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Chapter 7
Thanks to having access to all sorts of information, Leia had been able to determine what Han's exact date of birth was. It was in the middle of summer, and being on vacation was, at least in the children's minds, was the best time of all for a celebration.
Jaina and Leia went shopping for kavasa tarts; they were one of the few sweets Han enjoyed. There were plenty of bakeries, and they went from one to another and sampled from each store until they'd found the perfect ones.
"Dad's gonna be so happy," Jaina said cheerfully as they walked back to the beach house. "Even if he's real old."
"Honey, your dad is only going to be forty-six, and trust me, that's not old," Leia scolded her gently. "And if you tell him that, you're on your own."
"How are we gonna get forty-six candles on twelve tarts?" Jaina asked.
"We'll figure it out," Leia assured her. "Now let's get some ice dots and some more of his favorite ale, and then we're done."
"Can't we try out some more pastries? We didn't have anything chocolate!" Jaina appealed.
Leia paused for a moment. "You're right. We haven't had anything chocolate. Let's get some lava cake."
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There was a huge banner the kids had made that screamed 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!' hanging off at least half the available wall space in the living room, so that Han saw it every time he walked through there.
The whole birthday thing was disconcerting to Han. For the longest time, he knew he'd been born in the summertime, but he had no idea as to the real date, until Leia had found it.
'
When he was young, he swore that if he ever found out his actual birthdate, he would drink himself senseless. There was no one who had cared enough for him to celebrate it with. But all that had changed when he met a certain princess.
What it really was, he realized, was that the party was for the kids. They loved celebrating birthdays, each other's, their parents, aunt's, uncle's, and friends.' He knew how happy it made his children to be able to enjoy it, and he was determined to do the same.
Jarik had grown tired, and Han put him in for a nap. He didn't like dragging his older sons out of the water, but he didn't have a choice, since he had to stay inside with the baby.
"You guys up for some sabacc?" He asked Anakin and Jacen.
"Sure, but do we have to let you win 'cause it's your birthday?" Anakin asked teasingly.
"You especially don't have to let me win because it's my birthday," Han assured them. "Anakin, your deal."
Anakin was growing very fond of the game. That should probably worry me a little, Han thought-but it was vacation, the stakes were small, and it was fun.
It occurred to Han that he'd probably spent more time with his sons in the past three weeks than he had in the three previous months. Normally, it was homework and baths and toys all over the place and getting everyone to meals when they were served.
He'd forgotten what great people his sons really were. Jaina was learning to pilot, so she got the lion's share of his free time–and there wasn't much of it. He'd have to remember to take time with them.
It didn't hurt that their sabacc skills were improving rapidly, but the best part was finding out what the kids liked, disliked, and thought about- things he tended to miss because his and Leia's lives were so busy.
He was wondering what Leia was thinking at this point. She hadn't said much about what would happen after their vacation; she was determined to stay in the present and love every moment of family time. He'd have to call for Brendahl and get Leia out for another dinner with just the two of them.
"So Dad, you're forty-six," Anakin said.
"Don't remind me," Han muttered, looking at the hand he'd been dealt.
"Is that old?" Anakin asked.
"People have died for less," Han warned him.
"Anakin! Dad's not old!" Jacen chided him.
"You said he was," Anakin pointed out.
"Did not!"
"Okay, guys, knock it off, or you won't like what happens," Han warned them.
Jacen groaned slightly. "Fold."
Anakin grinned.
"Okay, guys, this is important," Han told them. "Every player has what's called a 'tell.' What it is, it's how other players can figure out what you're holding. It's important to get that under control."
"Why?" Jacen asked skeptically.
"Because you never want to let the opposition know what you've got. Jacen, you always look upset when you've got a bad hand. You frown. Anakin, you get bad cards and you're fine, but get a good hand, and you might as well shout it to the entire galaxy. You need to learn to cultivate a neutral expression."
"What's a neutral expression?" Anakin asked.
"One where you don't smile, or frown, where you don't make any noises at all."
"Can we breathe?" Jacen asked his father with more than a few notes of inherited sarcasm.
"Just do it quietly," Han responded dryly.
"So...how do you do that?" Jacen asked, some annoyance in his voice.
"You practice. You've folded for this hand. I could tell that before you even said it. Anakin, no doubt, thinks he's got a hand that could beat mine."
Anakin put his cards out. Nineteen.
Han followed suit. Seventeen.
"Now stay quiet, don't get excited, just keep it calm," Han told him.
"Y'know, Dad, I'm not planning on being a gambler when I grow up," Jacen told him.
"I'm glad to hear that, but this is how you play the game."
"I wanna be a gambler. What's a gambler?" Anakin asked.
"When you play games for money."
"Uncle Luke says I have to be a Jedi knight," Jacen complained.
"Uncle Luke says a lot of things. Okay, we're playing another hand."
The door opened, with Leia and Jaina carrying heavy shopping bags.
"You're gonna have a great birthday lunch!" Jaina announced happily. She then looked over at the table. "Can I play?"
"Sure, we'll deal you in," Han told her.
Leia smiled as she watched them playing with Han. Who would have ever guessed that the uncommitted smuggler would have embraced the largest commitments life had to offer? And embrace them he did. Literally, and figuratively.
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After Jarik woke up, the family enjoyed a birthday lunch of nerfburgers, grilled tubers, kavasa tarts, chocolate lava cake, and some chocolate truffles that Leia adored. Jaina had talked her into buying them, and it was an unwritten rule that the Solo children must be hopped up on sweets for it to be a real birthday celebration. There were plenty of homemade cards from the kids, and Leia knew that he stored every single card they'd ever made him in one of the spice smuggling bins.
Leia informed the kids that she and their father were going to take a short walk along the beach.
"But we wanna go swimming!" Jaina complained.
"We're not going to be gone long," Leia told them. Neither of the adults were in their swimwear. Han was clad in a dark shirt and some baggy shorts that went below his knees, and Leia was wearing a loose shirt and a sarong. "And no one goes near the water until we're back. Understood?"
Jacen was playing with Jarik, and Jaina and Anakin relieved their disappointment by playing Grand Theft Star Destroyer: Smugglers' Moon. They'd brought it on the trip and it had barely been touched. And it wouldn't hurt them to be out of the sun for a while. It would be a short walk; Leia had other things planned for later that as of this point, Han had no idea about. It brought a sly smile to her lips, knowing that he was bound to like it. A lot.
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"How does this birthday rate?" Leia asked Han playfully as they walked along the shore, his arm around her shoulders, hers around his waist. They claimed they were a perfect fit, and anyone watching would have been loath to disagree.
"Well, considering that last year I was taking you and your delegation to an emergency meeting on Dantooine and I ended up getting disgustingly drunk, I think this one is pretty good." He winked at her. "Actually, it's a lot better than pretty good." He pulled Leia in a little closer.
"Believe me, I didn't blame you for getting drunk; I wish I could have done the same," Leia said to him. "That had to be one of the worst missions I've experienced in my entire career, and I've had plenty of bad ones. I'd been hoping we could get away for a romantic dinner, but with Mon Mothma insisting we had to keep the delegation together, it didn't exactly go the way I'd planned."
"Yeah, well, at least I could have stayed sober." Their eyes met and they both said, "Naah!" They laughed as they walked along the wet sand, the warm water lapping their ankles. "You're lucky I didn't shove them out into a black hole."
"I almost wish you had," Leia said. "I've been thinking."
"Unlike me, you're very good at that," Han said, smiling.
"Oh, shut up! I'm being serious." Leia turned her head to look up at her husband.
"So are you going to tell me what you're thinking?"
"Well...I haven't made any major decisions yet."
"But you are thinking of making one," Han perceived correctly.
"What I'm thinking came from something that the twins said to me," Leia went on. "They said, so teach someone else to do your job. And it was so obvious that I never considered it."
Han listened intently as they walked.
"I want to grow a new generation of diplomats. More and more worlds are democratically electing leaders and abandoning royalty, and I personally think that's a positive trend. But royal and noble families are traditionally where the diplomatic corps were drawn from, and they were educated for that job, that life. It's a whole new galaxy, Han. And it's time to move forward."
"I think it's a great idea," Han told her sincerely.
"I think it would have to be university level education, but I could design a curriculum. Don't forget that my mother was the minister of education on Alderaan." She smiled at the memory. "It would take a few years. But I'm thinking that that's my exit strategy."
"That's a great idea. Especially since none of our kids are particularly diplomatic," Han laughed. "Seriously, I think you've seen the future. You've done more than any hundred sentients to build this New Republic. You have a lot of experience to share, and you can give them the same gift you gave me a long time ago."
Leia frowned a bit, puzzled by his comment.
He smiled at her. "You gave me the future."
