I even lucked out and found some signed copies and have them on display by the door.
The weekend has been spent busting ass to get everything done and ready to go so we didn't have to waste another day closed. Grand Reopening day is tomorrow and we have a special day planned. After finding Krista and Amy, students at Harvard, that have agreed to work part-time to help me out around the store. They worked in the campus bookstore for a while last semester and so they had experience, and both seem upbeat and sweet. I let Hazel do the interviews, and I trust her opinion.
"Okay, everything is ready for tomorrow. You ready to head out?" Hazel asks, holding onto a wrapped package with a bow. "We don't want to be late for Jake's birthday party."
The Kaser's have been so kind to invite us to his birthday party, and we wouldn't miss it for the world. The entire reason I moved up here is to be close to him, and they have been more than generous in letting us spend time with him. "Let's go."
I walk out, and lock the door behind me, following Hazel to her car.
The party is at a local pizza and arcade restaurant, and it's only a couple blocks away, so we are in the driveway ten minutes early. Although, Hazel isn't ever late to anything, it's not in her nature. She has been working what I would consider normal hours since her firm got the overturned conviction and it's been nice. She is home for dinner at six o'clock and after we eat, usually we are on the couch, snuggled up watching a movie. I never would have thought this would be me if you had asked me a year ago.
My AA meetings have been helping and I haven't had a drink since arriving in Cambridge. The urge to get wasted is gone, but I owe a lot of that to Hazel and Jake. It doesn't help when you bury things inside, and use liquor to try and cover it up, or push it down further. I refuse to go there anymore. Once I realized the source of my drinking, it helped me stop. Being sober has been eye-opening and to make it even better, I have a wonderful woman who loves me and a son who calls me dad. Never did I think I'd get to hear him say it, but once he did, I never want it to stop.
As we walk into the restaurant, there are kids everywhere, running around, and playing games. I gaze around the arcade, looking for Veronica or Jake, but don't see them. "Maybe, they are in a room. Never been here."
Hazel takes point. "We are here for a birthday party. Jake Kaser."
The woman at the desk, types away on their computer, and points us to the back of the restaurant. "Party room two."
Many people would find our arrangement with the Kaser's weird, but to me it's perfect. For the longest time, I never thought I would ever get to see him, so the fact that I am getting to celebrate his ninth birthday with him today is phenomenal. None of this would have happened if Hazel didn't come down and ask me to write that letter. We would both still be having regrets and I'd be drowning my sorrows in liquor. This is proof that sometimes you have to take risks to get what you want.
"Aiden!" Jake says, running up to me and giving me a hug. "I'm so glad you made it. Come on."
I follow behind him until we are inside the party room that is filled with parents and children. Most of them are dressed in business attire, so I feel out of place. You can definitely tell that we aren't rich like everyone else. The whole back wall of the room is stacked up with gifts, and here we are with the smallest gift of all. Maybe I should have gotten him more. I pull the envelope out of my back pocket and stick it on top of the box in the corner.
"Thank you for coming to celebrate Jake's birthday with us today. The pizza will be put in here at five-thirty and until then, go enjoy the arcade," Veronica says handing out cards.
For a minute, I wonder how much they spent on this party, but then I remember they have no budget when it comes to expenses, and not to go down that road. As long as Jake is getting the education and love he needs, that's all that should matter right now.
Hazel stays back in the room with Veronica to help set up and I take off with Jake to do the racing games. Of course, he schools me and comes in first place every time. Ugh, that kid is good.
"I bet I can beat you in basketball. Wanna shoot hoops?" I say.
"Yeah right. When's the last time you played basketball?"
I didn't respond because I always played football as a sport, but every once in a while, Damon would ask to play and I enjoyed it. All you have to do is put a ball into a hoop. Yet, he schooled me. To be fair, he has been playing, so of course, he'd beat me. We continue to play games until a voice comes over the speakers announcing to go back to the party room.
"Come on, son. Pizza must be ready. I don't know about you, but I've surely worked up an appetite."
All the kids run past us, and start gorging away on the ten large pizzas sitting on a long table. Hell, at the rate these kids are piling up their plates, there might not be any left for the adults. It reminds me of my eleventh birthday, when my dad hosted the party at our house and ordered pizza. We didn't get enough, and he had to go back out and grab more so the parents could eat too. Jake is like me in so many ways and it's refreshing.
"Veronica asked if we wanted to go to dinner at their place this weekend."
I glance down at her. "Really? I mean, we can't say no. It might be interesting to see where they live."
When I picture their house, I think like a five-million dollar mansion with way too many bedrooms, luxury bathrooms, and a basketball court in their backyard along with like three acres of land. The Kaser's and us have been getting along and we want to keep it that way. I don't think they would withhold Jake from us, especially after we have been spending so much time together, but people can sometimes surprise you.
I sit down next to Hazel and eat a couple pieces of pepperoni pizza while watching Jake interact with his friends. Rich people usually come with their own problems. They don't have any concept of money, how other people feel, and sometimes are downright rude. The Kaser's haven't seemed that way yet, but it always shows in the kids. So far, Jake has been polite to everyone, and doesn't freak out over tap water. I remember once overhearing a child ask if they had sparkling water at the diner in Grapevine. Damon and I laughed so hard.
"It's time to do cake," Veronica says, lighting the candles and we all started singing.
Everyone chimes in and by the end, Jake's face is blushed. Maybe he doesn't like all the attention being on him. He blows out the candles, and a single tear appears. I am not going to cry at his birthday party. Get it together.
Jake doesn't end up wanting any cake, so they let him open presents while everyone else enjoys the massive cake at the end of the table. Gift after gift, and the things he receives blows my mind. One of them is a card with three hundred dollars inside. Who the hell gives an eight-year-old three hundred dollars? Rich people, I guess. He also got a brand new PlayStation and Xbox, along with a bunch of games.