Author's Note: While I may not be the world's greatest writer, being a
graduate of a writing intensive English program has made me a stickler for
format. I originally wanted to tell this story from only Gracie's
perspective but realized, even before I tried to stay true to form, that
there were other things I needed to address and couldn't necessarily do
that. So instead of going back and changing everything I'm going to switch
perspectives every now and then, with the hopes that it makes the story
better and not worse. Thanks everyone for hanging in there. Keep reading
and enjoying.
Chapter Eight – Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
They entered the residence slowly, expecting an ambush; instead they found Molly on the couch, in the family room, watching television.
"Pierce called up a little while ago," Molly said watching them enter. "Something about the progressive energy bill... I dunno I was half asleep, anyways, my dad's down there with them and CJ's in the kitchen with your mom. They'll be up before nine... supposedly," Gracie smiled.
"Come on," she said grabbing Evan's hand and leading him out of the room. "We'll be right back Mol," she called behind her. Molly just grunted and returned to flipping channels.
"Graceland!" CJ shouted spinning around to face them when she saw Gracie and Evan enter the kitchen out of the corner of her eye.
"Claudia Jean," Gracie said smiling wide.
"Welcome back," CJ said smiling down at the small girl. "Your mom," she said turning to Mallory. "Was just telling me about Rome."
"I'm sure it's a good story," Gracie said walking further into the room, Evan in tow. Mallory smiled. "CJ, this is Evan," she finished proudly.
"Nice to meet you Ms. Cregg," Evan said shaking her hand. CJ smiled.
"Please," she said flushing slightly. "Call me CJ."
Evan nodded.
"What's cookin'?" Gracie asked taking a small piece of carrot off of the chopping block and popping it into her mouth.
"Well I've been working on the salad," CJ said admiring her own work, in the bowl on island in the middle of the kitchen. "And you're mother over here, the cooking over achiever, has made just about every favorite food of your or your fathers, that you can imagine."
"Macaroni and cheese?" Gracie asked getting excited.
"Yes," Mallory replied, stirring a pot on the top of the stove. "And Jed's famous chilli, as well as a couple dozen lemon pepper chicken breasts, stuffed mushrooms and peppers, some fresh bread, and," she lifted a towel off of the counter.
"More brownies," Gracie finished for her, with a smile. Gracie turned to Evan. "My mom makes the best brownies."
Evan smiled back.
"I bet."
"Any word from down below?" Mallory asked, turning back to the oven.
"Molly says sometime before nine," Gracie replied, again picking at the salad.
"Which means more like ten," CJ replied dully. "So glad I'm not there," she paused. "So Evan, what do you do?"
"I'll be starting law school at Georgetown in August," Evan replied nervously. "And I graduated from UCLA with a Political Science degree in May."
Long sentences, Gracie thought to herself, he's learning already.
"Is that where you're from?" CJ asked politely. "California?"
"No, right here actually. But UCLA gave me the funding so I went for it."
"I went to Berkley," CJ replied happily. "Sometimes I miss the west coast."
Evan smiled.
"It had its advantages... but there's no place like home."
CJ nodded.
"Yeah," she said happily looking around. "Home," she paused for a moment. "SO, tell me more about yourself," she began pouring herself a glass of wine. When Evan looked at her with concern she laughed a little and continued. "Not all of us are as harsh as Josh. It's not every day Gracie brings home a man from Italy. I'm just curious."
Evan smiled. And Gracie was happy that he seemed to be finally at ease. After talking for a few minutes longer, Gracie, Evan and CJ exited the kitchen and headed into the dining room to begin setting the table. That's when CJ started her less threatening than Josh, interrogation.
"So how'd you guys meet?" she asked, neither one of them in particular.
"I took a tour at the museum that Gracie was working at," Evan began. "My best friend and I had been in Italy just three days, in the midst of beginning research for a study we were helping a professor with, when we decided to take in some sights," he began laying down forks as he and Gracie made their way around the table, she with the napkins, he with the silverware. "Gracie was our tour guide... we just happened to stumble into the museum. If you saw her then, you'd think she belonged there, her accent was pretty much flawless and she spoke of all the pieces with such ease I thought for sure she was a native. I made some comment, to my friend, in English of course and I caught her laughing so then, when we stopped at a the next painting, I asked her a question and she responded so quickly in English that I had to immediately ask her out," Evan laughed.
"That night we watched the sunrise from the Spanish Steps," Gracie finished with a smile. "We talked for hours and I knew," she finished with a shrug of her shoulders.
CJ looked at them both, longing for the time when she had once been young and in love. CJ opened her mouth to ask another question but stopped when she heard the pounding of feet, coming their way from down the hall. In the manner of just sixty seconds, the senior staff had filled the room. First Josh with Donna following close on his heels, then Charlie, Zoey, Toby and Ryan. They entered the dining room, chatting about work, as they usually did, oblivious to their surroundings until finally CJ, who immediately made her way to Toby as he entered the room, demanded all of their attention.
"Hey!" CJ began, halting the, what would be, endless chatter. "Gracie has something she'd like to say."
They all stopped what they we're doing and turned their attention, across the table, towards her.
"Hi everybody," Gracie started with a smile. Everyone nodded with some sort of acknowledgement. "There's someone I'd like you to meet," she continued, grabbing Evan's hand and holding it tightly in hers. "This is my boyfriend Evan," she said turning towards him, still smiling widely. "Evan," she began, turning towards the crowd. "I'd like you to meet Toby Ziegler," Toby nodded extending his hand.
"Nice to meet you," Toby said in his usual Toby tone. "By the way Gracie," he smiled at her as he shook Evan's hand. "Welcome back."
"Likewise," Evan replied shaking back.
"Thank you," Gracie added, responding to Toby. "You already know CJ," she continued. "Donna Moss."
Donna smiled at him, nodding as they shook hands.
"You've already met Josh," Gracie commented rolling her eyes. Josh and Evan nodded knowingly to each other. "Then there's Charlie Young."
Evan and Charlie shook hands, exchanging pleasantries.
"And Zoey Bartlet."
"Your father is a great man," Evan commented, as Gracie introduced him to Zoey.
"Thank you," Zoey replied smiling.
"Ryan Pierce," Gracie proceeded.
"Just Pierce is fine," Ryan commented as they shook. Evan nodded.
"And..." Gracie trailed off when she realized that something was missing. "Where's my..." No sooner were the words out of her mouth, did her father appear, making a grand entrance through the double door way, Huck following close behind. "Father," Gracie finished smiling at him.
"Hi dad," she said pulling Evan with her as she went to greet him. They hugged and kissed briefly. "This is Evan," she said presenting her boyfriend to him. Evan stood for a moment awestruck.
"It's nice to meet you Evan," Sam said warmly. "Welcome to the White House."
"It's my pleasure to be here Sir," Evan said shaking his hand. When the exchange was finished Gracie grabbed Evan's hand once again and finished her introductions.
"And this," she said, pointing to her dear friend. "Is Huck," she finished with a smiled. Resisting the urge to throw him out the window, Huck stuck out his hand and the two shook.
"Where's your mother?" Sam asked turning to Gracie.
"Kitchen," Gracie replied, resisting the urge to laugh.
"Mallory!" Sam bellowed.
"It's almost done!" Mallory replied from the other side of the kitchen door. "Can I get some help in here?"
Within seconds, Donna, CJ, and Zoey were at Mallory's beck and call.
"Speaking of missing pieces," Toby began, holding the kitchen door open as the woman entered, each carrying an entrée of some sort. "Where's Molly?"
As soon as the words escaped his mouth, Molly appeared, looking as though she'd just woken up, in the doorway.
"Yanno," she said entering the room, in grand Molly manner. "No matter where I am, near or far, I am always drawn to the words of my father beckoning to me."
At this everyone laughed and soon scrambled to take his or her assigned, by habit only, places. At the head of the table was Sam to his right Mallory, with Huck, Molly, Toby, CJ and an empty seat to her right. Then Josh at the opposite end of Sam, with Donna on his left, followed by Pierce, Charlie, Zoey, Evan and then Gracie.
Dinner was casual, as to be expected for the White House Senior Staff who were known to be a close knit, if sometimes elitist group, who survived each other's weddings, children, political catastrophes, loss of loved ones and accomplishments with the same ease as any family in America. Gracie, always quick to follow with her sharp wit, noticed less than halfway through dinner that Evan hadn't been saying much. When he assured her it was just because he was taking some time to absorb it all, she smiled and continued to play off Molly, much as she had her entire life. When they finally got to dessert, the party was moved to one of the residence sitting rooms and Gracie and Evan offered to grab the brownies and other confectionary concoctions of Mallory's from the kitchen, to give themselves some time alone.
"You ok?" she asked Evan, as she filled, first his arms, with trays. He smiled, for a moment dazed, before replying.
"Yeah," he shook his head unable to resist a grin. "I'm content just taking it all in," he said leaning in for a kiss. This kissed, softly, sweetly, and when the kiss came to a natural end, Gracie was smiling.
"I think my dad likes you," Gracie responded humbly.
"I wouldn't go that far Gracie, all he did was shake my hand."
Gracie smirked.
"You don't know him like I do."
"You have a point, I'll give you that much, but least you forget, he did have time to speak to Josh."
"Please," Gracie began as they exited the kitchen. "You give Josh too much credit."
"You said it yourself, he's one of the great minds of his time."
"And he's JOSH!" Gracie added with a smirk. "He may be my father's chief of staff, but that doesn't mean my dad actually listens to him."
With that they both laughed as they entered the sitting room and were practically applauded as they set down the desserts.
Gracie trusted Evan with Molly as she went along the room, greeting everyone, taking on the position of hostess, a position she'd fallen into with ease since early childhood. She stood in a corner of the room, her back to the rest of the crowd, chatting with Charlie and CJ about a new privacy policy the administration was going to submit to Congress, when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder and a soft kiss on her cheek. She turned around and to her surprise found Toby, standing beside her. She smiled at him warmly.
"You've been missed," he said softly.
"Thank you," Gracie replied throwing her arms around his neck, in a hug. She closed her eyes. There was so much she wanted to say to him but couldn't. She had known Toby her entire life, his soft tone, his dire attention to detail, his overbearing intelligence, sometimes it was hard to take. But she loved him like she loved her father, like she loved Josh, with a warmth that only Huck and Molly could understand, for they had felt it too, for the others, of that she was certain. Of all of the important people she had met in her life, no one held any ground in comparison to Toby. She'd defended his books, practices, and teachings to anyone willing to listen and was nearly brought to tears every time. Yet, she always tore on, always with conviction. Toby was an idol, one of the many in the family, whom she looked up to with great respect. All of the things she loved about Toby, she also loved in Huck, which is what made their separation so hard. Which was why many words were left unsaid, and many conversations would be saved for another place and another time.
When Gracie opened her eyes, still in the lengthy embrace, she spotted Huck, hunched over in a corner, beer in his hand, laughing with Pierce. They locked eyes briefly and he smiled at her. That's when she remembered it was his twenty first birthday. Gracie pulled back, excused herself and made her way over to Huck, noticing as she did so, Evan on the other side of the room with her mother, her father nearing them slowly. Soon she'd rescue him.
"Happy Birthday," she said coming up beside Huck. He looked to her and smiled.
"Thank you," he replied softly.
"I'll be right back," Pierce said excusing himself. Gracie watched as he disappeared with Josh.
"I bet you thought I'd forgotten," Gracie said simply.
"I know you didn't."
Gracie shook her head.
"I didn't. I was just looking for the right moment you know?"
Huck nodded, looking around nervously.
"Yeah..." he paused. "What was going on over there with my dad?"
Gracie shrugged.
"He was welcoming me back. You know how he is."
Huck nodded again.
"Yeah," he sighed. "I do," he answered shifting his weight. Gracie couldn't help but notice how uncomfortable he looked, how he could barely meet her gaze.
"Are you ok?" she asked, wrapping her arms around herself, putting up her own guard. Huck shrugged.
"Define ok..." he said softly.
"Huck, I..." just then, the lights to the room flickered off and Josh appeared, followed by Pierce, carrying a large chocolate cake, candles and all. The chorus began.
"Happy birthday to you," the company sang in unison. "Happy birthday to you," Molly crossed over to her brother, smiling widely, she grabbed his hand. Gracie smiled at the two of them. "Happy birthday dearest Huck and Molly," Josh finally met them at the center of the room, with the cake, as everyone stood around beaming. "Happy birthday to you!" CJ finished the loudest adding her own long falsetto ending.
"On three?" Molly asked turning to Huck. He smiled and kissed her on the cheek.
"On three," he stated simply.
"One," Molly whispered.
"Two," Huck continued.
"Three," they said in unison then blew, extinguishing all twenty-one candles, plus one for good luck, at once.
"I have presents upstairs," Gracie whispered as everyone applauded and both of the twins nodded, basking in the joy of the moment. Gracie looked around the room, basking with them, and their family, when she spotted Evan, slightly out of the circle, and made a move towards him, as the twins cut the cake.
"Hi," she said grabbing his hand. She looked into his eyes, scrunching her face. "I forgot to tell you, it's their birthday."
"I actually knew that," Evan said tilting his head to one side. "Molly told me when you were out playing hostess with the mostest. She thought you guys had all forgotten."
"My best friends birthday?" Gracie asked in a high pitch squeal. "Never!"
Evan laughed.
"That's what I told her."
Gracie smiled, and grabbed his hand.
"Come on," she said leading him further into the circle. "Let's have some cake."
Chapter Eight – Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
They entered the residence slowly, expecting an ambush; instead they found Molly on the couch, in the family room, watching television.
"Pierce called up a little while ago," Molly said watching them enter. "Something about the progressive energy bill... I dunno I was half asleep, anyways, my dad's down there with them and CJ's in the kitchen with your mom. They'll be up before nine... supposedly," Gracie smiled.
"Come on," she said grabbing Evan's hand and leading him out of the room. "We'll be right back Mol," she called behind her. Molly just grunted and returned to flipping channels.
"Graceland!" CJ shouted spinning around to face them when she saw Gracie and Evan enter the kitchen out of the corner of her eye.
"Claudia Jean," Gracie said smiling wide.
"Welcome back," CJ said smiling down at the small girl. "Your mom," she said turning to Mallory. "Was just telling me about Rome."
"I'm sure it's a good story," Gracie said walking further into the room, Evan in tow. Mallory smiled. "CJ, this is Evan," she finished proudly.
"Nice to meet you Ms. Cregg," Evan said shaking her hand. CJ smiled.
"Please," she said flushing slightly. "Call me CJ."
Evan nodded.
"What's cookin'?" Gracie asked taking a small piece of carrot off of the chopping block and popping it into her mouth.
"Well I've been working on the salad," CJ said admiring her own work, in the bowl on island in the middle of the kitchen. "And you're mother over here, the cooking over achiever, has made just about every favorite food of your or your fathers, that you can imagine."
"Macaroni and cheese?" Gracie asked getting excited.
"Yes," Mallory replied, stirring a pot on the top of the stove. "And Jed's famous chilli, as well as a couple dozen lemon pepper chicken breasts, stuffed mushrooms and peppers, some fresh bread, and," she lifted a towel off of the counter.
"More brownies," Gracie finished for her, with a smile. Gracie turned to Evan. "My mom makes the best brownies."
Evan smiled back.
"I bet."
"Any word from down below?" Mallory asked, turning back to the oven.
"Molly says sometime before nine," Gracie replied, again picking at the salad.
"Which means more like ten," CJ replied dully. "So glad I'm not there," she paused. "So Evan, what do you do?"
"I'll be starting law school at Georgetown in August," Evan replied nervously. "And I graduated from UCLA with a Political Science degree in May."
Long sentences, Gracie thought to herself, he's learning already.
"Is that where you're from?" CJ asked politely. "California?"
"No, right here actually. But UCLA gave me the funding so I went for it."
"I went to Berkley," CJ replied happily. "Sometimes I miss the west coast."
Evan smiled.
"It had its advantages... but there's no place like home."
CJ nodded.
"Yeah," she said happily looking around. "Home," she paused for a moment. "SO, tell me more about yourself," she began pouring herself a glass of wine. When Evan looked at her with concern she laughed a little and continued. "Not all of us are as harsh as Josh. It's not every day Gracie brings home a man from Italy. I'm just curious."
Evan smiled. And Gracie was happy that he seemed to be finally at ease. After talking for a few minutes longer, Gracie, Evan and CJ exited the kitchen and headed into the dining room to begin setting the table. That's when CJ started her less threatening than Josh, interrogation.
"So how'd you guys meet?" she asked, neither one of them in particular.
"I took a tour at the museum that Gracie was working at," Evan began. "My best friend and I had been in Italy just three days, in the midst of beginning research for a study we were helping a professor with, when we decided to take in some sights," he began laying down forks as he and Gracie made their way around the table, she with the napkins, he with the silverware. "Gracie was our tour guide... we just happened to stumble into the museum. If you saw her then, you'd think she belonged there, her accent was pretty much flawless and she spoke of all the pieces with such ease I thought for sure she was a native. I made some comment, to my friend, in English of course and I caught her laughing so then, when we stopped at a the next painting, I asked her a question and she responded so quickly in English that I had to immediately ask her out," Evan laughed.
"That night we watched the sunrise from the Spanish Steps," Gracie finished with a smile. "We talked for hours and I knew," she finished with a shrug of her shoulders.
CJ looked at them both, longing for the time when she had once been young and in love. CJ opened her mouth to ask another question but stopped when she heard the pounding of feet, coming their way from down the hall. In the manner of just sixty seconds, the senior staff had filled the room. First Josh with Donna following close on his heels, then Charlie, Zoey, Toby and Ryan. They entered the dining room, chatting about work, as they usually did, oblivious to their surroundings until finally CJ, who immediately made her way to Toby as he entered the room, demanded all of their attention.
"Hey!" CJ began, halting the, what would be, endless chatter. "Gracie has something she'd like to say."
They all stopped what they we're doing and turned their attention, across the table, towards her.
"Hi everybody," Gracie started with a smile. Everyone nodded with some sort of acknowledgement. "There's someone I'd like you to meet," she continued, grabbing Evan's hand and holding it tightly in hers. "This is my boyfriend Evan," she said turning towards him, still smiling widely. "Evan," she began, turning towards the crowd. "I'd like you to meet Toby Ziegler," Toby nodded extending his hand.
"Nice to meet you," Toby said in his usual Toby tone. "By the way Gracie," he smiled at her as he shook Evan's hand. "Welcome back."
"Likewise," Evan replied shaking back.
"Thank you," Gracie added, responding to Toby. "You already know CJ," she continued. "Donna Moss."
Donna smiled at him, nodding as they shook hands.
"You've already met Josh," Gracie commented rolling her eyes. Josh and Evan nodded knowingly to each other. "Then there's Charlie Young."
Evan and Charlie shook hands, exchanging pleasantries.
"And Zoey Bartlet."
"Your father is a great man," Evan commented, as Gracie introduced him to Zoey.
"Thank you," Zoey replied smiling.
"Ryan Pierce," Gracie proceeded.
"Just Pierce is fine," Ryan commented as they shook. Evan nodded.
"And..." Gracie trailed off when she realized that something was missing. "Where's my..." No sooner were the words out of her mouth, did her father appear, making a grand entrance through the double door way, Huck following close behind. "Father," Gracie finished smiling at him.
"Hi dad," she said pulling Evan with her as she went to greet him. They hugged and kissed briefly. "This is Evan," she said presenting her boyfriend to him. Evan stood for a moment awestruck.
"It's nice to meet you Evan," Sam said warmly. "Welcome to the White House."
"It's my pleasure to be here Sir," Evan said shaking his hand. When the exchange was finished Gracie grabbed Evan's hand once again and finished her introductions.
"And this," she said, pointing to her dear friend. "Is Huck," she finished with a smiled. Resisting the urge to throw him out the window, Huck stuck out his hand and the two shook.
"Where's your mother?" Sam asked turning to Gracie.
"Kitchen," Gracie replied, resisting the urge to laugh.
"Mallory!" Sam bellowed.
"It's almost done!" Mallory replied from the other side of the kitchen door. "Can I get some help in here?"
Within seconds, Donna, CJ, and Zoey were at Mallory's beck and call.
"Speaking of missing pieces," Toby began, holding the kitchen door open as the woman entered, each carrying an entrée of some sort. "Where's Molly?"
As soon as the words escaped his mouth, Molly appeared, looking as though she'd just woken up, in the doorway.
"Yanno," she said entering the room, in grand Molly manner. "No matter where I am, near or far, I am always drawn to the words of my father beckoning to me."
At this everyone laughed and soon scrambled to take his or her assigned, by habit only, places. At the head of the table was Sam to his right Mallory, with Huck, Molly, Toby, CJ and an empty seat to her right. Then Josh at the opposite end of Sam, with Donna on his left, followed by Pierce, Charlie, Zoey, Evan and then Gracie.
Dinner was casual, as to be expected for the White House Senior Staff who were known to be a close knit, if sometimes elitist group, who survived each other's weddings, children, political catastrophes, loss of loved ones and accomplishments with the same ease as any family in America. Gracie, always quick to follow with her sharp wit, noticed less than halfway through dinner that Evan hadn't been saying much. When he assured her it was just because he was taking some time to absorb it all, she smiled and continued to play off Molly, much as she had her entire life. When they finally got to dessert, the party was moved to one of the residence sitting rooms and Gracie and Evan offered to grab the brownies and other confectionary concoctions of Mallory's from the kitchen, to give themselves some time alone.
"You ok?" she asked Evan, as she filled, first his arms, with trays. He smiled, for a moment dazed, before replying.
"Yeah," he shook his head unable to resist a grin. "I'm content just taking it all in," he said leaning in for a kiss. This kissed, softly, sweetly, and when the kiss came to a natural end, Gracie was smiling.
"I think my dad likes you," Gracie responded humbly.
"I wouldn't go that far Gracie, all he did was shake my hand."
Gracie smirked.
"You don't know him like I do."
"You have a point, I'll give you that much, but least you forget, he did have time to speak to Josh."
"Please," Gracie began as they exited the kitchen. "You give Josh too much credit."
"You said it yourself, he's one of the great minds of his time."
"And he's JOSH!" Gracie added with a smirk. "He may be my father's chief of staff, but that doesn't mean my dad actually listens to him."
With that they both laughed as they entered the sitting room and were practically applauded as they set down the desserts.
Gracie trusted Evan with Molly as she went along the room, greeting everyone, taking on the position of hostess, a position she'd fallen into with ease since early childhood. She stood in a corner of the room, her back to the rest of the crowd, chatting with Charlie and CJ about a new privacy policy the administration was going to submit to Congress, when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder and a soft kiss on her cheek. She turned around and to her surprise found Toby, standing beside her. She smiled at him warmly.
"You've been missed," he said softly.
"Thank you," Gracie replied throwing her arms around his neck, in a hug. She closed her eyes. There was so much she wanted to say to him but couldn't. She had known Toby her entire life, his soft tone, his dire attention to detail, his overbearing intelligence, sometimes it was hard to take. But she loved him like she loved her father, like she loved Josh, with a warmth that only Huck and Molly could understand, for they had felt it too, for the others, of that she was certain. Of all of the important people she had met in her life, no one held any ground in comparison to Toby. She'd defended his books, practices, and teachings to anyone willing to listen and was nearly brought to tears every time. Yet, she always tore on, always with conviction. Toby was an idol, one of the many in the family, whom she looked up to with great respect. All of the things she loved about Toby, she also loved in Huck, which is what made their separation so hard. Which was why many words were left unsaid, and many conversations would be saved for another place and another time.
When Gracie opened her eyes, still in the lengthy embrace, she spotted Huck, hunched over in a corner, beer in his hand, laughing with Pierce. They locked eyes briefly and he smiled at her. That's when she remembered it was his twenty first birthday. Gracie pulled back, excused herself and made her way over to Huck, noticing as she did so, Evan on the other side of the room with her mother, her father nearing them slowly. Soon she'd rescue him.
"Happy Birthday," she said coming up beside Huck. He looked to her and smiled.
"Thank you," he replied softly.
"I'll be right back," Pierce said excusing himself. Gracie watched as he disappeared with Josh.
"I bet you thought I'd forgotten," Gracie said simply.
"I know you didn't."
Gracie shook her head.
"I didn't. I was just looking for the right moment you know?"
Huck nodded, looking around nervously.
"Yeah..." he paused. "What was going on over there with my dad?"
Gracie shrugged.
"He was welcoming me back. You know how he is."
Huck nodded again.
"Yeah," he sighed. "I do," he answered shifting his weight. Gracie couldn't help but notice how uncomfortable he looked, how he could barely meet her gaze.
"Are you ok?" she asked, wrapping her arms around herself, putting up her own guard. Huck shrugged.
"Define ok..." he said softly.
"Huck, I..." just then, the lights to the room flickered off and Josh appeared, followed by Pierce, carrying a large chocolate cake, candles and all. The chorus began.
"Happy birthday to you," the company sang in unison. "Happy birthday to you," Molly crossed over to her brother, smiling widely, she grabbed his hand. Gracie smiled at the two of them. "Happy birthday dearest Huck and Molly," Josh finally met them at the center of the room, with the cake, as everyone stood around beaming. "Happy birthday to you!" CJ finished the loudest adding her own long falsetto ending.
"On three?" Molly asked turning to Huck. He smiled and kissed her on the cheek.
"On three," he stated simply.
"One," Molly whispered.
"Two," Huck continued.
"Three," they said in unison then blew, extinguishing all twenty-one candles, plus one for good luck, at once.
"I have presents upstairs," Gracie whispered as everyone applauded and both of the twins nodded, basking in the joy of the moment. Gracie looked around the room, basking with them, and their family, when she spotted Evan, slightly out of the circle, and made a move towards him, as the twins cut the cake.
"Hi," she said grabbing his hand. She looked into his eyes, scrunching her face. "I forgot to tell you, it's their birthday."
"I actually knew that," Evan said tilting his head to one side. "Molly told me when you were out playing hostess with the mostest. She thought you guys had all forgotten."
"My best friends birthday?" Gracie asked in a high pitch squeal. "Never!"
Evan laughed.
"That's what I told her."
Gracie smiled, and grabbed his hand.
"Come on," she said leading him further into the circle. "Let's have some cake."
