After spending some time together at the park and confirmed our relationship status, we walked back to my house, hand in hand.

"I still can't believe it happened." I held our hands up and said.

Cohen took that opportunity to plant a kiss on my hand that he was holding. "But it does. Don't you dare to think it's a dream."

"Are you challenging me?" I slowed down my walking pace, and glared at Cohen.

Cohen looked at me and smiled. "I just don't want you to wake up tomorrow morning thinking everything that is happening right now is a dream."

"Well, it is all still a surprise to me, so, that might happen..."

"Speaking of surprises," Cohen suddenly let go of my hand and turned to stand in front of me. We were now standing face to face. "Can you close your eyes?"

"Why?" I asked curiously.

"Don't ask anything, just do it."

"Are you trying to attack me?"

"Why would I attack you?" He replied with another question. "Just close your eyes, trust me."

I didn't know what was happening, or why did Cohen asked me to close my eyes, but I did it anyway. "You're asking me to trust you with my life in the middle of the night?"

"Nobody will kill you, Carys. Stop being so paranoid."

Cohen took my hands and I followed him with my eyes closed. And I could feel him turning back to check on me every three seconds to see if I was peeking. "Don't peek!"

"I am not peeking. But aren't we just heading to my house? Why do I need to close my eyes?"

I gave up asking anymore questions when I didn't get any response from Cohen, I just followed him quietly.

I heard the sound of keys and door opening, and then he took me into, I assumed, my house. But why did he have the keys to my house?

"Okay," Cohen stopped walking, and so did I. "You can open your eyes now."

Finally. I thought, and opened my eyes.

However, everything was dark around me. The lights were off. I moved my hands trying to feel if Cohen was around me, but he wasn't.

Suddenly, someone switched the lights on and a group of people shouted, "Surprise!"

My eyes hurt from the sudden brightness after closing for a while. I finally could see who were there after my eyes adjusted to the lights.

My whole family was there, my mom, my father, Edith (my step-mother), Jeannine (step-sister), Spencer and Riley (half-brothers). Cohen's family was there too, Mr and Mrs. Kane with Amelia. Even Mason, Shelley and Rion, who Cohen just dropped them home, were also there.

Before I got the chance to ask why was everyone there at my house, I saw Cohen came out from the kitchen, holding a birthday cake with candles.

Then everyone in the living room started singing me happy birthday song. I looked at the clock on the wall, it was 12am sharp, and it was my birthday.

I was so touched by every one of them, I couldn't put my feelings into words. I never thought anyone would throw me a surprise birthday party. No one ever threw me a surprise birthday party.

When they finished singing, I made a wish and blew off the candles.

"Happy birthday!" They said once again.

My eyes were clouded with tears.

Just then, I finally realized that my living room was decorated with some balloons writing 'CARYS HAPPY 17TH BIRTHDAY'.

My mother came and gave him a hug. "Happy birthday, my beautiful daughter."

"Mom!" I hugged her tightly. "I thought you were working tonight?"

"No, my shift's over."

I looked around the living room, and pointed at the decorations, "And you did all this?"

"It was Cohen's idea to throw a party for you," my mom said, "and the decorations..."

"The decorations... I was the one who rushed here to decorate after you guys left for the school event." It was Jeannine who spoke. She joined my mom and I. "Anyway, happy birthday, Car."

"Thanks," I hugged Jeannine too. "Thank you very much."

My mother left to talk to Edith and Mr. Kane, leaving Jeannine and I to talk.

"The one you should thank the most, is your boyfriend." Jeannine whispered into my ear.

Boyfriend? Does she mean Cohen? "You know already?"

She nodded. "Yes, I do."

"How?" I asked curiously.

"He told me." She said nonchalantly.

I carried on asking. "When?"

"Just now."

"Well, that was fast."

"I guess everyone in this room who's talked to him know about it already. It's the first thing he told when he saw me." Jeannine said putting her elbow on my shoulder. "And, I've told him to watch his back, if he did anything to hurt you, I'll kill him."

"Can you please say something nicer?" Jeannine's mom, who was also my step-mother, came to join us with my dad. Edith glared at her daughter, "It's Carys's birthday, don't say anything about killing anyone for just one day. And happy birthday, Carys."

"Happy birthday, daughter." My father said kissing me on the forehead.

I smiled at them genuinely. "Thanks, dad. Thanks, Edith."

Edith passed over a gift for me. "Vincent knows that you've always wanted an iPod..."

"So Edith and I got you one." My dad said. "Hope you like it."

"Oh my god. Really?" I said surprisedly and took over the gift. "I love it. Thank you so much." I gave both my dad and Edith a hug too.

Then, Shelley, Mason and Rion came. My dad ruffled my hair before he left. He really liked to ruffle my hair.

"Hey, Carys, happy birthday." Mason wished me with his signature smile,  while Rion also showed me his signature eye smile, "Happy birthday, Carys."

"Happy birthday, Carys." Shelley put her arm around my shoulder. "And you know it's very hard for me to keep this from you, I mean, I don't keep secrets from you, this is the first."

"Thanks, all of you." I grinned from ear to ear. "Rushing here must be very exhausting, and Cohen had to waste his gas driving the three of you home."

"Well, we couldn't tell you anything." Shelley said in a 'duh' voice, which in return, she got an eye roll from me.

After that, Mr and Mrs Kane came to wish me a happy birthday too, which makes everyone had came to tell me happy birthday in person, except one.

I found Cohen playing with my half-brothers, Spencer and Riley. Amelia was there too, since the three of them were (kind of) best friends.

"Hey, cuties, how are you?" I squatted down and pulled both Spencer and Riley into each of my arms. Spencer was five years old while Riley was only three, so it's easy to have both of them embracing in my arms.

"Carys! Happy birthday to you!" Spencer was basically screaming. He was that high pitched and sounded very happy all the time, to be honest.

"Thank you very much, Spence." I kissed my little brother on his cheek and turned to look at Riley. "What about you, Riles?"

Riley chuckled shyly after I called his name. He was the total opposite of Spencer. "Happy birthday," said little Riley in a voice that was close to a whisper.

I smiled and kissed him on his cheek as well. "Thank you, Riles."

After that, the two little boys ran off to the kitchen shouting, "I want fries!"

"Carys!!" Amelia ran into my open arms, and she kissed me on my cheek instead. "Happy happy birthday!"

"Thank you very much, Amy." I kissed her back on her cheek too.

She chuckled when I kissed her. Then she asked me, "can I go play with Spencer and Riley?"

"Sure." I nodded, and saw her running towards my two little brothers.

Now, finally, I could spent some time with Cohen, alone, just the two of us.

"Heard that it was your idea..." It took me a while to think before I decided how to start the conversation. "Thank you."

"It's the least I could do, since, you know, I am your boyfriend."

I had to use up every bit of the courages I had in my gut to kiss Cohen on his lips, but to be honest, I don't really care if anyone's looking. "Thank you."

"Are you having a good time?" He asked cautiously.

"I have a great time, actually... Everyone that I care about is here. I couldn't ask for a better gift than this."

"Glad you like it." He said smiling at me, and I smiled back at him too.

I looked around, trying to carved the smiles on their faces inside my head. My mom, my dad Edith, Mr and Mrs Kane were happily group chatting with each other; the three kids, Spencer, Amelia and Riley were playing Amelia's magna tiles; Mason was talking to Rion while Jeannine and Shelley seemed to be discussing something interesting; and then there's Cohen and I.

I would never forget this night. This was the best birthday ever. I was surrounded by everyone that I loved, whom I could call my family, and I hoped the time could stop, so that I could stay at this moment forever, and just like how every fairy ended, happily ever after.

The End.