After dinner while Huntleigh was giving a tour to Leo and Elloise with Kinnley right by her side, I slipped back to my place to change into some clean clothes before the designated shots time. With Drew assuring me he’d cover for me, and that it would be perfectly fine. It was my last window before the “real” party started. Whatever that meant, though I’m guessing with the sunsetting and dinner having gone down, that it meant we were coming up on the surprise of the night… and I was right.
When I returned Huntleigh had done a brief wardrobe change, she was now wearing a beautiful black dress that landed just above her knee with a pair of dress boots that stole the show, with her hat on again and an oversized camo jacket on to somehow pull it all together. It worked well for her. As she and her brothers stood around her kitchen island with Drew and Bell, making shots for everyone.
“Ah look who’s back!” Jake laughs.
“Ouo, you two are matching.” Drew smirks. “Are you getting in on the shots or waiting until the toast?”
“Don’t let them peer pressure you.” Huntleigh says as she takes a drink straight from the shaker.
“Hey! What happened to not getting wasted cause you’re hosting?!?” Jake yells at her taking the shaker from her.
“My party my rules? I’m still standing. Not slurring yet.” Huntleigh laughs.
“Sucks to have a mini you, don’t it.” Bell laughs. “But for real, don’t let them peer pressure you, Connor and if you want in we gotta know so we can add you to the count.”
“Yeah, I’ll do a shot, what are those? Lemon shots?” I ask, watching Huntleigh as she takes another sip of the shaker.
“All of those are, this is…what is this, Mick?”
“It’s a pink starburst shot.” Kinnley laughs, watching her as she grins. She was lit, she might not be feeling it but she was. “It’s Huntleigh’s preferred shot, and she still doesn’t know it’s name.”
“To be fair she does try different shots almost every time. It’s only when we’re at Frawley’s that she gets the same thing consistently.” Bell shrugs. “She only knows Long Island.”
“Oh yeah, you should make me one of those, Micky!”
“Nah, I’ll make you something.” Jake says taking the shaker back from her.
“No lemon.”
“No lemon.” He agrees.
“I didn’t even ask if you drink or not…do you drink?” Huntleigh asks me with a grin. “Like this isn’t uncomfortable or triggering right?”
“No, it’s all good, I drink on occasion.” I smile as the light catches her eyes just right. “Besides this is Trent’s kind of party.”
“Oh no! I should have invited him.” She exclaims her eyes wide as though she’s made a grave mistake. “Oh no, you can call him if you want, that was so rude…”
“It’s okay, he’s out on a date tonight anyway.” I stifle a laugh as you can clearly see she genuinely feels bad about leaving him out.
“Okay, well the next one. For future references, you are welcome to bring your friends, but maybe like give me a heads up so I can like make sure everyone has something. Text me or something… I don’t know. Don’t do like Jake over there and wait until you’re at the grill and say hey by the way I invited this really pretty girl I liked.”
“That’d be rude if he invited a pretty girl to your house anyway when you clearly got the hots for him.” Jake says bluntly as he hands her a glass of something. “Also I don’t sound like that. And you think Alice is cool don’t you?”
“She’s okay.” Huntleigh admits reluctantly as she takes a sip. “Oh that’s good what is that…try it.” She offers it to me and I take a sip.
“Damn, that’s strong. Is that vodka and gin?” I ask.
“Hell yeah.” Jake laughs.
We finished up in the kitchen and walked back outside. Handing out shots and then a quick “anointment” as Jake got everyone’s attention.
“Thank you! I just want to say, since this is our first round of shots (of many) at our new abode. At Huntleigh Ellsworth’s humble abode.”
“Oh god.” Huntleigh laughs as she stands between Kinnley and I, with Braden taking Kinnley’s phone and getting a decent spot to record the proceeding events.
“It’s my turn now.” He laughs as she sips her drink and everyone cheers. “I’m not very good at this, but this toast is mine, so we anoint this as holy ground! Congratulations little sister, couldn’t be prouder of you. Now let’s get this party started? Can I get a hell yeah?” With that the whole group echoed the sentiment of “Hell Yeah” taking our shots.
“Awe! You love me!” Huntleigh gushes as she hugs Jake. “That was the sweetest thing.”
“Shut up, you’re still my annoying little sister.” Jake sighs as he hugs her back.
After Jake’s toast, next on the agenda was the champagne, and the toasts leading into the ‘film’ of the night. Which I was quickly pulled to the side by Bell and Amy while Huntleigh was talking to Kat for them to explain to me what the surprise was and how I could help.
The plan? I would keep Huntleigh distracted while they each did their part in setting it up. Either ask her for a tour, or take her inside and share some wine. They didn’t care, they just needed five to ten minutes to prepare the champagne glasses, and set up the montage. It was all to look back on her accomplishments and where she started to where she is now. To show how proud everyone is of her. How proud she should be of herself. Everyone at the party contributed, especially her friends… and her brothers. So this was really important. My only job was to give them a minute to set it up – I could do that.
“Do you want to take a photo?” She asks as she shows me her polaroid camera that was displayed adorably on her nightstand. “Also sorry, I know my room is a mess.”
“I would love too, also if this is a mess, I fear you’d fear my room.” I laugh looking around her room which wasn’t at all messy, just a little cluttered at the moment, more lived in than anything but considering how busy she was with planning this? It made sense.
“Say cheese!” She smiles leaning into me as we pose for the photo in her mirror. “Perfect. Now it just has to develop.” She sighs sitting on her bed. “You can sit too.” Huntleigh laughs as she sips her drink. “So are they setting up the surprise? That why they made you babysit me again?”
“I wouldn’t say they made me.” I smile. “I happen to have wanted five seconds to just enjoy your company. But I respect a host who’s dedicated to their job.”
“I wouldn’t mind you saying you needed me – like faking a drink emergency or something saying the host has to stay with you for a bit?” She smiles. “I like hosting but I also like just hanging out.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
We chatted for a few minutes as our polaroid photo developed and then it was time to go back out to join the party. The film was loaded up and Bell and Kinnley were both standing by the podium while Drew, Kat, Alice-May (Jake’s girlfriend) and Amy were handing out glasses to the whole group.
“Her chair and yours are both right there, next to your brother.” Drew says as he hands me two glasses. “Champagne or do you want sparkling grape? I already know she wants champagne.”
“Champagne, thank you.” I say as we walk to our seats, Huntleigh took her seat and I took mine and nothing felt more right.
“Now that our guest of honor is here, and her guest, I just want to say before we hit play that – I think I speak for all of us when I say, our lives would be a lot more dull without you. Today we celebrate something that you poured your whole life into. That you earned. And we’re beyond grateful that you let us stand by your side, this is us acknowledging you, your hard work, your pain, and everything you went through to get here today. We know that you don’t always feel seen, and that it’s not been an easy path, but we’re so fucking proud of you Huntleigh. You’re a goddamn author! We knew you could do it and you fucking did! You’re less than a month away from the book being on the shelves, you have a FUCKING HOUSE?!? You beat us! You beat us, you own it, you’re the first of us five to have your own house that you own and damn is it a good little spot!” Bell starts the speech. “For someone that never believed they’d make it past nineteen here you are! You’re standing at the top of your biggest mountain baby! You did it. You did it and we’re here to remind you that, you’re the reason you made it this far. We love you so much Huntleigh Marie Ellsworth and this is just the beginning of everything you ever prayed for, ever dreamed of, and ever manifested. You did it girl!”
“To the best little sister anyone could ask for, the strongest woman we know, and the first author of the family!” Kinnley says.
“To Huntleigh!” Her friends all say as they raise their glasses.
“To new friends, a slow burn maybe?” Huntleigh asks, raising her glass towards mine.
“To a cliché, of falling for the girl next door.” I smile, clinking our glasses. “But also, to everything they said, because you deserve to take some pride in this.”
The video played and it started with a video of a younger Huntleigh (much younger we’re talking she was elementary aged) talking to a camera as though she was hosting a show. Then a clip of her hosting a show with her grandparents’ dog, then videos of her outside of a church with her friends talking and pretending to vlog. We were literally watching her age up through this montage, photos and videos of some of her most distressing days and how she wanted to give up. Videos documenting her health journey and her mental health – the ups and downs.
Her hand slipped onto mine as she sipped her drink watching the video as people ooo’d and ahh’d watching her journey. Explanations of how much she wanted to give up because she just felt hopeless and alone. She just wanted someone to see her and acknowledge who she was and the hard work she’d put in just by staying here on this planet. Which god did that make me feel seen. I’d been there so many times. To feel so alone and be surrounded by people.
Seeing a visible roller coaster of her mood was heart wrenching but it was necessary to show what she’d overcome. Her fingers were laced through mine, and it felt so natural as we came to the more recent videos, ones where she documented huge accomplishments. The day her book was signed into a publishing company, her first vehicle, a video of her dancing in front of the jeep, videos of her trying new foods and going roller-skating with Bell. Many other small but meaningful memories. Then the house, a short video she’d sent to the friends the day she’d seen the house for the first time…
“Oh my god guys! You know how I told you that I had that showing, the private one with the realtor that I hadn’t told my parents about?!?” A very frazzled but adorable looking Huntleigh exclaimed in the video. “I have to tell them because that house was perfect! Better than all the others and I did a thing!” She holds up the papers so the camera can see. “I did it, it’ll be mine soon! Shh! Don’t tell anyone! I’m going to see Harry and Lorren then we’ll call mom and dad!”
The video concluded with a video from all her friends and her two brothers saying how proud they were of her and how they couldn’t wait to have to do wardrobe shopping for all the fancy events they’d be invited to. It was truly a treasure, and I think it was something that Huntleigh needed. Just a little bit of grounding for her. I know I might not know her that well, but she seemed like the sentimental type and judging by the tears as she sat there and sobbed with a big smile on her face, I think they made her night.
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