Danny straightens, and I catch the smile on his face. The genuine joy. This man who once told me he didn't deserve happiness, who thought he'd never have a family of his own, is surrounded by people who love him.
Our family.
"Danny!" Archie toddles over, Chloe following close behind to make sure he doesn't face-plant. He's fourteen months now, just a few months older than Leo, and already obsessed with Danny the way little boys always seem to be. "Up! Up!"
Danny scoops him up easily. "Hey, buddy. You having fun?"
Archie babbles something incomprehensible and pats Danny's face enthusiastically.
"I think that's a yes," Rampage says, appearing with his arm around Chloe's waist. "Thanks for inviting us. Archie's been talking about 'Da-Da-Danny' all week."
"Anytime," I say. "We're glad you could make it."
Chloe smiles at me. We've gotten close over the past three years. Two women who fell in love with fighters everyone else was afraid of. Who saw past the violence to the men underneath. She gets it in a way most people don't.
"How's married life treating you?" she asks, nodding at the simple gold band on my left hand.
I look at my ring. We got married six months ago in a small ceremony at the courthouse with just our closest people there and feel that same flutter I felt when Danny asked me. When he got down on one knee in our bedroom after putting both kids to bed and said he wanted to make it official. Wanted everyone to know I was his and he was mine.
"It's perfect," I say honestly.
"Good. You both deserve it." Chloe squeezes my hand. "Rampage and I have been talking about making it official too. Maybe next year."
"You should. It's worth it."
Danny's still holding Archie, but his eyes find mine across the room. Even with kids and chaos and cake everywhere, he looks at me like I'm the only person who exists. Like I'm everything.
I mouth *I love you*.
He grins and mouths it back.
"Okay!" Daisy announces loudly. "It's present time now, right? Please say it's present time!"
"Let's do cake first," I say. "Then presents."
We gather around Leo in his high chair. Danny sets Archie down and moves to stand behind our son, his big hands gentle on Leo's tiny shoulders. I stand beside them, and Daisy crowds in close, not wanting to miss anything.
Everyone starts singing happy birthday: off-key and enthusiastic and Leo looks around at all these people singing to him with this expression of pure wonder. When we get to his name, Danny's voice cracks slightly with emotion.
He's been like this all day. Overwhelmed by the fact that we have a son. That this little boy exists because we exist. That he's a father, something he never thought he'd be, never thought he deserved to be.
But he's incredible at it. Patient and gentle and so full of love it sometimes makes me cry just watching him with our kids.
We finish singing and everyone claps. Leo claps too, even though he has no idea what's happening, and everyone laughs.
"Make a wish, big guy," Danny says softly, leaning down to kiss the top of Leo's head.
"He can't wish yet, Daddy," Daisy says. "He's only one."
"Then we'll wish for him. What should we wish?"
Daisy thinks very seriously about this. "That he grows up strong like you and nice like Mama."
Danny's eyes meet mine again. "That's a perfect wish."
He helps Leo blow out the single candle, which is mostly Danny blowing while Leo watches, and everyone cheers again.
As I cut cake and hand out pieces, as Daisy presents her gift to her baby brother (a stuffed dragon that matches her rabbit), as our apartment fills with laughter and love and the beautiful chaos of family, I think about how far we've come.
