“I have no idea what that means, but it sounds important.” I grab onto her and start jumping again. Of course, they join in. “This is so fucking cool.”
This time our jumping ends in a firm hug, all three of us crunched together.
“Thank you,” she whispers, and I don’t miss the emotion in her voice.
“I didn’t tell him to do this.”
“No, but you’ve done everything else. You pursued him and look what it’s turned into.”
“And you always take care of us,” Chrissy adds.
I ignore the tears in my eyes.
Five of Chrissy’s friends show up for her party, which is not bad at all. They’re sitting in the living room watching a scary movie, eating junk food and drinking soda. I have no idea what kind of homes these kids come from, but they feel like good kids.
I’ve never seen Chrissy so happy. And trust me, I keepseeingher because she’s sitting very close to a boy who looks like he gets a lot of girls’ attention in school. The friend he showed up with also looks like the same kind of kid, and if this turns into one of those awful scenes from those teenage 80s movies, like with someone asking her to prom and then leaving her hanging, I will murder them both and hide their bodies somewhere no one will find them.
“Cassius,” Harmon says softly. “Stop growling.”
I look at him, narrowing my eyes. “I’m not growling.”
“Actually, you are,” Cammy says with a laugh. “And it’s your turn.”
I bring my attention back to the cards on the table. There’s a red five on the top now, and I don’t have any red cards. But I do have a five in yellow, so I slap that on top, then bring my attention back to the kids. They erupt into laughter at whatever is happening on the TV, which is weird considering I thought it was a horror, but tomy horror, that boy leans closer to Chrissy.
“He’s way too close,” I say.
“Cass, you better knock it off,” Cammy chastises. “Seriously, leave her alone. It’s not like they’re going to start making out right there in front of everyone.”
“You don’t know that.”
Harmon chuckles and puts down a yellow +2.
I give him a dirty look before picking up my two cards.
We moved the dining table and chairs into the inner-living room so we could keep eyes on them. We’ve been playing card games while they watch movies, giving them some distance but not too much.
Of course I lose every game because I am not paying attention. But thankfully Chrissy gets up and announces everyone is ready for cake.
Harmon, Cammy, and I get everything we need together while the kids file around the table, letting Chrissy sit.
Cammy gets the candles in the cake, lights them, and I carry it out of the kitchen and to the kids. We all singHappy Birthdayto Chrissy. I’ve never seen her face light up the way it does when I put the cake down in front of her. It’s plain, decorated in black and teal with gold lettering—the colors she chose for her theme. She makes a silent wish and blows out the candles. We clap and cheer. I fight tears in my eyes as I glance at Harmon, who is watching her with such fondness that it makes it almost impossible not to shed a tear.
Cammy asks Chrissy if she wants to cut the cake, but she declines, so Cammy does and passes out a piece to everyone. The kids chat and laugh, while the three of us adults stand to the side, eating our cake and watching them.
This is… so nice. It’s normal and just fucking nice.
When the kids are done eating cake, Chrissy wants to open gifts. She gets gift cards from most of them, except for that onekid. The one who was sitting next to her. He gets her a pair of earrings.
Her fucking ears aren’t even pierced.
I’ll give it to him though—he does look ashamed of not knowing. But Chrissy laughs and says, “It’s okay. I was thinking of getting them pierced, anyway.”
Even though, no… she was not.
I shake my head and roll my eyes. “Someone needs to tell this girl not to change for boys.”
“Yep, I’ll get right on thatMister part of being a parent is letting your kids make their own mistakes.”