Chapter 19

"I hope you guys keep in mind what we discussed yesterday!" Rayne called into the kitchen where his two cousins sat eating breakfast.

"I'm a little nervous," Sasha said, pushing her hair off her shoulder, "What if things go really slow or we don't do so great?"

Leah smiled from where she sat eating blueberries, "Sash, we'll be absolutely fine. I'm a little nervous too but today will be great."

"I have the list, they'll give us an office, we'll see the hall," Rayne was pacing in the living room.

"What will we start with, I wonder?" Sasha was guessing, her fingers twiddling, "I love the theme she picked though."

"You do?!" Rayne was at the door gawking at her, "You like her theme?"

Sasha looked at him in shock, "You don't?"

"Sash," Rayne sounded strained as he walked in. He had a blue button-up on. "What she wants has to be done with a lot of thought, or it'll look like a child's birthday party."

"No, it won't," Sasha protested, "It's the perfect theme."

Leah thought back to their discussions. From what she could gather, Ms. Kane wanted a fantasy woods effect for her party. She wanted willowy trees and fireflies and the whole mood to resemble a portal into another dimension. 

Thinking about it from the point of views of both Rayne and Sasha, Leah realized they were both right.

"Her theme is really good," Leah voiced, stopping the two quarelling cousins, "But it's easy to look childish if we don't do it right."

Sasha and Rayne looked at her with interest peeking in their expressions.

Leah was deep in thought as she said out loud, "Maybe if we can focus on the colours that we throw into the room, we can make sure it doesn't look too much like a child's room."

Sasha cocked her head to one side. She wore dark jeans and a bright pink shirt on top. Her gorgeous wavy hair was brushed and placed at the back. A pair of cute heels adorned her feet, "What you're saying is true. Nuetral or grayish colours could bring a more adult feel to the party as opposed to brighter colours, but I don't want it to look sorrowful or haunted."

Rayne nodded.

"Ms. Kane seems like a joyful person too," Sasha continued, "So, going down with your idea, how about if we made it look like a painting and not like a crayon drawing. We'll try to keep that in mind."

Leah nodded, "Yes. We also need sunlight, or do we have to add the lighting artificially? Rayne, when is this event?"

Rayne's notepad was already out on the table, "Evening. Around Seven, actually. We have to light the place ourselves."

"Can we let fireflies loose in the place, Rayne?"

Rayne looked at Sasha like she was mad, which he frequently did, "No."

"Come on!" Sasha protested, "You said no to so many of my ideas last time but the guests loved them!"

"We'll do something to that effect for sure, Sash," Leah encouraged.

"Thanks, Lee," Sasha gushed, "I wish Rayne had as much creativity and passion for the job as you do."

Rayne rolled his eyes, "Let's stay on track: If we can find the right décor people, lets get at least four or five large willowy trees made and brought to the hall. The largest one in the center and tables under each. I asked how many people she's inviting. It's about two hundred people."

"Have to make guest list…" Sasha was writing it down inside her pink phone, "Wait, two hundred?!"

Rayne nodded before continuing, "So we'll seat them under the trees in large tables. It won't be a standing party for long."

Leah nodded when an idea hit her, she could hardly contain her excitement, "What if we light the trees?"

The cousins blinked, "What?"

Sasha was the first to jump up, "Lights in the trees? That would add such a surreal feeling! Leah, you're amazing!"

Rayne's eyes slowly began to shine as he imagined them, "Trees with a magical glow to them that could also work as lighting for the entire Event. Leah, you are a genius."

Leah beamed, "Thanks, guys."

Sasha couldn't sit back down, "Oh, I can see it now… Sitting under the magical willow tree and reaching across the table for-"

"Sit back down," Rayne was busy scribbling into his notepad, "We need to think of more things before you go off into dreamland!"

Sasha scoffed, "Dream land is where my ideas come from! Rayne, you wish you had a mind like mine."

Rayne groaned out loud when he saw his watch, "We're making such a great start now, but we have to be there on time. Brainstorm when we get to the office?" He threw Leah the question as he pushed away from the counter to stand up.

Leah nodded.

"I can't just brainstorm on demand!" Sasha said just as she finished twirling, "I need my special time for these things!"

"In the car then," Rayne ordered as he grabbed his keys and brushed past her.

Sasha whined as she grabbed an apple and ran after him.

Leah picked her bag off it's chair and hurried after her cousins, the exciting day ahead was fueling her energy.

She hadn't thought of Tim since the cousin' Brunch date the day before.

Grabbing a water bottle off the counter, she left the kitchen and looked for the keys to the apartment.

"Here," Rayne threw them over to her as he sped out the front door.

"Ahhhhhhh!" Sasha was doing her preparation scream and stomping her feet in the corridor outside.

Leah hid her smile as she turned out the lights and stepped outside the apartment.

Sasha got jolts of excitement and inspiration all through the planning process and most times, around the execution process too, much to Rayne's annoyance and delight.

She yelled out her nervousness and excitement every so often and Leah realized how much she's missed it.

She really loved her cousins.

She couldn't think of anyone or anything more that she would ever love.