A/N: Wow! Can't believe I went that long without posting. This story has very much NOT been abandoned. I've just been incredibly busy IRL with not much time to devote to this kind of writing. My target is one chapter a month right now. Thanks for your patience, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
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On Friday, she woke up nuzzling her nose against her husband's neck. While the rest of their bodies weren't touching–it was much too hot for that last night–she could still feel his presence.
Which is how she knew that even as he breathed easily now, whatever it was that he carried was stressing him out. She could see it on his face even now.
Of course tempers flared last night. She was upset by how he'd spoken to Annie and that he felt whatever it was casting this dark cloud over him needed to be kept from her. Whatever it was, they could handle it together. She just thought he knew that by now. She never felt more powerful and empowered than when they were together. Together, they could handle anything.
"I should get going. I need to go get a haircut before we hit the road." He spoke without even opening his eyes, startling her just a bit.
"Bold of you to assume I was awake."
His eyes fluttered open. "Mrs. Jane, I could sense you watching me."
"Ha ha. Very funny."
"Do you think you'll be okay? I need to run by the dealership, and I need to go for my haircut."
"Of course I'll be okay." He kissed her cheek as he got up to get ready. "The girls and I will be ready by the time you get back."
He grinned at her. "Perfect."
He mentioned the dealership. He had been in contact with Maya this week. Maybe there was something going on there. On one hand, she wanted to know. On the other, she wasn't interested in him shutting down or them having another fight. That would make for a long weekend instead of the mood she wanted to curate on his birthday weekend.
As he walked out, a brief panic hit her. He kept mentioning the dealership, as in the source of his income. What if what was going on was financial? He might be embarrassed to bring it up. Admittedly, it wouldn't be a great time to hit financial hardship, but they owned the houses. With their savings and her salary–which was nothing to shake a fist at especially since her promotion–they would get by. She just wished he'd tell her if that were the case. It's not like she'd think of him any differently with or without money. She had always been clear on that point.
But caring for his family in every way possible had always been a point of pride for Patrick. She shook it off as she started packing. He would tell her eventually–but eventually had better hurry the hell up. She started some of their packing before she got the girls up. With Patrick gone, it was the perfect time to do what she needed to do.
"Mommy, can I make breakfast?"
She furrowed her eyebrows. That was a curious request. "What are you going to make?"
"Toast. And eggs!"
"Eggs? You know how to make eggs?"
She nodded. "Daddy taught me yesterday morning! Charlotte likes my eggs. He said the trick is just a little bit of water!"
She laughed softly. Of course he did!
"Well, how about I help you?" She wasn't too sure about letting Annie take over using a stovetop by herself.
"Okay."
In the kitchen, Annie carefully took the eggs out of the refrigerator before placing them on the counter and cracking them one at a time. Then, she grabbed the whisk and beat them.
"Annie, I think that's good enough."
"No! Daddy says you have to beat them really good!" Clearly, this was the part that Annie was into. She let her beat them for a few more minutes. "Okay, now we have to put just a splash of water in the eggs. Will you do that part, mommy?"
"Sure."
After she added the splash of water, she immediately took the bowl back. "Alright, now we have to turn the stove on and put the butter in the skillet."
"You know, you don't have to tell me everything you're doing, right? I know how to make eggs."
"Well, yeah, but you're my helper! I need my skillet!"
She actually laughed at that as she grabbed the skillet. Annie was actually quite good at expressing her needs and directing people. "Okay. Here's the skillet. Should I start on the toast? Annie, not yet!"
She was a moment too late as she realized Annie poured the egg mixture on top of the butter before it melted. "No? You put the eggs in after the butter!"
"You're supposed to melt the butter first though." Annie frowned, clearly upset that she'd missed the step. "It's okay. It will melt. Make sure you start stirring now!"
The eggs definitely had an interesting taste and were a little brown in spots, but overall, Annie was as happy as could be when she sat her plate down in front of her with her toast on it. Of course, her toast was smothered in more jam than she could eat–but also just how Annie liked it.
Annie smiled as she folded her hands in front of her and stood watching, waiting for her to take a bite. "They're delicious!"
"Yummy!" Charlotte kicked from her high chair as she placed a fistful of eggs in her mouth.
"I think you should get your eggs, Annie."
As soon as she turned her back, she scraped a bit of her jam off of her toast and onto Charlotte's plate.
"Do we have time to go swimming?"
"Not today."
"Why not?"
"We are going to swim in the ocean in a little bit. I want to make sure we are ready to go when daddy is home." She looked at the clock. Surely, he would be back in the next hour or so. "Why don't you help me with your suitcase?"
"Okay!"
The three of them went up to Annie's room as she got her suitcases out. Almost immediately, Annie started handing her things.
"Remember: we are going to the beach, and we are only taking one bag."
"Why are you bringing so many bags?"
"Because it's part of the surprise!"
Annie just shrugged. "Mommy, are we still having a birthday cake?"
"Caa-ke!" Charlotte's hands were in the air again.
"Yes, we will have a cake this weekend for daddy's birthday, but it's a surprise!"
Annie handed her some more clothes. She was folding them and placing them inside a suitcase for Annie. This weekend, which was starting Friday and ending Monday as she decided she needed a four day weekend, they were taking a family vacation.
"Doesn't daddy know it's his birthday? He knows there will be cake!"
This time, Charlotte didn't respond as she was lost in whatever amusement she'd found on the floor of Annie's room. At that, she thought better of where Charlotte was sitting and scooped her up and onto the bed, earning a frown from the little girl. Though, she quickly forgot that as she picked up one of Annie's plush animals.
"Of course he knows, but we have to surprise him. I'm going to bake his favorite cake for him."
"Can I help?"
"Sure." She wondered where her sudden interest in cooking came from. More than likely, she would be lost and enjoying her time on the beach instead of in the kitchen. "Which swimsuits do you want to bring? You can take two!"
"Little Mermaid!"
"And what else? Pick them out and bring them here please."
"Shwim shoot, mama."
She smiled. "Do you want your swimsuit, baby?"
"Yes!"
"Ok, well, mommy is going to pack for you in a few minutes." She looked at her watch again, wondering where Patrick was. Even if she weren't quite all packed as she hoped she would be by the time he returned, he should be back by now. She was hoping they could do naps in the car. "I think it's about time for your nap."
She frowned. "No nap!"
She just pinched her puffed out cheek. "Nap before daddy comes back."
"Daddy! Where daddy?" Her arms shot in the air again as she huffed, indicating that perhaps she expected a little leniency from daddy.
"He went to get a haircut. He will be back."
She kept packing Annie's suitcase making sure they had plenty of things. She'd already stuffed two other suitcases in the car before Patrick could notice.
When she heard him come up the stairs, she yelled. "Let's see the handsome birthday boy!"
As Charlotte had fallen asleep about 5 minutes before, she was glad that her infant daughter could sleep through nearly anything. She was out cold with one of Annie's plushies stuffed into her arm.
He appeared in the door frame of Annie's room as she smiled. His curls were much shorter than when he left home, but they were still soft and bright.
"Did my girls miss me?"
She wrinkled her nose. "Not at all. We thought of making the house a girls only place while you were gone."
Annie laughed as Patrick feigned hurt. "And you were just going to let this happen, Annie?"
"Of course not!"
"I'm sure. It seems mommy just had an evil plan all on her own." Approaching her from behind, he whispered into her ear. "And she'll pay for it later."
She smirked. "Really?"
"Yes." He leaned out. "Are my girls all packed and ready?"
"I just finished packing Annie's suitcase. I need to pack for Charlotte, and we are ready."
"I'll start loading…"
"Not necessary! I've already done it. Just the girls' things need carried out."
"Teresa, you shouldn't be lifting like that! Was there a big hurry?"
"I can handle a few suitcases! I wanted to get us as ready to go as possible. Don't be such a worry wart. Besides, you said you wanted to hit the road early enough to miss the rush hour traffic."
"Hey, it's my party. I'll worry if I want to."
"Oh hush! Why don't you get the girls a car snack ready?"
"I want strawberries and marshmallows!"
Patrick met her eyes. She shrugged. "Sure. Crackers for Charlotte though."
"Yes!" Annie screeched out as though she'd won a big victory. She'd not stand in the way of a seven year old's weird snacks today.
"Okay. I'll get the snacks. Just leave the bags in the hallway, and I'll take care of the rest. You're sure we're good to go on the rental any time today?"
"Yeah. Everything is good!"
Finishing Annie's suitcase, she did as he asked and left it in the hallway before carefully scooping Charlotte up and carrying her to her crib. She was still out cold and a lot less likely to argue over clothing items.
She watched her sleep for just a moment. She and Patrick started to discuss what they'd want to do now that the twins were coming. Though space wasn't really an issue, especially with their talk of converting the basement to a large family/game room and using their game room as a spare bedroom and bathroom, they were talking about redoing this room and bringing in a second crib.
By then, Charlotte would be ready for her toddler bed which Patrick wanted to set up in the room on the other side of Annie. She touched her growing bump. Even with their newest additions on the way, she was having a hard time not seeing Charlotte as the baby anymore as she watched her sleep.
Though, if his problems were financial, would he want to do that remodel? Was that why he didn't want to tell her?
She shook the thought off and got back on task. Patrick would want to leave soon to beat some of the worst of the traffic. Also a point for leaving on Thursday. Tourists were crazy this time of year!
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The car ride was uneventful. Annie liked playing with her iPad and all of the things outside of the window seemed to fascinate Charlotte, who eventually fell asleep again after lunch. She was out for the last leg of their four hour drive.
"Alright. How do we get into the place? Is there a key in the mailbox or something?"
"Yeah, I can get us in." She held her phone up. "It's by app."
"God. How do people live with electronic locks?"
She grinned. "You can sound like such an old man sometimes. Remind me, how old are you turning tomorrow?"
"Oh ha ha! But seriously. You're the security expert here." Which is exactly how she knew it was safe. She had Grace make sure. "What if it gets hacked?"
"It won't! Don't worry so much!"
"Okay. I'm just saying if there are deadbolts, we're using them!"
"Do you want me to bring my gun in?"
"No!"
"You know it helps me sleep better."
"Absolutely not! You know, you people and your guns! You could be the poster child for the NRA!"
She smirked. She knew that would get a rise out of him. While she had it safely locked away in the car, she had no way to lock it in the house yet, so she wouldn't bring it in anyway.
"The house is unlocked."
"Do you think we packed enough for this week?"
She grinned to herself. "I think so. Perhaps we didn't pack enough."
"Sure. You used to be a light packer. You still surprise me, Teresa."
"I like to hear that." She grabbed his hand as he turned to walk in, pulling him back to her.
"What is it?"
"Well, I have another surprise for you."
"Oh? I thought not knowing where we were coming this weekend was the surprise."
He winked at her as though he had the upper hand. Of course he had figured out their destination. It's why she let him drive. She was going to enjoy this.
"Oh no. See, I knew you'd figure it out. I didn't even try to hide it that much."
"Of course not. So, what is it?"
"The electronic app…you know, the house has a good security system on it, right?"
"If my security expert says so!"
"Well, I bought it two weeks ago after I closed on this house. See, I didn't just bring you to the rental we had for our honeymoon, but I brought you to our new vacation home."
"Our what?" He was in complete shock. "Our…vacation home?"
She nodded. "That's what I said. This house now belongs to us!"
"How?"
"Well, Madeleine finally got her divorce settlement and she refused to take no for an answer. She either wanted to start paying rent or she wanted to buy my old house. I figured it wouldn't hurt to part with it and look ahead to our future. I loved being here, and it's a great place to come to vacation with the kids."
"Wow. So, that's what you were doing? The meetings you didn't want to tell me about?"
"Yes–but you weren't supposed to know about those meetings."
"Meh. You were acting odd." She laughed.
"So, do you like it?"
He pulled her closer to him before planting a kiss onto her lips. "I love it. Of course. Though, this seems like something I'd do. Perhaps I've made you a true Jane."
"Easy now. We have two houses, so I can easily send you off to the other one."
He grinned. "True. I take it that the extra bags are stuff for us to leave here?"
"Some of it is, yes. The previous owners agreed to leave almost everything here. They didn't need the things anymore without the house."
"Okay." He kissed her lips as she heard Annie make a noise of disgust. "I'll get the bags in the house."
She didn't miss his smile as he turned away to get their bags into their new vacation home. She worked on getting Charlotte out of her carseat and into the house. In the meantime, Annie managed to find her swimsuit.
"Annie, what would you like for dinner tonight? I have to run into town for some groceries."
"Doesn't daddy get to decide? It's his birthday!"
"Oh, you know I like whatever my girls want!" He winked at Annie as he brought the last of the suitcases in.
"Cheeseburgers!"
"I'll have to check what grilling supplies we have!"
"I can take care of that if you want to run to the store. Charlotte is still out, so it will be just a bit before we get out to the beach. I'll text you if we need anything else."
"Daddy!" Annie frowned as she protested.
"I know. I know. But you know Charlotte needs to sleep just a little longer, and I think I'd like to rest a bit. So, why don't you play with your iPad for a little longer. We will be outside soon enough!"
"Are we going to build a sandcastle again?"
"We can."
"Okay!" Annie was off, seemingly happy with that answer.
"You know, you could've told me to take over driving for a bit. I would've let you get some rest."
"Nah, driving is man's work."
She laughed out loud at that as he grinned. He seemed much lighter today than he had this entire week. Maybe the change of location was good for him.
"Man's work? I didn't realize we had traveled back in time!"
"Maybe I like driving my girl around."
"Yeah? Are you going to take me to the carhop later?"
"Maybe. Lots of things one can do in the car."
"That would be illegal."
"You coppers and your rules."
"Rules make the world go round!"
"So you mean you wouldn't help me christen a new Porsche if I asked? Even on my birthday?"
From the gleam in his eyes, she could tell he was joking. She wasn't sure that there was ever any point in Patrick Jane's life that he would ever consider inviting a lover to the backseat of his car. He just had an air of sophistication about him.
She feigned indifference. "I don't know. Go buy a new Porsche and get back to me. Your birthday weekend is just starting."
He laughed as he wrapped his arms around her. "Oh, Teresa. I don't think anyone has ever gotten me quite like you do."
She kissed his cheek. "Well, remember that."
She saw him tense up, and immediately, she questioned why she'd said it. He seemed in much better spirits. Even then, he would talk about it when he was ready.
She put a bit of distance between them. "I am going to get to the store. I'll get hamburger and some kind of veggies for dinner. Maybe some eggs for breakfast. Annie made my breakfast this morning."
His blue eyes continued to pierce her own. "Of course. She wanted to show off her new skills. I'm sure she'd tell you that potatoes are a vegetable."
"I'm sure she would. Are you making a special request, Mr. Jane?"
"Well, I saw they left behind that nice flat top grill."
She nodded. "It was included in the closing."
"Hmm. I was thinking we could maybe grill up some potatoes and squash too."
"I think that sounds lovely. Anything else from the store? I'll probably pick up some staples."
"Sounds good to me! Nothing else I can think of."
As she turned to walk away, he grabbed her hand, squeezing it. "I love you, baby."
"I love you, too."
She took her time at the grocery store. She loved this place the last time they were here. There was just something cozy about the store and its feel. Also, this gave her time to think of every possible thing they could need during their trip and what they could store here for future visits. Of course, she got the things that they'd need for her and Annie to make that cake for Patrick and make sure their other surprise was covered.
When she returned, she assumed they'd be out at the beach, but that notion was quickly dispelled when Patrick met her at the car to help with groceries.
"Annie doesn't have you outside yet?"
He grinned. "Annie is asleep. Said she needed a little rest before she could build a castle."
She laughed at that. "Not too much rest. She still has to go to bed at a decent hour."
"I got Charlotte's play area set up. I wasn't sure where you wanted to set things up, so I have her in the living room for now. Wow, did you get enough food? Does the store have anything left?"
She swatted his hand. "We need food for the week, snacks, and basics. Besides, if you want a birthday cake…"
He quickly planted a kiss on her lips. "And I do!"
"Then, you should respect that we needed more food."
"Fair enough, but why don't you let me handle this?"
"We can handle this. I will carry some bags, and you can carry some bags."
"My wife is stubborn–beautiful but stubborn."
She shrugged as she defiantly scooped a couple of the paper bags in her arms and walked inside. A little while later, Annie was downstairs in her swimsuit, which prompted Charlotte to request her own swimsuit.
"Mama, shim-shoot?" She was getting a bit of sunblock on Charlotte. It was getting late into the afternoon, but late July sun was stubborn.
"Mama is going to make dinner."
"Oh no. Mama is going out to the beach with us."
"Mama shim!" Charlotte clapped her hands as she looked at Patrick.
"I wanted to get dinner going. I was going to make a salad."
He wrapped his arm around her waist. "I know, but we have some time. Why don't you come out and help us with our sand castle for a bit?"
"Mama shim!"
She frowned. She'd hoped it wouldn't come to this. "I don't really have a suit that fits me well right now."
"Now, Mrs. Jane, I know that's not true. You look beautiful, and the girls won't care what you're wearing. Just that you are helping build the sand castle. Besides, you're not going to let me take Charlotte into the ocean for the first time, are you?"
She met his gaze. Surely, he wouldn't throw his one year old daughter in the ocean. But he made his point.
Not long later, she was suited up and they were all outside. Patrick had found lots of goodies in the shed, including more tools for the sand. That made Annie happy as Charlotte kept pointing to the ocean.
"Shim!"
"Okay. Let's get you into a life jacket." She got the little girl into a life jacket with minimal protest today. Like her sister, she wasn't fond of her safety vest.
"Do you want me to come out with you?"
Patrick looked up from his sand castle, and she could sense a bit of annoyance on Annie's face that he would leave her.
"No, we're okay."
She walked out to the ocean with Charlotte secure to her hip with a vice-like grip on her. When she was just far enough out that the water touched her thighs, she stopped, scooping down and bringing some water over Charlotte's swimsuit. That got her a giggle.
"Mama shim!"
"Not too much swimming today. The ocean is big and very deep."
"Splash?"
As the waves bounced into her, she understood what Charlotte wanted. She walked just a little further in, allowing her toes to touch. That amused her quite a bit. It was funny how fascinated and amused babies could be by the little things. Charlotte started to kick in the water, causing a bit of splashing.
When she turned around to look toward the shore, she could still see Annie and Patrick hard at work on their sandcastle.
Charlotte continued her splashing for a bit. She decided they could go in just a few more inches. She wasn't super comfortable with having her out too far, even in her life vest. The water reached Charlotte's belly now.
Charlotte giggled as she kicked under water now.
"Are you happy?"
"Happy, mama."
She kissed her forehead, making her giggle. When she turned, she saw Patrick making his way toward her as Annie played along the shoreline.
"What are my girls up to?"
"Shim, daddy!"
"Okay. I see that." Her version of swimming at this point was mostly just getting in the water, which she enjoyed to no end.
Annie also made her way over to them, dramatically making strokes in the water to show her swimming skills.
"Annie, shim!" She reached out to Annie.
"Oh no, baby." Charlotte frowned.
"I can take her, mommy."
"Annie, I don't…" She felt Patrick nudge her arm.
"I think it's okay if they're just playing along the shore."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, we'll keep an eye on them."
She swallowed all of her nerves. Annie liked doing big sister things with Charlotte, but a part of her was very nervous that Charlotte was too little for this.
Patrick leaned in and whispered. "We will be right here watching them. They're fine. They're both in life jackets."
She nodded before she looked at Annie. "Okay let's go up to the shore." She sat Charlotte down on her feet when they reached the beach. "Take her hand, baby. Annie, you have to keep a hold of her hand the whole time. And stay right here in front of the house so we can see you."
She felt Patrick rub her arm from behind. It's not like he cared any less about the safety of the girls than she did, but he was being very cool about this. While he had a point about them needing to learn, and enjoy, independence, it was hard to let go.
Charlotte took Annie's hand and they toddled off down the shore. Almost immediately, Charlotte fell in the soft, waterlogged sand. She waited for her to cry out. She was prepared to run to her to make sure she was okay. Only, Charlotte got right back up, and the girls were off again.
Patrick linked his fingers with hers. "She's just like her mother. Very brave and adventurous. They both are."
"Are sure this is a good idea?"
"We're right here watching them explore. I think they're okay. Do you want to get back in and wade a bit?"
She nodded as he led them out just far enough to where her toes no longer touched before wrapping his arms around her belly as she leaned back into his chest. Annie and Charlotte were still just running along the shore. Without a doubt, both of their swimsuits would be full of wet sand when they went back inside.
For a few moments, she let herself melt into her husband as he held her. But soon, her worry returned.
He whispered in her ear. "Do you want to go back to the shore?"
"I think that's best."
"Okay. Maybe tomorrow morning you can join me for a quick swim before the girls are up?"
"Relax. I know it's your birthday weekend. I have all manner of surprises and joyful things planned for you."
"That's nice. I just hope that spending time with my lovely wife is one of those things."
She blushed a bit. "Of course. I should also be getting dinner started."
Back on the shore, she approached Annie and Charlotte. Annie was teaching Charlotte about sea shells. She knelt in the sand next to the girls. Even though she didn't like the feel of the wet sand, she wanted to hear Annie's lesson.
"I'm going to get a picture of you girls."
"Cheese!" Charlotte was good at saying that word.
Immediately, she moved out of frame. "No, I want all of my girls in the frame."
"I don't really…"
"It's my birthday." He put on his best pout. Obviously, he wanted his way.
"Fine." She dug her knees into the sand as she settled back on her heels, hugging Annie and Charlotte on either side of her as Patrick snapped their photo.
"Beautiful." He said in a near whisper before his voice crescendoed. "My beautiful girls."
Finally, she got to making dinner – which made Annie very happy when she learned they were having cheeseburgers and macaroni salad with no vegetables. She didn't have the energy to force anyone to eat veggies tonight, not even herself as she caught herself going for a second burger.
Though as she started to chastise herself, she caught Patrick's goofy grin out of the side of her eye.
"What?"
"I guess these babies really like good midwestern fare. I'm sure Annie will appreciate that."
She swatted at his arm. "Hush!"
Charlotte was already dozing in her high chair. Patrick looked at her. "I should go get the crib set up."
"We can just put her in our bed."
"We can?" He glared at her.
She nodded. "Instead of taking all that time…"
"It's no trouble at all really."
He was getting desperate now. He needn't be. "Patrick, just put her in our bed for tonight. We will deal with the logistics of getting set up tomorrow."
No, they wouldn't. They'd be doing something else tomorrow.
Now, her husband pouted for real at what he perceived as certain denial. Unlike Patrick to be so…upfront in his desires.
Under the table, she grasped his knee. "We'll go for a late night swim. How about that?"
Blinking rapidly, he certainly caught her meaning. Good.
"Can I go swimming with you?"
He chuckled. "Oh no, Annie. Late night swimming is for adults. Besides, you need your growing rest!"
She yawned. "Fine, but can I sleep with you too?"
She looked at him. That was somewhat atypical for Annie to ask. Suddenly, she feared what might happen if they had another Christmas situation. Annie had been so angry with her.
Finally, she answered. "It's a big bed. I don't see why not. That way we don't have to worry about any other room set up tonight."
Instead of being on the beach earlier, she probably should've been in here working on the million things that needed done. Though, realizing why Charlotte was so tired and thinking back to their earlier photo shoot, those things seemed less important.
A little later, after they finished cleaning the kitchen, the four of them laid down together. Charlotte was already out cold, and Annie wasn't much further behind her. She noticed her husband was starting to doze off as well.
"Patrick?" She whispered, careful not to be too loud so as to wake Annie.
"Hmm?"
"Do you want to go swimming?"
His eyes shot open. "Of course."
In no time, he was out of bed. She had to manage maneuvering around Annie without waking her.
"Go put your suit on."
"My suit?"
"I said go put it on. Now." His authoritative voice. The one he used when they were alone sometimes.
She bit back her smile a bit. "What if I don't want to?"
He gave a warning glare, which sent a thrill through her. She dressed quickly.
They had a delightful…evening swim.
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The next morning, she awoke to an alarm at 6:15 sharp.
A very sleepy Patrick grumbled as he tightened the arm he'd draped over her belly. "Do we have somewhere to be? We're on vacation."
"I know. But the birthday boy's cake isn't going to make itself." She kissed his cheek. "Rest, my love."
"Okay. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
Charlotte was still out cold–and had somehow ended up near Patrick's head. On her way out of bed, she gently shook a peaceful sleeping Annie.
"Hey, sleepyhead." She whispered.
"Ugghhh." She grumbled out as she swiped her hair out of her face. She was surprised the little girl hadn't asked to have it cut yet given all the soccer she played.
"Do you want to help me with daddy's surprise?"
"Now?"
"Yes. You said you wanted to help. Do you want to sleep instead?"
"No, I'll wake up."
Annie started to doze again. "Well, we have to go now. Come on."
Annie sat up, yawning and rubbing her eyes. "Okay."
She led Annie out to the beach. "Mommy, why are we outside to make a cake?"
"We're out here for the surprise." And not a moment too soon, Patricia pulled into the driveway. Suddenly, Annie's demeanor changed as she was suddenly alert.
"Grandma!"
"Yes, she's the surprise. Your Aunt Amanda and Aunt Maisie are with her."
That made Annie even more excited as she started to jump. "Okay, Annie. We need to be quiet or we will ruin the surprise."
"Okay."
Patricia walked up to her with her arms reached out. "Teresa, you look so beautiful!"
"Thank you, Patricia. I'm glad you could join us."
Her blue eyes–the ones that matched her husband's–shined. "I'm glad you invited me."
Maisie hugged her next. "I'm here for the surfing. Those waves look sick!"
Annie immediately chimed in. "I want to surf!"
Thankfully, Maisie let out a small chuckle as she smoothed Annie's wild bed hair. "Not yet, sprout."
She noticed that Amanda rubbed her rounding belly. It was almost imperceptible, but there it was: her next niece or nephew. Their next niece or nephew.
"Hi, Teresa." Amanda startled her a bit when she went straight in for the hug. Since the big reveal at Charlotte's birthday party and the ensuing chaos, they'd been texting quite a bit. At first, Amanda wanted to assure her that she was sorry for how she spoke to her. Then, the conversation turned to questions about pregnancy. Then, they turned to questions about Jimmy and what it would be like to live in Chicago.
Paul approached with an armful of gifts.
"You brought presents?"
"Yes, and don't worry, Annie. We brought a present for you and Charlotte too." Patricia returned to her. "Is Paddy still asleep?"
"Yes. They are both still out. You guys can come in."
"Okay, I want to start decorating!"
"Decorating?"
She nodded. "It's something that…I used to do. When he was little. We didn't have much money, so one thing I always did was make sure he had something to wake up to."
She shrugged. "Decorate away! Annie is going to help me make a cake."
"Oh! Well, I was going to do that. I brought supplies!"
"No need, Patricia. I got the stuff yesterday, and Annie wanted to help."
"But it's just…do you mind if I made the cake? I know…I know it's your house, and he's your husband, but it would mean a lot to me if I could make Paddy's special cupcakes. Please."
Patricia's voice carried a hint of desperation. His birthday always carried a special significance for both of them.
"Yeah. Okay. Sure."
On one hand, she wanted to make her husband's cake. Perhaps she should've thought of that when she invited the family. Patricia might want to take care of him all day. This was kind of a new territory for them. On the other, if she wanted to shoulder that labor and reconnect with her son in a way she found meaningful, who was she to stand in her way? Not to mention they had a lot to get set up around the house.
They got inside. Patricia hung an old cloth banner with a roughly embroidered train on it that looked like it was for a child's first birthday. Undoubtedly, she'd saved that banner for a number of years. Patricia acknowledged that her son was a grown man, but it hit her like a punch to the gut when she realized this was only their eighth birthday together.
As she worked on doing some unpacking, Patricia started working on his cupcakes. Of course, Annie wanted to help her. Maisie and Amanda wasted little time getting out to the beach as Paul helped her with some of the house chores.
"Where should I put these picture frames?"
She pointed to the fireplace. "Over there. It doesn't matter how you arrange them. I'll fix them if I don't like them."
He chuckled softly. "Sure thing. You know, Teresa, it was a very sweet thing you did for Patricia."
"Hmm?"
"Well, you know about Paddy's birthday?"
"Yes."
"I know it seems cheesy, but thank you for humoring her. This day means a lot to her. She's happy to be part of her son's birthday again."
"I didn't really do anything."
"You made Patricia extremely happy."
When she was about to respond with how she knew it would make Patrick happy too, she heard his footsteps on the stairs. Patricia must have heard it too as she came to stand near them.
"Hey Teresa, do you…mom!"
"Surprise!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "Happy birthday, Paddy!"
He walked directly to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Mom, I'm so glad you're here! I didn't know you were coming."
"I know. You have Teresa to thank for planning this surprise."
"She's getting very good at surprises." She grinned at that. "Hey, Paul!"
"Happy birthday, Paddy!"
"Is it just the two of you?"
"The girls are out on the beach."
Patrick made her way over to her and planted a kiss on her lips. "Happy birthday."
"Yes, it is certainly happy." He grinned. "Thank you. Any more surprises?"
"Nothing I can think of."
"Not sure I can take much more. You know, you still surprise me."
"Can't believe that's true. Thought you knew everything!"
"I know everything, but sometimes, you're still a mystery to me."
She grinned at him. Of course, she could still keep a few things up her sleeve.