When everyone helped us move in, I promised that we would have them over for a barbecue as a thank-you. And then, when Olivia was born, we began a life of juggling: my work, his work, being parents. It was a lot, especially with how little we were sleeping.
It was also a wonderful time, but we couldn’t handle more than we already were. Olivia was the world’s best baby. She was sweet, curious, and so very smart. Every day, she’d learn something new.
The last thing on our minds had been the barbecue, and then the weather turned cold, making a cookout nearly impossible, at least not a fun one. But the seasons turned as they did, and it was finally the perfect weather for outdoor fun.
Today was the day we were finally having everybody over. Also the day we were celebrating Olivia’s first birthday. It was difficult to believe that she was already a year old. People said blink and their childhood was over. I never understood that until becoming a father.
I had two grills set up out back: ours and one borrowed from Bennett. His was huge, purchased for the motel fun activities. Although, in all the time I’d been delivering there, I didn’t remember seeing it out of the storage outbuilding a single time. Bennett ran a really cool place, but he was not an activities director.
Olivia was in the little play yard we had for her out back, practicing her walking. She’d taken her first shaky steps only a couple of days ago and was already getting quite proficient at it. She was also getting really good at falling.
Rain and I finished getting everything set up for everybody’s arrival. We were going very basic as far as barbecues went. There was no smoker, no meats that had been marinating for days. Nope, we were going easy peasy with hot dogs, hamburgers, Caesar salad, chips, and, of course, cake and ice cream.
What started out as, “Maybe we should have the people who helped us move come over for a barbecue,” morphed into, “We can combine it with the birthday,” and, finally, became, pretty much the entire town was going to be arriving at our place in three days, we’d better get planning.
One by one, our guests arrived, many of them bringing food with them. It wasn’t supposed to be a potluck. We’d said we’d supply everything, but it had quickly morphed into one. Maggie brought her fried chicken. Gary brought a new pasta salad he’d been working on for the diner. He didn’t say what made it new, but it looked delicious. Gary never let anyone down in the culinary department. Layla brought the makings for what she called Birthday Punch, which was basically Sprite and sherbet. Bennett brought his famous homemade pickles. And on and on it went. We had so much food and so many people there, I felt like I was living the pack life. It was pretty incredible.
Gary ran over to the play area and started having a full-on conversation with Olivia, or, more accurately a full-on, one-sided conversation. She had a handful of words, but she was hardly conversation-ready. He picked her up and brought her over to where the majority of the guests were hanging out. As he was talking with everyone, she would add a random word in here and there, as if she was reinforcing his points. And, without fail, one of the grown-ups would respond to her as if she’d said the most profound thing ever.
“I think she’s gonna be mayor one day,” Rain said, leaning in to my side.
“Why stop there?” I replied. “Maybe she’ll be president.”
“Nah, she’s gonna want to stick with this small-town life just like her daddies.”
We weren’t 100 percent sure she was a fox, but she was definitely giving the signs—little things, from some of the sounds she made to the way she saw better at night than most kiddos did. We wouldn’t know for sure until she hit puberty, and we both agreed not to encourage her to believe either way. Growing up thinking you were human only to find out you were a fox, or thinking you’re a fox to find out you’re a human—that would be rough on anyone. And during those early teen years, you didn’t need any added stressors. They were hard enough.
“I don’t know if you know this,” Rain said, “but when I first got here, I was worried because I didn’t have friends and had no clue how to make any. I’d met you, and that was my dream come true, but I’d been surrounded by so many people before. I feared I wouldn’t be able to adjust. And now, look at this. Our yard is filled with people who all love us and love our sweet baby girl.”
I wrapped my arm around him and kissed the top of his head. I wish he’d never felt that way and was happy to hear that feeling was long gone.
“We can’t help how we feel, honey,” I said.
“I know and the important thing is, I don’t feel that way anymore. It’s moments like these, when I look around and I see this community we’ve grown together, that I can truly see how lonely I was in the city. I might’ve been surrounded by a lot of people, and I went places, but if I needed help moving or wanted someone to chat with about recipes or anything not really work-related…that didn’t exist. I’m glad I decided to take the risk and come here.”
“Not as glad as I am,” I said, pulling him into a hug.
It was time to cook, and I manned the grills, watching him hang out with our guests. If I didn’t know he was new in town, I’d never in a million years suspect that he hadn’t been born andraised here. He fit in. This was where he belonged. And, by some miracle, Fate had agreed that I should be the one by his side.
We spent the afternoon chatting, eating, and laughing. So much laughing. Olivia’s feet never touched the ground after Gary picked her up. She had a yard full of honorary aunts and uncles more than happy to hold her and make her feel like a part of our community and not someone to be quiet while the grown-ups talked, like I had been as a child.
“I believe it’s birthday time,” Layla announced as if she was the party director. I didn’t mind. It was 100 percent who she was.
I went and got the cake from the kitchen. It was nothing fancy—a sheet cake my mate made, with frosting I made from my grandmother’s recipe. There were no intricate designs, no plastic decorations, no words. Just a homemade cake that looked it.
After lighting the candle, I walked out with it and, under Layla’s direction, everyone began singing. Olivia didn’t get what was going on and, when it was time for the candle to be blown out, it was Rain who actually had the flame going out.
“Best cake I’ve ever eaten.” Gary made sure everyone heard his compliment, and it was the highest one you could receive on a baked good. He was the town “expert” on desserts.
“I think Olivia agrees.” Geoff chuckled.
In Olivia’s fist was a handful of frosting she was attempting to get into her mouth. Her next activity was going to be a bath, no way around that.
“Huh,” Archie said, “I didn’t know you were going to be a big sister.”
It took me half a second to process what he was saying, my mate looking at him confused. Archie was Layla’s adopted son, a brown bear shifter who had one of the best senses of smell I’d ever seen. He’d once helped me find Olivia’s missing sock in twoseconds flat by scent alone, and I’d dropped it before she’d even worn it. If he scented pregnancy, my mate was pregnant.
I crooked a finger and used it to ask my mate over. Archie must’ve realized what he’d done and mouthed, “Sorry.”
