Chapter 51: It All Comes Together

Bill closed the door after the last partygoer. It was after two a.m., and I knew he was tired—we both were. He placed his hands on his hips and stretched his back until it cracked, and then he sighed in relief.

Sometimes I could still see a bit of the eleven year old Billy that I had met so many years ago, even though he was now over six feet tall, with wavy silver hair that he still wore long enough to touch his shoulders. Currently he sported a neatly trimmed goatee although he sometimes preferred a thick grizzly beard. I remembered saying a long time ago that he sounded like he would grow up to be a handsome man. Well that was an understatement.

"Every year I say that we should rent a hotel for your birthday party." He came over to the couch where I had my feet propped up on several pillows. He gently lifted my feet and sat, replacing my legs onto his lap where he massaged my sore feet.

"I know." I yawned into my fist. "We're getting too old for this."