Darry's POV

That evening, everyone was gathered at the house as usual. Only this time, we were celebrating Brianna's birthday. All of us were talking and giving Brianna lots of attention. Epecially Soda who refused to leave her side for very long.

"Hey, Soda, why don't you get out the cake and ice cream?" I suggested. "Brianna is fine playing with her toys."

And she was. She barely noticed that anyone else was in the room.

"Okay." Soda reluctantly agreed. "I'll have everything ready in a minute."

I sat on the floor with Brianna while Soda got the cake and ice cream ready. "Are you ready for some cake, Brianna?"

Brianna just looked at me and continued playing.

Soda reappeared. "Okay. Hurry up and get in here before the candle melts all over the cake."

I picked up Brianna and led the others into the kitchen where I sat Brianna in the high chair. We all sang happy birthday to her while she looked at the cake and us with a confused expression on her face.

"Can you blow out the candle?" Soda asked holding the cake in front of her. "Here, I'll help."

Soda blew out the candle for her and removed it. Then he proceeded to cut slices and handed them out along with a scoop of ice cream. Brianna got a larger piece along with a big scoop of chocolate ice cream. At first, she just watched the rest of us. Then she lightly touched the cake with her finger and and wrinkled her nose when she felt the icing. It wasn't long before she was making a big chocolaty mess. She had cake and ice cream all over the high chair, her face, hands, and even her clothes which seemed to have become a napkin in the process. I think she even had some some in her hair which made it look like it was greased just like Pony's and Soda's.

"Hey, I'll have to remember that the next time I run out of hair grease." Two-Bit commented when he looked at Brianna.

"You're making a big mess." Soda told her. But he grinned and let her continue. We knew that she would make a mess. And since it was her birthday, we were going to let her enjoy it.

"Is she getting any of it in her mouth?" Pony asked. He and Two-Bit were both helping themselves to more ice cream.

"Yeah. She's getting it in her mouth." Soda said. He looked at me. "Maybe we should have did presents first."

"No, this is fine. You can give her a bath when we're done here. That way you can get her in her sleeper." I told him.

"I think I'll go do that now. She seems to be done." Soda said as he lifted Brianna out of the high chair. As he left the room he said to her, "You are very messy."

Soda's POV

I gave Brianna a bath, washing all the cake and ice cream off of her. She just laughed and splashed the water getting me all wet.

"This is your bath." I told her splashing her back. We do this every night at bath time. Well, at least we did before I went back to school.

When she was all clean, I pulled the plug from the tub and lifted her out with a towel. I stood with her in front of the mirror. Something she likes looking into. She likes seeing her reflection.

"Who's the clean baby in the mirror?" I asked. "Is that Brianna?"

Brianna grinned and pointed.

"Yes, that's you in the mirror." I told her. "And who's that holding you?"

She looked and leaned towards the mirror touching it with her hands.

"Who is that?" I pointed at my own reflection.

Brianna looked at me and grinned. Then turned her attention back to the mirror. She enjoyed looking at it. But after a few minutes, I started to take her to her room to get her ready for bed. She never stopped looking and pointing at the mirror.

When we got to her room, I closed the door and got her ready for bed. Then, I brought her back out into the living room where everyone was waiting.

"Look who's back!" Pony commented. He handed us a wrapped gift. "Time for presents!"

"Darry, could you and Steve bring in our gift from the garage?" I asked.

Soon, I was unwrapping gifts. Pony had drawn a picture for Brianna. Steve gave her a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt with a car on the front. Two-Bit got her a baby doll that actually said mama. He told me that he tried to find one that said daddy but they don't seem to make any. I had bought her a few new pairs of pants, shirts and even two dresses that the sales lady pointed out at the store. And of course was the big gift from me and Darry. The pony that she could sit on and bounce or rock on.

"Have her sit on it, Soda." Steve said once it was unwrapped.

I sat her on it and bounced her a little so she would know what it did. She just looked at me not knowing what was going on.

"Isn't this a nice pony?" I asked.

Her reaction was a confused look towards Ponyboy who found it to be amusing.

"This is a pony too." I told her taking her hand and placing it on the painted mane. "This is a real pony."

"Thanks a lot Soda." Pony said from where he stood.

"You know what I mean." I said rolling my eyes at him. I took Brianna off the pony and set her down on the floor.

At first she looked around at everyone. And even examined the pony for a while, touching it with her hands.

"Nice pony." I told her.

Then, after a few minutes of walking around and occassionally looking at the pony with wide eyes, the moment I had been waiting for since she could walk happened.

She wrapped her arms around my leg and very softly, but just loud enough for all of us to hear, she said her very first word. "Daddy."