The later it got, the more I found I was actually enjoying my party. Sure, it wasn't ideal, or really what I would have planned myself at all, but it was still really fun. It was getting to be the evening now, and most people had begun to eat dinner, my choice from the wide variety being tacos. As I sat down, the Fosters followed, and for a moment it felt almost as though it was a dinner just with them, like how it could've been if I'd have been home with them right now. Even though I had no doubt that Jude would've still made it a big deal, I thought that it still would've been maybe a bit more personal, and surely not as big. It was a quick, light conversation, but as soon as it had begun, the table started to fill, and it ended.

As the last of the guests finished eating, Jude came from behind me, birthday cake in hand. He sat the cake down in front of me, before everybody started singing happy birthday, which I found to be the most awkward time of any birthday event. I mean, what are you supposed to do? Sing to yourself? That seems a bit self righteous. So you just sit back, and wait for it to be over, trying to decide who or what to look at. When the song ended, Robert cut and served the cake, and people redispersed around the yard.

I sat at a table close to the pool, eating a piece of expensive looking red velvet cake when Jude came and sat next to me.

"I don't think I can say it enough" I began, turning to him "but this is quite the party. I mean, a professional photographer. Really? You could've just hired me."

Jude laughed "Yeah, right, for your own birthday? Anyway, if you don't mind I've got one more little surprise."

"Another one?" I laughed, shaking my head as I stood up "You've really outdone yourself, kid. Well, lead the way."

Jude brought me to a more secluded area of the backyard, making me close my eyes as we got close. He told me where to walk so that I didn't run into or trip over anything, until I heard the sound of an air pump and Jude telling me to stop.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now."

I looked at Jude's surprise, and then back at him. "You got me a bounce house?!"

"Yeah. You're old birthdays were never complete without them." A smile spread across my face, quickly followed by a similar smile on Judes. We both hopped into the bounce house, and were soon accompanied by the rest of the Adams Fosters. There was something so freeing about being in there. It made me feel like a kid again. And Jude was right, it never used to be my birthday before without a bounce house. This reminded me of what it was like to have a family. A real family. It made me unexplainably happy, but again brought that wave of sadness. The sadness that came from the realization that no matter how happy I was with the Fosters right now, it wouldn't last. Because at the end of the day, I'd have to stay with the Quinns and I wouldn't get to go back to see the Fosters for at least another week.

I'm not sure how long I spent in jumping around, but it felt forever. People were constantly cycling in and out, some intruding just for a moment to say goodbye. But I was in there constantly, until my legs were tired and my eyes were heavy. I got out of the nearly empty bounce house, and sat with my back rested against it, putting my shoes on, when Aaron approached.

"Hey." He said, sitting down next to me while looking around.

"Hey."

"So, you really got a bounce house at your seventeenth birthday?"

"Yeah. Is that lame?"

"Uh, no, it's awesome. I'm pretty sure society thinks that you outgrow them when you're, like, 10, but how can you not find them fun?"

"Yeah, I guess." I laughed half-heartedly.

He looked at me, seeming slightly worried. "Is everything okay? Cause you don't seem as happy as most people would at a birthday party with a bounce house and buffet."

"Yeah, I'm fine… It's just, it's kind of a long story."

"It's a saturday night. I've got plenty of time. Uh, unless you don't. Again, it is your birthday."

"No, I don't have any currently pressing matters." I looked around "It looks like almost everybody's gone anyway."

"Alright, fire away. I'm all ears."

"Okay, well, when I was ten-"

"Hold on," he interrupted, chuckling "your story about why you're in a bad mood on your seventeenth birthday starts when you were ten? I was expecting a few days backstory, not seven years."

I gave him a look, letting him know that the topic wasn't exactly a laughing matter, which he quickly caught onto "Uh, sorry. I'll try not to interject anymore."

"Okay." I took a deep breath, before continuing. "When I was ten, my mom died. My dad was driving the car, he was drunk, he crashed, and ended up killing some people. So he went to jail."

Any smile left on Aaron's face was quickly dropped, as he looked down at the ground. "Oh. I- I'm sorry."

"Not your fault." I said shaking my head. "Anyway, there was no family to take Jude and me in, so we got put into foster care. It was about six years before we got placed with the Fosters, and they eventually decided that they wanted to adopt us. So we get everything in order. And the day that Jude and I were supposed to get adopted, the court finds out that Donald, the guy who I grew up with, who, for the past 16 years,I thought was my dad, isn't. At least not my biological Dad. Robert is. And so if I wanted to get adopted, I'd have to find Robert, get him to sign away his parental rights of whatever. And when we finally did get to him, he decided that he didn't want to. That he wanted a relationship with me and so he petitioned the court for custody, and now here I am, exactly where I don't want to be."

"Okay. I, uh, don't exactly understand. I mean, you guys share blood, what's so bad about having a relationship with him?"

"No, it's not that I don't want a relationship with him, I do. But I don't want to live with him. I want to live with the Fosters. I mean, they're my family. And Robert just- he isn't acknowledging that, like, at all."

Aaron nodded. "Alright. But if you don't want to live with Robert. Like, if you really don't… Have you thought about getting emancipated?"

"Yeah, but it's not like I have the money for a lawyer. Or the ability to do it without Robert finding out. I mean I'm staying with him almost all the time."

"Right, but if the Fosters want you with them, then they could probably help with the lawyer. And even if Robert does find out, it's not like he can do anything about it. I mean, if the judge believes that you're better off without him and can support yourself, then it's not up to him at all."

I took a moment to ponder. "You think that that'd actually work?"

"Yeah. I don't see any reason why it wouldn't."

Hello all, hope you're still enjoying the story. As always, I'm always open to suggestions.

On another note, I've been wanting to start a Fosters story set in the future (like 4-10 ish years) or with an OC, so if ya'll have any ideas for that I'd love to hear them. Have a wonderful day/night

Until next time, Potato Lover 2.0