He’s holding a bouquet of flowers for my sister that he picked out himself. Just thinking about that makes me wobbly. When I asked if he wanted to come with me tonight, he didn’t hesitate for even a second. No questions. No uncertainty. “I’d love to meet your family,” he said. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Like it was the simplest decision in the world.
The front door swings open before I can knock, and Cara is standing there with Marigold on her hip. She doesn’t even give me time to say hello before she pulls me into her arms, holding me tight like she always does.
“Happy birthday, little sister,” she whispers against my ear. And that’s when I realize this is my birthday dinner. I’ve been so caught up in Jesse and work and the mess with my parents that it didn’t even register.
Birthdays have always been kind of a non-event in my life.Even as a kid, they weren’t really celebrated. My parents certainly didn’t go out of their way to make the day special. There were never birthday parties with friends from school or presents waiting for me when I woke up in the morning. I remember one year when the nanny made an effort, blowing up balloons and taking me out for ice cream.
But Cara always remembered. When we were little, she would slip into my room before school, tug me out of bed, and bring me to hers like it was a secret ritual just for us. She’d give me something she made—a colorful beaded bracelet one year, a candle she’d tried to pour herself another. It was never about the gift. It was about celebrating me.
Now that we’re grown, she keeps the tradition alive in a new way. She always cooks me dinner and bakes me a cake. After she got married, Ryan—and now Marigold—become part of our little celebrations too. They make sure I feel like I matter.
I press a gentle kiss to Marigold’s chubby cheek. She squeaks in protest and then grins, patting my face with a sticky hand. Cara chuckles and shifts her higher on her hip.
“Someone’s very excited you’re here,” she says. “She’s missed her auntie Madeline cuddles.”
“I’ve missed them too,” I say, grabbing my niece’s tiny hand and nibbling at it, making her giggle.
Ryan appears at Cara’s side. He pulls me into a bear hug, squeezing me until I’m gasping for breath. “Happy birthday,” he says with a wide grin as he lets go.
He and Cara usher Jesse and I in and I make introductions as Ryan takes our coats and then leads the way to the living room. “Thanks for making the drive out,” Cara says as we get settled. “I know it’s a long way to come for dinner.”
“Thanks for including me, “Jesse says with sincerity in his voice. “Mads has told me so much about you.”
“I’m a big fan of your brand,” he tells Jesse as we sink intothe plush couch. “I wear your breathable boxers now exclusively. They’re life-changing, man.”
“Babe, you met him thirty seconds ago and you’re already talking about your boxers?” Cara jokes.
“I love to hear a positive review,” Jesse says with a grin.
A buzzer chimes from the kitchen down the hall. “Oh shoot,” Cara says, springing up from her perch on the arm of the sofa. “The timer—Ryan, can you grab that? And just give me a minute while I make Goldie a bottle.”
They both head into the kitchen, leaving Jesse and I alone in the living room. As soon as they’re out of earshot, he turns to face me.
“It’s your birthday.”
I lift one shoulder in a soft shrug. “Yeah. I guess it is.”
“You didn’t tell me.”
“I didn’t…not tell you,” I say gently, smiling up at him. “It just never feels like a thing I need to announce. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it didn’t even register until Cara said it. I was just so excited that you were meeting my family. That felt much bigger than my birthday.”
“We’re talking about this later,” he says quietly, brushing his thumb over my bottom lip. I nod, then weave my fingers into his and pull him off the couch.
“Let’s go see if we can help,” I say, leading him toward the kitchen.
Dinner passes in a blur of easy conversation and laughter. At some point, Cara lights candles, and Ryan dims the kitchen lights, and suddenly there’s a cake in front of me and everyone is smiling like this is the most natural thing in the world.
Marigold is warm and squirmy on my lap, fascinated by the tiny flames. I help her clap when they start singing, my cheeks aching from smiling. I lean forward and blow the candles out in one breath, the smoke curling up between us.
Jesse’s arm slides along the back of my chair, steady andsure. I settle into it without even thinking and he presses a soft kiss to my temple. My chest tightens in that quiet, overwhelming way that keeps sneaking up on me lately.
Across the table, Cara meets my eyes and smiles. I don’t know how to explain to her what Jesse and I are yet. I don’t even know if I have the right words for it myself. I’ll figure that out another day. Tonight, I just want to sit here with his arm around me, cake crumbs on my plate, my family around the table, and the feeling that I’m exactly where I want to be.
It’s my birthday. And this moment might be the best birthday present I could ever wish for.
Jesse kills the engine in front of my building and walks me up the stairs to my apartment door. It’s late after the long drive home and I can’t wait to crawl into bed. I insert my key into the lock, and before I can even step inside, he’s right behind me, removing his jacket and closing the door behind him.
I turn, lifting a brow. “What are you doing?”
