Chapter Thirty-Five
Echo
“Welcome to our first Hero Society Christmas party!” Phillip smiled bright and gave both Asher and me hugs as we stepped out of the elevator and into the hall with the four rooms.
He ushered us into the chill room, which had been rearranged to make room for a massive Christmas tree with presents underneath.
“Yay, you made it!” Lilith rushed over and gave me a big hug, Rose right behind her, waiting for her turn. Both women had welcomed me into their lives without any doubts. For the first time in forever, I could say that I had girlfriends. I looked back at Asher, with him clasping hands with Draco, Leon, and Charles in a very bro type of way, and felt happiness creeping inside me.
“Ooh, you got us gifts!” Lilith squealed and quickly took the large bag of wrapped presents off my hands and set them under the tree.
Mina and AJ were sitting on the couch in matching elf onesies. Both raised a can of soda to me in welcome, and I smiled. Those siblings were something else.
“All right, all right! Now that everyone is here, I have some things I’d like to say before we party hard.” Phillip stepped in front of the room and demanded our attention.
Everyone was dressed cozy and had looks of contentment on their faces.
Asher stood behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.
“I’d like to welcome Asher officially to the Hero Society.” He clapped, and everyone did their own little cheer for another member to the crew.
“Second—I know you guys aren’t all for my little speeches, but I’m going to give one anyway. I’m proud of you all. I know it’s not easy right now. The world isn’t taking too kindly to us, but you’re still fighting despite your fears. Thank you for that, thank you for being the heroes I knew you all could be.” Phillip’s eyes glistened, and I understood the feeling, especially after today.
This was his family, Asher and me included. He was like our mother bear, guiding us, trying to keep us safe as best as he could.
“To the Hero Society!” Rose lifted her tea cup, and everyone nodded.
“To family,” I added, and it was the most vulnerable I think I’d ever felt.
“To family,” Draco echoed, giving me a head bow of respect. Lilith was next, then Rose, and once the others all said it, Asher whispered the words into my ear.
“Now let’s eat and be merry.” Phillip grinned and headed for a table that was against the wall to the left that was filled with an assortment of foods and drinks.
Everyone filled their plates and ate while telling stories either from their past or from recent events. Draco had gone with Phillip and Rose to their parents’ house after Sunday service, and apparently her father and Draco had gotten into it about history. What the books say versus what really happened. Janie had been brought up, and I learned she was spending the holidays with her parents, which made me happy. Laughter filled the room, and I rested against Asher’s warmth, my belly full and my heart bursting from the love in the room.
“Okay, I haven’t ever had a real Christmas before, but I know this is the part where we open presents,” Lilith stated and started to move toward the lit-up tree with a bright star on top.
I don’t know how I did it, but I’d managed to find the time to shop for everyone. It had been a long time since I’d celebrated anything, so I hoped I did all right when it came to the gifts department. Asher had joined the Society as his gift, which was nice.
Lilith passed around the wrapped presents like an excited child, and I prayed this party was one she would never forget. Everyone deserved to be loved and cherished like this group did for each other.
Rose liked her blossoming teapot set I got her, and Draco smiled that his woman was happy. He liked the old knife I’d found when I was at my parents’ house.
“It belonged to my dad,” I told him, and he understood the gravity of the gift.
“I’m honored.” That made me smile; I knew he would like it.
Everyone was happy with their gifts from each other and some even made my cheeks hurt from grinning so much.
Like Leon’s his-and-her-set rings he’d made himself, claiming they needed rings but didn’t have any.
Phillip spoiled everyone with gifts he knew that we would like because he could see what we needed down the road. No guess work like the rest of us had to do. He’d gotten me a voucher for unlimited leather jackets from my favorite store in the city. It was something I splurged on, even though I went through several a year from my uncontrolled changes.
Asher had gotten a plant, which he loved, of course. Nature was his thing.
I knew when Lilith opened my gift because she shrieked like a banshee.
“No fucking way! Echo, you sexy beast, I can’t believe it!” She pulled out the vintage Barbie skates from the box, waving them over her head. They were hard to find, but I saw them in a consignment shop, and I knew they would be perfect for a woman who had to grow up too quickly.
“Tomorrow, we are going to the rink,” she said to Leon, and he agreed with a smile, willing to do anything for his wife.
“For you.” Asher’s hand came into my view with a little box sitting on top of his palm. I wasn’t sure what to expect from him, but I knew that whatever thoughts I had in my head were wrong. Asher wasn’t predictable like that. I opened the little box and smiled.
A key to the bar, and one to his home, were attached to a paw-shaped pet tag that read “Snow White” on one side and “My kitten forever, till death do us part” on the back.
“I love you, kitten,” he whispered in my ear, and even though I knew it, I loved hearing him say it. I turned to look at his face and saw everything I’d never known I’d wanted until him.
“I love you, magic boy.” I smiled and kissed his lips sweetly before jumping up.
“I need to pee, I’ll be right back,” I told him and left everyone to go find the bathroom. I knew there was one down in the training room, but I couldn’t remember if there was one behind the other doors or not. The first door I’d opened was the computer room, that didn’t have a bathroom, and the second door I pushed open I stood in the doorway for a few seconds before shutting it as quietly as I could and rushed away from the scene I’d just witnessed.
Mina on the counter in the kitchen, with Phillip between her legs, hands around her waist, pulling her elf onesie-clad body as close to his as she could get, kissing like they’d been holding back their feelings until that moment.
I did not see that one coming.
But then I seemed to be missing a lot of things that were right in front of my face lately.