Waking up on your birthday is always such a strange, bittersweet feeling. The first being that you have to remember you're another year older, however, there's a sense of pride knowing you made it through another year of life. There were times when I never expected to make it to 26 years old, but here I am in London with my beautiful girlfriend at my side.

Hailee is currently laying on my chest, scrolling through her phone while I play with her hair. The both of us just woke up a few moments ago after a good nights rest. I look over to her phone, and she's now on instagram creating a post.

"Whatcha doing?" I ask curiously.

"Picking out some of my favorite photos together." She replies, and I smile as I watch her create a carousel post with a cute caption.

"And posted." She exclaims and I kiss the top of her head.

I myself am scrolling through instagram now too, and I see the LA Sparks media team made a post for my birthday as well, posting a few in game photos and some silly ones from throughout the years. I can't help but feel overwhelming emotion at all the birthday messages on the post, along with Hailee's.

My phone screen dissolves into an incoming call, and it's from Lizzie, and I answer it. Before I can even answer to say hello she's already singing happy birthday on speaker phone.

"Happy birthday to you!" She finishes, making a couple whoop whoops at the end.

"Thank you Lizzie, just like me you're always the first to call." I reply in gratitude.

"I guess it's part of our best friend pact. How does it feel to be 26?"

"Feels exactly the same as I did yesterday so, I'm not sure." I answer giggling.

"Well, tonight is all about you being 26 so you better start feeling like it!"

"Looking forward to it. I'll see you later okay?" I respond.

"Me too! I'm going to start getting things at my place ready, see you later!" She tells me excitedly, hanging up shortly after.

I place my phone back down on the bed, and I see Hailee walk towards her luggage.

"What are you digging for in there?" I shout from the bed, not sure what she is looking for.

"Your first gift, duh."

I watch as she brings back a small bag to the bed, placing it in front of me while she takes a seat in front of me as well. I look at the bag intently, not sure how to approach this situation, as Hailee and I haven't really given each other too many gifts before.

"Come on, open it." She pushes, eagerly waiting for me to dismantle the gift.

I take out the tissue paper slowly, peering into the bag. At the bottom of the bag lies a fitted hat, similar to the ones I normally wear but in a color I don't have. The front of it has the letters LA on it, the logo of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The hat is brown, with a light pink on the bottom of the cap.

"Ah you know me so well, you know I love these." I tell her as I look at the hat in my hands. She looks at me with a large smile, waiting for me to notice something else.

"Turn it to the side." She suggests, and as I do, I notice the other embroidery on the left hand side.

H.S

"H.S for Harry Styles?" I ask sarcastically, obviously joking, making Hailee roll her eyes.

"They're my initials silly." She replies laughing.

"All jokes. But seriously, I love it. Thank you so much." I tell her, pulling her in for a hug with one arm as I'm still holding the hat in the other. A sense of warmth fills me as she wraps her two arms around my back.

"You'll get the rest of the gifts later, and there might be one more at home waiting for you upon your arrival." She spills, and my cheeks become flushed with red.

"You're too much, you are the best gift of them all. But thank you."

I grab the tissue paper, crumbling them up to throw away. The two of us walk downstairs to grab something to eat. I toss Hailee a water bottle, then I turn back to the fridge to pull out some strawberries. While I cut them up, Hailee grabs slices of bread for the two of us to make toast. We decided to keep breakfast light, as we both know we are going to eat a lot today.

Once the food is ready, we eat it on the couch together to switch things up. Hailee grabs the remote, turning on the TV. Surprisingly, we found a re-run of Captain America Civil War, and we decided to start watching it. We missed the first half of the movie, but that's okay since it puts us at the best part when both teams are lining up to fight one another.

We watch and eat in silence, too invested in the chaos that is happening on screen with about ten fight scenes going on at once. I have to contain my laughter when the scene of Wanda getting sonic blasted by War Machine comes on, since Lizzie's face is hilarious. Thankfully she isn't here right now, because she would be hitting my side for laughing too much.

Since I've seen this movie far too many times, I pull out my phone trying to reply to the people who have reached out to wish me a happy birthday both privately and on social media. I tap on Billie's story, and I notice she posted a photo of us together from one of the times I went over to her house to play guitar. Tyler also posted a photo of me which I didn't even know he had, but it was from the time I went to the IGOR release party.

As I see all these different messages and mentions on people's story, I get a little emotional. I'm so lucky to have all these connections and friends thanks to my career, and it's hard to imagine life without it. But there's a part of me that feels like something is missing today, and then I remember my Mom isn't here. Having to remember that fact is like a wave washing over me, again and again.

"You okay?" Hailee asks, noticing I was lost in a train of thought.

"Um, yeah, yeah just spaced out, sorry." I reply awkwardly, and she can see right through it.

"Jay." She says softly, placing her hand on my face to direct my attention to her gaze. "You can tell me what you were thinking about."

I look down for a second, my eyes starting to glaze over but I don't allow them to form full tears.

"Just how this years birthday is different, you know." I tell her, not even wanting to say the full fact out loud. Regardless, she understands, pulling me into a hug.

When we depart from the hug, she grabs the remote, turning off the TV so she can direct her full attention towards me. We both stay in silence for a moment.

"How about you... tell me a story?" She brings up, clearly uneasy of her proposed solution to making me feel better.

"A story about what?" I ask, wanting more context.

"One of your past birthday's." She responds, and I sort through the memories in my head.

"I got one." I answer, thinking of the best way to tell it.

Hailee nods at me, motioning for me to begin.

"It was my 13th birthday, and my Mom wanted it to be super special. First year of being a teenager, you know." I begin, and she smiles. "She decorated the house with these decorations she made herself, and had all these snacks laid out for the party, which consisted of me and a couple friends from the basketball league I was in. Anyways, we got to the cake and everyone sang happy birthday, all that jazz. But when we cut into the cake, and tasted it, it literally squinted at how salty it was. We were all dying of laughter because my Mom probably put in the wrong measurements for salt, it was basically inedible." I tell her, reminiscing that night.

"So what did you do?" Hailee asks curiously.

"My Mom quickly drove to the store and got us a small cake from the bakery. I think from then on we only got store bought cakes." I recount, laughing slightly.

"Well, I can assure you that tonight there wont be any salty cakes." She tells me, smiling widely. "I think Lizzie is getting one from an English bakery she swears by out here."

"Sounds awesome."

I pull Hailee into a hug, my arms wrapping around her neck while we are still seated on the couch. She seemed a little startled at the unexpected hug.

"Thank you." I tell her in her ear.

"For what?"

"For making me tell that story. I need to learn to think more of the good times, because there are just so many." I reply truthfully as we detach.

"You have my ear to tell stories to whenever you want, I'll always listen."

---

Hailee and I spent the afternoon together, mostly in the house, but after a few hours we decided to go somewhere for lunch. We found this really cute restaurant close by, and the food was delicious. The two of us are now back at our place, getting ready for tonight. The dress code is casual, so I brought an outfit that I felt comfortable in. Since my pants are brown, I also threw on the hat that Hailee gifted me earlier.

Shortly after I finished getting ready, Hailee came out of the shower and changed into this cool jacket, with some jeans and sneakers, along with her favorite gold jewelry. I looked at her funny for wearing the jacket, but she reminded me that she's always cold.

We are now in an Uber, on the way to Lizzie's flat which is only ten minutes away. The time to arrive was at 7, but we left a little later so we weren't the first ones there. The Uber dropped us off in front of Lizzie's and there were already multiple cars parked out front. I help Hailee get out of the car while thanking the driver, then walking hand in hand to Lizzie's front door.

I stand outside awkwardly, a little anxious of what's behind that door.

"Ring the door bell, it's okay." Hailee suggests, and I raise my hand to do so.

A few seconds later, Lizzie appears at the door, her face turning to a bright smile the second she opens it. She quickly steps forward, engulfing me into a big hug.

"Happy birthday!" She tells me while we hug, and I squeeze her back tightly. When we pull away, she greets Hailee as well.

"Come on in, we were all just waiting for you birthday girl." Lizzie tells us, and we both step inside. Once I get passed the front door, I look around at Lizzie's small apartment. It's cute and cozy, perfect for one person.

When I walk in, presenting myself to the group of people sitting around the living room, they all cheer when I arrive. I give a wave to everyone while I put my stuff down on the counter. I look around the room, spotting all familiar faces. From left to right, I see Florence, both Benedicts, Aubrey, and surprisingly, Scarlett. And Lizzie of course. I hear Hailee squeal behind me when she noticed Florence, and they immediately engage in a hug. When they pull away, Hailee introduces me.

"Florence this is Jayden, as you already know." She directs, and now Florence and I are standing in front of each other. I reach out my hand for her to shake, but she declines.

"No handshakes here, give me a hug." She tells me, and I hug her back.

"It's so nice to meet you Florence, Hailee has told me so much about you."

"I think I can say the same." She replies, giving me the classic Florence wink.

I go over to greet Aubrey next, which is strange since the last time I saw her there wasn't anything going on between her and Lizzie. And being Lizzie's best friend, I give her a warm welcome to the party. We make some small talk while Hailee and Florence continue talking, and I find myself laughing up a storm.

"I can't believe I'm here talking with April Ludgate herself." I mention as a Parks and Recreation fan myself.

"Stop it, that never happened that wasn't me." Aubrey replies, lightly slapping my arm. While Aubrey and I chat, I look over to Lizzie and she's smiling at the two of us getting along.

I excuse myself from Aubrey to shake hands with Benedict Wong and Cumberbatch, thanking them for coming. We talk a little bit about the movie, although they can't reveal much. Lastly, I say hello to Scarlett, who has now joined the conversation between Florence and Hailee. She gives me a big hug as well, and I ask her why she's in London and she explains. I can't help but notice how sweet Scarlett and Florence's relationship is, especially right now as we are talking about Hawkeye and Yelena being Natasha's little sister. I manage to slip out of the circle to help Lizzie in the kitchen, since she was doing everything herself, even though she insisted on doing so.

"Thank you for all this, really." I mention to Lizzie.

"No thanks needed, you've done this for me plenty of times, and I'm just returning the favor."

Our talk grows silent for a moment while we plate some appetizers in little bowls.

"I like Aubrey." I mention, breaking the comfortable silence.

"Oh um..." She replies, caught aback by my sudden mention of her love interest. "I like Aubrey too."

"I'm glad we are both happy." I tell her, and we both look up from the counter to see Aubrey and Hailee chatting together.

"Me too." Lizzie responds, placing her head on my shoulder sweetly. Suddenly, the timer goes off on the oven. "The biscuits! I know how much you love them. Obviously there was no Pillsbury here but I got the next best thing."

While Lizzie deals with the oven, I bring the platters to the small table, encouraging everyone to grab what they want.

"Jay go back to the living room, I'll help Lizzie, you shouldn't be doing this on your birthday." Hailee suggests, but I decline her offer.

"We are almost done anyways, it's okay." I tell her, ensuring her it's really okay. I go to turn back to walk towards the kitchen, but Lizzie motions to me that she's got it, so I turn right back around. "Olsen says she's got it under control."

While Lizzie finishes up, I chat with Scarlett and Hailee about how now Hailee will be working with Renner in these upcoming months. Scarlett is aware that there are many mentions of Natasha in Hawkeye, but she doesn't want to hear about them, afraid of getting spoiled. I swoop in and mention Multiverse of Madness, bringing up the fact that there is a universe where Natasha is still alive and never sacrificed herself for the soul stone.

"Anything's possible." Scarlett says, shrugging her shoulders.

With that, Lizzie alerts us that the food is ready, and everyone lines up with a plate. My eyes grow wide at all my favorite foods across the bar top area.

"You outdid yourself Lizzie, thank you." I tell her while I stand in front of her with my plate.

"Only the best for my best friend." She replies, and we smile at each other.

Since there is no real dinner table for us to eat at, we all just eat standing up. Thankfully the food wasn't the kind you have to use a fork and knife. Everyone is engaged in their own conversations, talking about all different things. Once we are all finished, we all gather around the couch, creating a conversation between all of us.

"Not going to lie, I feel a little left out with all these Marvel actors in here." Aubrey mentions, and I nod.

"Yeah, I didn't think I'd be spending my 26th birthday with Doctor Strange and Black Widow." I joke, and the group laughs.

"We can find a role for you Aubrey." Florence suggests, and Aubrey shakes her head.

"Oh god, please don't." She replies while laughing, and I can't get over how funny she is. It's just the way she says it that sells it. Lizzie tells me that she spends most of the time with her just dying of laughter, and I believe it now.

"Any plans for Jayden to appear in Hawkeye?" Scarlett brings up jokingly, and I turn to look at Hailee.

"Um, I think we can squeeze her into the background, what do you think?" She replies, turning to me for a reaction, and I shrug my shoulders.

"If that's the case, I'll be the best extra there is." I answer, and she smiles back at me.

We all continue to talk and enjoy conversation together, and it seems like everyone is having a really great time. I notice Hailee slip away to the kitchen, but I ignore it and continue talking with everyone. A few moments later I feel her hands around my chin, like she's placing something on my head. I turn around and I spot her placing a birthday hat on me while Lizzie brings out a small cake with candles already lit.

"Oh my god." I reply, hiding my face in my hands. Having Happy Birthday sung to you on your birthday is so strange, I never know how to react.

Everyone around starts to chime in, singing the classic happy birthday song, ending it with claps. Hailee, being extra, extends the final "you" in the song, and it makes me laugh.

"Make a wish!" Florence yells out, and I look up at her, then back at the cake.

I truly do believe in birthday wishes. The symbolic act of blowing out the flame on your cake on that one day of the year is truly special. There are so many things I could wish for, some that aren't even possible. The orange flame faces me, encouraging me to make the wish and blow out the candle.

From the candle, I look up at Hailee, and she looks at me. I would have never thought I would be where I am right now, birthday cake in my hand while a girl as special as her is looking at me in adoration. I part my eyes from her, back to the cake, my selected wish already in my mind.

I wish for more birthdays with her.

With that, I blow out the candle and everyone claps. I carefully place the cake on the table, allowing Lizzie to come in with a knife so she can cut slices for everyone.

"You took so long on that wish that there's wax on the cake." Lizzie mentions, and I roll my eyes playfully. Lizzie hands me the first slice of cake and I thank her. I watch as she hands the next slice to Hailee.

"It's vanilla, I know." I tell her, reading her mind.

"What! It's okay I'll still eat it."

"But I know you prefer chocolate. We can bake one together when we get home, how's that?" I propose, and she smiles.

"You're cute." She replies, hugging me.

Shortly after the cake, the night wraps up, since Lizzie and the Benedict's have work tomorrow, and so does Scarlett. In conversation earlier, Florence asked us if we wanted to hang out with her tomorrow, and we agreed since we didn't have plans anyways. She told us she wants to give us a tour of Oxford, her home town, which is only about just under a two hour drive from where we are staying.

Hailee and I say goodbye to everyone, while everyone else does the same. Of course I wish the night could go on longer, but we are all pretty exhausted. Except for Florence, she always seems to be on energy level one hundred, and the many drinks she had didn't help.

I go to say bye to Lizzie, giving her a big hug as I probably won't see her again for while, and I frown a little while hugging her.

"You're gift is being mailed to your house, I don't want you to think I didn't get you anything." Lizzie tells me in my ear, and I pull apart the hug quickly.

"Gift? Lizzie you paid for my flight and set up this whole trip and birthday party that's already a great gift!" I tell her, but she doesn't reply since she loves to get me gifts for different occasions. She claims to be the best gift giver, and I won't lie, she's given me some pretty good gifts over the years.

We wave bye to her once more as the Uber pulls up. I open the door for Hailee, helping her into the backseat. I look back at Lizzie once more, smiling at her again before the driver pulls out of the street, making his way back to our place. Hailee curls up next to me in the car, her head on my shoulder like always.

"That was a great night wasn't it?" She says, and I nod, pressing my head against the top of hers.