I've been to many bowling parties and I don't mean to brag, but it's one sport I'm not terrible in. I'm way better at in on the Wii.

Photo #14: Kaden's Strike

The only thing Eadlyn despises about the next photo is that it involves bowling.

She hated every moment of it. Everything from the smelly rental shoes to the germ-filled bowling balls to the greasy food and the polluted bathroom made her miserable on Kaden's birthday when they rented a whole bowling alley.

However, she loved the excitement everyone had on that day. It was a moment where they didn't have to be royal. There weren't any meetings to attend or anyone to impress - they were just themselves. She loved the laughs they shared and the smiles everyone wore.

The photo she sees is a side-profile of her mother with her hands on Kaden's shoulders. Kaden stands in front of a bowling lane with a ball in his hands, looking out towards the pins. Her mother has her hands on Kaden's shoulders and is leaning forwards with her head beside Kaden's, whispering in his ear.

-o-

"Oh, come on Eadlyn!" Ahren exclaims as his twin's ball rolls down the gutter.

Eadlyn rolls her eyes as she drags her feet in the disgusting rental shoes. She sits beside her parents at a table, on Ahren's jacket, and swipes the table with her hand before resting her head on her elbow. Her parents sit across from her sharing a plate of chilli fries and a soda.

"Lighten up, love," Maxon encourages. "It's your brother's birthday."

"I hate bowling," Eadlyn grumbles.

"And you're bad at it," Kile pipes from across the room. "But hey, that's good for us."

Eadlyn rolls her eyes.

For Kaden's birthday, his parents rented out an entire bowling alley. They all decided to play a game of The Schreaves vs. The Woodworks (with the additions of Aspen and Lucy so the teams would be even). The losing team would get their slices of birthday cake last, with the exception of Kaden, of course. The Woodworks were winning by a landslide mostly because of Eadlyn's inability to knock down the pins. America and Maxon only cared about their kids having fun so they didn't care about being losers, but their sons disagreed.

"C'mon, Kaden," Ahren pleads. "We need this strike to help us."

"Yeah, I want cake," Osten adds.

The two of them glare at Eadlyn who couldn't care less. America rubs her daughter's shoulders in a comforting way.

"Boys," America says to them. "Play nice."

"But I want cake," Osten argues.

Maxon laughs to himself as him and America get up to approach their boys. Maxon pulls Ahren and Osten to the side leaving America with Kaden. America stands behind Kaden and puts her hands on his shoulders. She leans down and quickly kisses her son on the cheek.

"Happy Birthday," America whispers to her son. "I believe you can get the strike, but it doesn't really matter. You're the birthday boy and you get your slice of cake first. Eadlyn can get her piece last."

Kaden smiles which makes his mother smile. Maxon quickly snaps the picture from the sideline, even though him and his other sons didn't hear what America said to Kaden. America lightly claps her son's shoulders as she stands beside Maxon.

Kaden holds the bowling ball in his hands. He looks at the ten pins at the other end and takes a breath to calm his nerves. Kaden winds back and throws the ball forwards. He anxiously brings his hands to his mouth as he watches the ball travel down the lane. His family does the same. When the ball knocks down all ten pins, Kaden cheers as he jumps into his dad's arms. America gives her son another kiss as the two other brothers jump for joy. Even from her seat at the table, Eadlyn cracks a smile.

Eadlyn is literally me at social gatherings and Osten is me in any situation.

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