85

"Dad," Alice says, busting into my office. "You gotta talk to Bella. She's going crazy."

"LIAR!" Bella calls up the stairs.

"What's going on?" I ask, closing my laptop so I can give her my full attention. I've been working from home part time for a couple weeks now, and it's not without its complications. Sometimes, I go into the office just to actually get work done.

Her green eyes roll. "She's trying to plan our birthday party."

I nod because this is nothing new.

Alice continues talking slowly, so I'll understand the point. "She just told me that she wants to get us a petting zoo for the backyard."

Again? "Like a real petting zoo?"

She nods. "We're turning seventeen, not seven. Ang and I have agreed that we want something small, but your vampire is losing her marbles."

"AM NOT!" Bella yells again.

I smile.

"This isn't funny, Dad."

"It is. You love a wonderful celebration and having everyone's full attention on you," I remind her. "Why can't you let Bella have her fun?"

Alice is now looking at me like I'm the one going crazy. She doesn't realize that I'm just playing with her. This isn't the first time she or Angela have come to me, begging me to rein Bella in on her party planning. So far, we've argued over the petting zoo, which Mom squashed the idea of. I talked her out of renting out an entire movie theater so they could watch a marathon of their favorite movies. I convinced her that the girls don't need their own individual celebrations. I can only do so much.

"Dad," Alice cries. "Please do something."

"I'll try, but you know how important this is for Bella. She wants it to be perfect."

"I get that, but she needs to make it age appropriate. If she gets us a bounce house, I'm running away."

Bella pops into the room, moving to sit on my lap with a pitiful pout. "I haven't celebrated a birthday in fifty-two years. Excuse me if I want to do something special for my best girls."

Alice tells me to talk her down and storms out of the room, muttering about goats and horses.

"Baby, I thought we talked about the petting zoo?" I ask, squeezing her hip. "Are we back on that?"

Bella just chuckles and shakes her head. "No, I figured if I started with something stupid again you'd change your mind about where you stand with me wanting to buy them new cars."

I sigh, and she's quick to continue.

"They'll be seniors, and Rabbit doesn't want to share her parking spot with Ali." Bella's pout is back, and I have to look away before I cave. "She even asked me if she could borrow my car for school. If I get them both cars, then they can have their own spots. It's their last year of high school, and I want it to be special for them."

Her fingers braid into the hair on the back of my neck, tugging because she knows I like it.

"Bella," I warn, but she leans in, latching on my pulse point before moving up to my ear.

"If you let me buy them cars for their birthday, I'll do that thing you like," she whispers, making me shiver in pleasure.

"I like all the things."

She giggles. "Fine, let me buy them cars, and I'll be your slave for twenty-four hours. Let me rent their parking spots, and I'll figure out how to get them out of the house so you can take full advantage of your day."