“Wow. It’s a miracle I’m still standing. Who is she?” I ask, noting how comfortable Joaquin appears with his arm slung over the shoulders of the tall girl with pink and silver hair wearing a colorful patterned dress that drops to her ankles.
“Nepal.”
“Nepal?What the what?”
“Knock it off.” Emery elbows her husband and rolls her eyes. “Her name is India, and she’s really sweet. They met at some music event a few weeks ago, and they both seem smitten.” Emery crosses her fingers. “I have a good feeling about this one.”
“You said that about the last ten,” Zayn drawls.
“You give your brother such a hard time.” She sighs.
“He’s still pissy you two got down and dirty,” Kai says.
“Kaiden Anderson!” Abby yanks her husband back. “Quit shit stirring. Oh my god.”
“Well, if we’re going there, let’s talk about that time you let Lauder into your bedroom to watch,” Zayn retorts.
“Round two to little Anderson,” Xavier says before popping an olive into his mouth.
“Let’s not.” Nessa grimaces while Jackson tries to hide a grin.
“I second that.” Charlie clinks his bottle against Nessa’s glass, which I’m guessing contains a nonalcoholic cocktail as the girl hasn’t drunk alcohol in over twenty years. “That is one image I’d rather scrub from my brain.”
“How the fuck do you know about that?” Kai growls, glaring at Zayn before throwing daggers in Jackson’s direction.
“Don’t look at me. I didn’t say a word.” Jackson holds up his palms, professing innocence.
“Please change the subject before I puke.” Abby does look a little green, and I don’t blame her when I spot the wide-eyed look both Jane and Talia are sporting. That’s probably something they’d rather not know.
“I’m so surprised, Kaiden,” Olivia says. “You don’t strike me as the type to share.”
“You’re dead right, Mom. Never have. Never will. That was a one-off, and there was no physical sharing,” my brother explains.
“Just a whole lot of voyeurism and comparing uglies.”
“Zayn!” a chorus of female shrieks rings out.
“I can’t take you anywhere.” Emery sighs again, but there’s no heat behind the words.
“I’ve really missed this,” Shandra says, slipping under my arm. “Sometimes I really hate living so far away.”
“Maybe it’s time to consider relocating.” The words flow without hesitation.
“You’d leave the hospital?”
“They have hospitals in Boston too.”
“Always with the smart mouth.” Her eyes glow in a way they haven’t for days. “Let’s discuss it when we get home, but I’m really open to the idea.”
“Same.”
“Foods up!” Drew shouts to be heard over the noise of the crowd, and kids and adults alike make their way toward the tables.
The rest of the afternoon is spent enjoying good food, plentiful drinks, and sharing laughter with our family and friends.
It’s magical.
Olivia cuts the cake, we sing happy birthday and toast the birthday girl with champagne, and then the grandkids help their grandma distribute slices of the luscious chocolate-cherry cake.
