El was surprised, too, but couldn’t be happier for Gabe.
Brad inched closer to Gabe. “Mom and I figured if we wanted to repair our relationships with you, we had to be nearby.”
“So you did this for me?”
“Yeah. You deserve it after how we treated you.”
Gabe grabbed his brother in a man hug and clapped his back before releasing him. “I’m glad you’re both here.”
“Okay, kids,” Reece called out from behind one of the main tables. “Time to get your goodie bags before you go.”
Pandemonium soon ensued as children grabbed the bags and parents claimed their children, all offering their thanks for the wonderful party. Lucy beamed at them all, but then suddenly sat on the bench, tears sparkling in her eyes.
Gabe was busy with helping families depart, so El sat next to Lucy. “Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?”
“I want Mommy.” She turned and buried her face in El’s stomach.
“It’s okay, honey. I understand, and I’m here for you.”
El stroked the child’s back until she quit sobbing and looked up. El grabbed tissues from her purse and handed one to Lucy. She swiped her eyes and blew her nose, the sound apparently catching Gabe’s attention. He picked his way between empty tables to get to them. The team was already packing things away as Gabe settled on the bench next to Lucy.
“You okay, princess?” he asked.
She wiggled her way onto his lap and put her arms around his neck. “I miss Mommy.”
“I miss her too, and it’s okay to be sad.”
She looked up at him. “Are you sad too?”
“Very,” he said, the one word carrying a wave of emotion.
El moved to leave them alone, but Gabe took her hand. “I’d like you to stay with us.”
“Of course.” She swallowed and gave him a smile.
Reece marched across the pavilion and stopped in front of them. “We’ve got everything packed up and ready to go. We’ll take Mrs. Z. back to the inn unless you want someone to stay.”
“No, thanks. Go ahead.”
Reece smiled at Lucy. “See you soon.”
The team carried everything off, their arms loaded with leftover snacks and drinks and all the birthday presents. Even Mrs. Z.’s lap was stacked with packages.
Gabe looked at Lucy. “I have a special surprise for you. Your mommy left a video for you. She recorded one to play every year on your birthday.”
Excitement washed the sadness from her face. “I wanna see it. I wanna see it now.”
Gabe reached behind to grab his iPad from the table.
El didn’t know if this showing was meant to be for the two of them only. She didn’t want to intrude so she started to get up, but he placed a hand on her knee.
Lucy looked at her. “This is a video from my mommy. She made it for my birthday.”
“That’s really special, sweetheart. Do you want to watch it alone with Gabe?”
“No.” She grabbed El’s hand and clung tight. “I want you to stay too. I want you to meet my mommy. She’s special and you’ll like her.”
“I know I will.” El tried not to cringe when Lucy talked about her mother in the present tense. She’d yet to really come to grips with the fact that her mother hadn’t just gone somewhere for a short time and wouldn’t come back.
