Gratitude - Week #5 Assingment

"You're staying over tonight Arlynn. There is no way you are driving back up to that cottage in the dark." Jim insisted giving her a long steady look that barred no attempts to vacillate.

"I just shudder at the thought." David murmured as he shook himself, then smiled warmly at me.

"Well,... okay. If it's not too much of an imposition."

"It is not an imposition, Sweetling. I have missed you something awful since you left and went up to that... that wild country. Bears could have eaten you, a moose could have trampled you. The office is just not the same without your sunny disposition, but I am managing. Just barely"

I could not help laugh at his tone, he had managed to turn up his 'gay voice' and I found it impossible to resist. We both laughed.

"See that's the girl I missed."

David nodded grinning at the two of us.

I had missed these two.

**

When we got back to their apartment, Jim lead the way in. We stood into he darkened foyer until he flipped on the lights and I caught sight of the festive decorations. The far wall was covered with a glittering Happy Birthday sign and the balloons in my favourite turquoise shade fluttered about the room. In the centre of the table was a birthday cake decorated so beautifully it brought tears to my eyes.

"Happy Birthday!" Jim and David sang out, then went into a rousing rendition of the song. I looked over at them with my eyes glittering with unshed tears. I had one hand pressed to my smiling lips and the other covering my heart.

When they finished I laughed unable to contain my joy. "You realize it's not my birthday." I told them.

Jim shrugged and laughed saying, "A mere formality. We figured we would not see you in January for your real birthday so we decided since we had you here, we would make the most of it."

"Any excuse to have cake." David chimed in and we all laughed.

"Oh, you guys!" I moved in and grabbed each of them in turn into a huge hug. "Thank you so much for this!"

"We have a gift for you too." David told her as they ushered me over to the table.

"Oh, but you shouldn't have..." I began as Jim handed me a lovely birthday bag filled with pink tissue paper. I beamed over at them as they stood there waiting for me to open the gift. "I have nothing for you..."

"You took us out to dinner." David said still shaking his head.

"That was my treat."

"Well, this is yours." Jim said, "besides you also invited us up to that cottage of yours. We will celebrate again then."

"Deal." I said feeling the tingling warm flood my body. The tension I had felt about having to stay in the City and impose on my friends evaporated.