Chapter 67

We exited the store with a new addition to the family. A beautiful Abyssinian cat named Parker. He'd come with the name luckily, because I probably would've chosen something like Loki or Captain. He was fixed and one and a half years old. His hair was so soft. We bought a couple things to care for him like kitty litter, box and scoop, nail clippers and food, some toys to see what he would like and a carrier.

Raph paid for him and he refused to tell me how expensive Parker was. I wanted to brag to my family and friends about my expensive cat.

We drove back and dropped Parker off, letting him settle in. Duma immediately took a shine to him and vice versa.

We let Duma help him settle in as Raph told me he had another surprise for me. He led me down to the basement and turned right of the door to the pool. He kept walking through the narrow, white drywall hallway till he stopped in front of a door with a fogged window.

He gave me a kiss, "Happy birthday sweetheart." Then he opened the door.

I walked in slowly and saw a room with white walls and shelves filled with paint bottles covering them. There was a window along the ceiling that was level too the ground outside and provided some natural light. The wooden floors had tables and chairs on them an easel or two and the walls were hung with blank canvases.

He'd made me a studio. My own studio. I gasped and smiled, "Oh my goodness! You- when? How? I can't believe this! It's beautiful!" I started going through drawers and checking shelves to see what treasures they held.

"A palette knife! I've never had one of these! Oh my goodness, you got me goat hair brushes! Those cost like thirty dollars each!"

I kept finding new wonderful things. There was a sink and drying rack, I assume for washing brushes. I held up a pile of sea sponges, "And you got me sponges."

I bit my finger, this was too much. How was I ever going to repay him?

"So you like it?" I heard Raph's voice, and spun around to find him still standing in the doorway, his hands in his pockets and a happy smile on his face.

"Like it? I love it! Oh, it's-it's, perfect." I couldn't even find the words to describe it. I was so happy and blessed.

~~~~~~~~~

He drove me back out to Prince George and brought me to an art gallery. I was sceptical at first, I'd never been to an art gallery before and was expecting it to be weird modern art, but I was pleasantly surprised.

There were stations for kids, and older folks, to paint or make crafts, and there was modern art, but there was also landscape paintings, like mine, and portraits.

When we got back in the car he asked if I liked it. "To be honest, I thought it would be boring, but it was actually really interesting and fun. And now I have a new idea for a painting."

~~~~~~~~

So far, she'd liked all of the birthday surprises that he'd planned. She was explaining the idea for a new painting, a reflection of foggy trees on a lake, with a mountain in the background.

He didn't think that he had stopped smiling once today. He loved her imagination and creativity. He couldn't wait to see her painting, and he told her as much.

It was now 5:30 and time for dinner, they'd had lunch at Wendy's because she had asked. He pulled into the parking lot of "Betulla's Burning" an Italian restaurant in town. He knew she liked pasta, so he hoped she liked Italian food.

"An Italian restaurant? It seems like someone knows I like Italian food." He turned and saw a grin on her face.

They entered and he gave them his name an and they led them to a reserved table in the back of the room.

They sat down and were given water, the waitress asked if they wanted alcohol and he could hear Brooke's heart rate begin to accelerate. He declined politely.

He watched as Brooke licked her lips while reading the menu. Those soft, pink lips. He looked down and focused on his menu.

To start he ordered the fried chicken and Brooke ordered the garlic cheese flatbread. They shared a green salad. And for their main meal she ordered the smoked chicken and lobster pasta, and she specifically ordered no mushrooms. He ordered the chef's choice grilled wagyu steak.

Brooke kept moaning and saying that this was the best pasta she'd ever had. He smiled enjoying his steak, and his mate's reaction.

For dessert he'd told the kitchen that it was her birthday so they brought a slice of chocolate cake with whipped cream and sang her happy birthday, off-key of course, but she didn't seem to care.

The joyous smile never faded off her face. He loved seeing her so happy.

They drove home, their fingers entwined the entire time, and a shared smile on their faces.

They walked through the door, still holding hands, and were surprised by the boys saying that they had presents for her.

She squealed and followed them to the living room, where Luna and her mate, the Alpha, were seated.

Raphael felt a little jealous that his mate was happy to receive gifts from other males, that were not her mate. But he pushed those feelings aside and watched the gleeful expressions flit across her face.

She received a jewelry set and box from Charm, a puzzle book from Nathan, a TV series from Mark and an acrylic paint set from Duma. And all three of them got her a board game.

"Aw, thank you all so much! I love them!" Brooke hugged the gifts close to her chest.

They chatted an hour or so more, then Charm and the Alpha said that they should head home. They said their goodbyes, then Brooke rushed back to the living room and brought her new board game out, hugging it to her chest, her long, loose hair bouncing as she was jumping up and down, "Come on guys, let's play!" Then she ran into the dining room.