Unlike the year before, the theme to the Swanson triplets' eighth birthday was not an argument. While all three of them had wanted a pool party, they knew that in the middle of winter, that was never going to happen. So the three, huddled together in the basement in a manner that terrified their parents, decided on Flip Out. Benji and Katie had taken them once before, when they were only four years old, and they'd loved it.
So Flip Out it was.
"This is gonna be the best day ever!" Molly shouted from the top of the stairs, a week before their birthday. School was finished for the year, their birthday party was at Flip Out, and Christmas was right around the corner. She couldn't see anything wrong with the day.
"Harry and Daniel are here!" Toby shrieked from downstairs, having ripped open the front door only seconds earlier. "This is gonna be the first year ever you're not here Aunt Aubrey. You too, Uncle Michael".
"I know guys, we're sorry". Michael ruffled Toby's hair gently. "But we really can't get out of this Christmas do- we will be there tonight for dinner and on your actual birthday".
"That's okay". Jack shrugged.
"You'll just have to make the extra effort next year", Beca almost chuckled. "Alright, jackets, shoes, who's ready to go? Who's not wearing a jacket or shoes?"
None of her kids were wearing jackets or shoes. She didn't know what she expected.
"I'm so excited!" Harry laughed, as he put his seatbelt on. "This is gonna be the best day ever! I've never been to Flip Out before, you know Aunt Beca?"
"Really?"
"Yeah", Daniel agreed.
"We went with Uncle Benji and Aunt Katie, right Mum?" Molly said, leaning forward a little. "They took us to Flip Out".
"They did", Beca confirmed. "And a kid had a birthday here, didn't they?"
"That was Joel".
"I thought you didn't like Joel", Jesse commented.
"No, that's Joshua", Jack corrected. "And he just doesn't like Toby".
"So we don't like him".
It was an unspoken truth among the kids- if one of them didn't like someone, then none of them did. It was something that had been passed down from their parents, something that Beca and Jesse found borderline amusing.
"Can we go yet?" Toby begged. "All our friends are here!"
"That's not entirely true", Jesse objected, and Beca waved her hand at him.
"Go".
And Toby lead the way, tripping over his feet in his excitement to get to the trampolines.
"Be careful!" Katie called after them in alarm, as Toby jumped right into a somersault. "If any of your kids are going to break their neck, Beca, it's going to be him".
"Remember he's the only one to break a bone so far", Jesse said brightly. "We were taking bets to see how long it takes".
Beca knew that it was sentences like that that made their friends question their parenting abilities. But there were some things that needed to be betted on, and the amount of time that it would take a kid to break a bone in their house was definitely one of them.
"She's a monkey!" Stacie said in amazement, as Molly bounced right into a backflip.
"It's all that dancing", Beca agreed. "She's got a competition coming up too, did I tell you Jess?"
"Yeah, aren't you taking Abigail as well?"
"We are".
"Their friendship is awesome", Chloe voiced. "Every little girl needs a best friend. Who was your best friend, Bec?"
"I didn't have friends that were girls", Beca shrugged.
"Well you, my friend, missed out".
"What's Toby doing?" Donald wanted to know. "He's gonna break his neck".
"He's jumping into a foam pit, he's fine".
"You're very calm".
"I've got triplets, I have to be calm".
"That is the kid that we're going to have to bail out of jail one day", Jesse said fondly. "Just like his mother".
"Jesse!"
"Yeah Shawshank!" Fat Amy giggled. "God that was a good night".
"Everyone liked that night".
"Except Kimmy Jin".
"Well everyone hated Kimmy Jin too".
"I never understood why she hated you", Benji commented.
"Because I breathed".
"No, because she said she was her friend", Chloe chuckled.
"Alright, let's all move on from that".
"My personal favourite story from Barden was how Chloe managed to convince Beca to be a Bella", Tom noted.
"That's my favourite too", Fat Amy nodded.
"How have I never heard that story?" Katie said in amazement. "Benji!"
"What?" Benji defended himself. "It's not my fault you missed the memo".
"I broke into her shower, whatever". Chloe shrugged nonchalantly. "A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do to get a voice like that to audition. And that's how we became friends". Chloe winked at Beca and the brunette rolled her eyes. "Aw, there's the Beca I know".
"You're a freak, you know that?" Beca said sweetly. "You're an honest to God freak".
"Don't talk that way around my unborn baby", Donald said defensively, patting Lily's belly.
"Is he serious?" Fat Amy snorted. "I remember you telling Connor that he better fuckin' prepares himself for his parents".
"That was your".
"Oh right".
Ryan shook his head in amusement- it didn't matter how long he had known the group of friends, there were always going to be stories that he had missed.
"Guys!" Fat Amy hollered through cupped hands. "Get off the trampoline, its LUNCHTIME!"
Chicken fingers and French fries were the lunch of choice from the triplets, so they were being served in bulk. Troops of children bounced their way to the tables, laughing among themselves.
"Hey Mum, did you see my flip?" Molly wanted to know, as Chloe helped pass around their lunches.
"I did, very nice", Beca said, putting a plate down in front of Abigail.
"I hope Miss Emma and Miss Blake let me do a flip at dancing!"
"I doubt it kid", Jesse laughed, passing around cups of soda.
Fat Amy waved a fry around, before pointing it at Stacie. "How much do you want to bet I could mermaid dance my way across the room?"
"No, no bets at my kids' birthday", Jesse interrupted.
"He doesn't think you could do it".
"Oh, I could do it!"
Abigail laughed, as Jesse raised an eyebrow at his friend.
"Donald".
"Alright, alright". Donald sighed, biting into a chicken finger. "You're not as fun anymore".
"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Jack, Molly and Toby!" the kids sang, the triplets aunts' and uncles' joining in loudly and off key. "Happy birthday to you!"
The three of them blew out the eight candles, before Jesse carefully passed them the knife. The three of them gripped the handle tight, slicing through the ice cream cake.
"Did you make a wish?" Aaron wanted to know, leaning closer towards them.
"Don't tell!" Scott shrieked.
"Yeah, it won't come true!" Abigail joined in.
As cheesy as it was, all Jesse wanted was another year of happy, healthy children. And although Beca, as cheesy as he knew she was, would never admit it, she wanted the same thing.