PART 3
In the afternoon
"Hey Sydney! Happy birthday!" Will entered the house with Francie and their two kids in tow.
"Thanks Will! Hey Francie" she greeted her best friend for years now right after she finished hugging her husband.
"Happy birthday Sydney" Francie cheered and handed her the gift she had brought.
"Thanks Francie! Hey Thomas" She fingered through the oldest boy's hair who looked shyly up at Sydney "You can go, I think the boys are still upstairs" she told him, knowing he would be in a better company with her children than with the grown-ups right now. She bent down to the ground and lifted Francie's youngest daughter up in the air "Hello Kelsey. How are you today sweetheart?"
She just nodded "She's a little shy I guess" Francie explained while straightening the little girls braids "But you'll see, once she gets to know you again she'll be all over you, right sweetie?" Francie touched her daughter's cheeks.
"Come on let's go to Vaughn, he's in the living room and still getting the table ready" She took the guests coats and hung them up on the coat hanger before showing them into the large living room.
They entered the room and Sydney set the gift on the table. She saw that Vaughn and Will were already having a conversation about whatever, men stuff apparently, while Kelsey didn't really know what to do and stayed clutched at her mother's leg.
"Do you want to go play with the boys?" Sydney asked wondering when Christina was going to come with her children so that Kelsey wasn't feeling alone anymore. The girl nodded her head and sprinted upstairs.
Sydney shrugged her shoulders "She knows Thomas is up there. She'll be fine" Francie reassured her.
"Well it's just that I thought she might be bored with them."
"She bored? You're kidding. I thought you knew my children better than this Syd"
Sydney wasn't in mood to talk about that so she pulled at a speechless Francie until they were in the kitchen.
"I have something to tell you" She whispered "But I don't want you to tell it to anybody yet" Francie just gave her a questioning look in return waiting for Syd to go on.
"I'm pregnant again!" Sydney almost squealed this time, as if it was her first pregnancy.
"Really? Oh my! I'm so happy for you!" Francie pulled Sydney in for a hug and then the doorbell went off again. "That must be my dad" she wrinkled her nose and Francie got her message. Apparently her father didn't know it yet.
Sydney stomped to the door and opened the front door to find her dad smiling and standing there.
"Hey"
"Hey, come in!"
He leaned closer to her in order to give her a tempting kiss "Happy birthday! I presume you've got my present, didn't you?"
"Yes I did dad, thanks. But I would like to talk to you about that."
"Of course but later" he replied in his so gentle manner and proceeded to the living room, shaking hands with both Vaughn and Will. Sydney sighed at her father's constant ignorance for confrontation.
She went back into the kitchen where Francie was waiting for her. "Do you need some more help with something?" she gazed around the kitchen.
"No, I think everything is ready. We only have to wait for Christina and her family to arrive and then we can have some cake" Sydney replied while sitting down at the kitchen counter next to Sydney. "Oh, I still have to get the coffee ready" she remembered and jumped back off to get the coffee machine set off.
"I go!"
"No I go!"
Sydney and Francie looked at each other and started smiling when they heard Tim and Collin stomp down the stairs to open the door to the new arrivals. "Boys!" Sydney exclaimed.
"Yeah, and they are all yours!" Francie mocked her.
"Oh, shut up!" she gave her a friendly hit with her fist on the shoulder.
They got up and walked again to the door to greet their friends.
"Welcome everybody! Come on get in!"
"Hey Syd! Congrats!" Christina hugged her friend and shook off her coat to Francie who gladly grabbed it to put all of them to the back of the wardrobe.
"Hey man! Long time no see!" Vaughn hugged his longtime friend Eric. "How are the girls?"
"Fine!"
"Where are they?"
"Oh, you just missed them, your boys kidnapped my girls and they ran upstairs" Weiss joked but they were interrupted by a girls shouting "Daddy! Daddy!" Weiss rolled his eyes and Vaughn had to smile. "Yes Joey"
"I forgot the puzzle in the car. Can you please go and get it for me?" Joelina, his 8 year old daughter screamed from the top.
"I knew she would forget about it!" he told Vaughn "Yes sweetie!" he yelled to Joelina.
"Thanks daddy! I love you!"
"I love you too!"
"Come on let's go into the living room" Sydney invited them.
"Syd! I get the rest in the kitchen. Go sit down with the others. I'll also take care of the kids, ok?" Vaughn whispered to Sydney, while they both headed to the kitchen and the others to the living room.
"I can do this Vaughn! I'm only 8 weeks along!" she refused his offer.
"No Syd, it's your day today. That has nothing to do with your pregnancy. I just want you to sit down and enjoy your day! Now come on, go!" he pushed his wife out of the kitchen but she quickly turned around and kissed his lips sweetly
"Thank you!"
"You can thank me later" he smiled brightly at her with a mischievous grin.
"You bet I will" and before Vaughn could respond anything to her naughty comment she was off to the people talking away in next room.