Free Happy Birthday by Letícia Kartalian

To Jaymes and Thomas.
    Happy Birthday, babes!

    W hen John parked inside the gated community, right in front of the big house in which I lived most of the time, I smiled and let out a soft and tired sigh, already opening the car door, going out and walking to the front door, my keys in hand, he at my heels.
    I was exhausted, everything I wanted was to hug my bed and black out. My feet hurt. No, they throbbed with each step, in a clear and painful reminder that they were not designed to walk around all day long on a heel that should be forbidden to exist. Not to mention the strings of the sandals constricting my calves, which made switching to shoes every time an impossible task. Finally, my head was about to explode, and I hated feeling pain. But I’d done everything, even recording almost ceaselessly, without rest for me nor my staff, to be free on the 9th, so here I was, coming back home at three A.M.
    "Thank you for driving me." I gave him our usual hug, and he gave me his secret kiss on the forehead. People usually think bodyguards are serious, usually silent and impersonal, even with the ones they are bound to protect. So it was with John in the beginning, but as time went by, he got more and more... accessible.
    “Good night, Panda. And happy... never mind! I’ll call tomorrow.” I smiled at the ‘codename’ because I knew he loved that kind of thing, while I thought it was unnecessary.
    “Good night, John.”
    It was only when I stepped home and closed the door that I heard the engine starting. John. Always taking care of me, even when he did not need to.
    The house was completely dark and in a silence that was not familiar anymore, and aside from the light from the hallway – something Doug and I used to do for the dogs, not because it was necessary, since they can see much better in darkness than humans, but because we treated them as if they really were our kids – it looked like nobody was home.
    The silence, however, was broken before I could even step into the living room by a couple of dog paws striding towards the door. I took off my shoes, stretching my fingers before seating on the floor and getting hugs from my three little fellows. Licks, sniffs and wagging tails were some of my rewards for being home after some time. Resisting the urge to simply lie down on the rug and stay there, I got up and the dogs followed me to their water and food bowls, each with their names and completely full; then I headed to my bedroom, saying good night to Barney, Belle, and Connie.
    When I got into the room, the sliding door ajar, I breathed a long sigh at one of the sweetest views. After so many days away from home and him, that was everything I could wish for tonight.
    Doug was sprawled on the bed with arms wide open, taking more than half of the space, his bare chest, the sheet tangled in his feet, and just a boxer covering the forbidden zone, snoring very softly.
    I know I’d said to not wait for me awake, after all, I didn’t know how long we’d be in the studio, and he also should be tired of shooting the new movie; nevertheless, I expected he’d be awake to hug me. Anyway, I was happy for just being here tonight.
    I dropped my purse somewhere high, away from the “children’s” reach – since Doug had left the bedroom door ajar and they themselves had probably brought their beds in and placed them strategically around the bed – I got a headache pill from the drawer in the nightstand which, technically, would be on my side of the bed, and took it without water. Soon after, I opened the closet door and got one of my baggiest panties, a t-shirt from Doug’s, and went to our bathroom. I would be much better after a shower.
    He was lying in the same position when I got back; the dogs, already on their beds, only raised their heads as they saw me coming out of the bathroom.
    “You know you’re not supposed to be here,” I whispered pointlessly, as Douglas would not wake up even if the house were on