All familiar characters belong to Janet. The others and any mistakes are mine.
"Oh my god," Steph said, "the four of you together have to be the cutest thing I've ever seen."
This being the biggest day for this family, Olivia decided to decorate the dogs after she was decked out in her own birthday head-gear. My parents had arrived bright and early this morning, not wanting to miss a minute of Stephanie's birthday. And while my father took over our kitchen to make his favorite daughter-in-law a special breakfast, which I unfortunately know is going to be birthday cake cinnamon rolls, my mother zeroed in on her granddaughter.
I'm putting myself in charge of Olivia's morning meal, considering she's still using up energy from her uni-cakes. As Papa Manoso was manning the kitchen, Mama Manoso too eagerly offered to get Olive changed and dressed for us. Steph and I found out why. Our baby is sporting a pale purple 'I Love Mama' dress that has an enthusiastically ruffled skirt attached. White tights, shiny purple bowed-Mary Janes, and a small party hat headband completed our baby's birthday look.
Although Gunner and Ammo would probably disagree with me, they lucked out by only being subjected to two typical party hats each. My mother restrained herself with just slipping one on.
"I can see that the party started in here," Steph said, filling our daughter's arms which were being held out to her.
"Mama da ha!"
"I can see it. What a pretty hat your Abuela let you wear."
"I hope you don't mind that Julie and I were discussing what could be fun for our Olivia to wear today. We all love you, Stephanie, and we really wanted you to feel that today."
"And you apparently wanted me to see it, too," my wife teased. "I completely approve of the party attire for both Olive and our surprisingly-tolerant Rangedogs. And I love you and Julie for wanting to start my day in such a memorable way. Thank you."
Since the nursery isn't a large room, my mother had to step between Mo and Gunny to give a combined hug to both my wife and our daughter. "The entire Manoso clan would do anything for you," she whispered. "I pray you know that."
Steph shot a misty-eyed smile my way before addressing her mother-in-law. "I do get and feel that. I thought I was lucky having your son in my life, but I feel a bit guilty for inheriting an amazing family on top of getting to be married to Ranger. Not many people will ever have what I have or feel the way I do on days like this one."
"You survived your family, Babe. You could see us as your reward for never giving up hope that you'd eventually be a member of a better one."
"Don't laugh, but I actually do view all of you that way."
"If you're happy now, Stephanie," my father added from the doorway, "wait until you've sunk your teeth into breakfast."
"I can't wait."
"You're going to have to," I told her, glancing down at my watch. "For a few minutes anyway."
"Wait, what? You can't dangle dessert for breakfast and then yank it away. What did Daddy do, Olive? And was your cute little self in on it?"
Our baby was too busy to answer, going head first over Steph's arm trying to remove one of Gunny's party hats that she likely 'helped' put on him. And I avoided having to answer by leading my family out of the room just as our doorbell chimed.
"Go ahead and answer the door, Steph," I said to her.
"Do I really want to?"
I nodded. "You do."
"Hey, Steph," Julie said with a grin, when my wife complied with my request. "Happy birthday! Woah ... who party-hatted the dogs?"
She managed to get those words out in-between trying not to be licked to death by Mo and Gunny when they nosed their way to the door to greet our guest.
"Julie! Your Dad didn't tell me you were coming."
"That's the point of a surprise, Babe. You don't know it's coming. Surprise," I deadpanned.
"Funny," she said to me, and then answered Julie's question. "Mo and Gunny's hats are thanks to your sister and grandmother. No head in the nursery remained uncovered."
Steph smiled at the man standing behind our eldest as she hugged Julie once the hounds let her advance further than the door. "I guess I have Tank to thank for picking up and delivering this particular gift."
"Happy birthday, Steph. You deserve a good one. I knew Ranger was torn between staying and going to Miami himself, so I offered to go in his place."
"Always ready to take a hit for the team," I told him. "I'm sure all that sun, tropical breezes, and time spent with Julie, were brutal."
"I took it like a man."
"I appreciate that, Tank. Thank you for your part in giving me a great day ... and we haven't even eaten breakfast yet. I hope you're planning to stay for it. Right, girls?"
"Yeah, Uncle Tank," Julie replied. "You and Grandma Mazur have to try Grampa's birthday buns."
"Did I hear someone say 'buns'?" Edna asked.
"Grandma Mazur!? You're part of my surprise too?"
She moved her dentures around her mouth for a beat. "Ain't much of a surprise when you knew I'd be here today to wish you a happy birthday. What did knock me upside the head was Frank shoving these flowers in my hands right as I was puttin' my bony butt in Tank's car. There's no card, but I'm guessing they're for you."
My wife took the supermarket-style bouquet with a look in her eyes I'm not familiar with. She knows as well as I do, love isn't measured by gifts you receive. I know she'll love and appreciate the 'I'd marry you again tonight, tomorrow, and every day after' diamond band designed to fit around the 'O' initial ring I'd given her in honor of our daughter that I'll give her tonight. And she'll be excited to hear about the second surprise of us taking a detour with Julie before we bring her home. A quick stop in Key West she'll enjoy, but neither would ensure I have Stephanie's love permanently if that's all she got from me.
Being a smart man rather than a deluded or brainwashed one, I know that being present for my wife is worth more than any present I could buy her. As if she were reading my mind, Olivia reached over and separated a white carnation's flower from its stem. I would have loved to have given her a hug and a 'Proud of you, Mini-Babe', but I'm not going to tip my wife's emotions in Frank's favor if she believes this half-assed gesture is a father's attempt at trying to get back in her life. Instead, I just pried the crushed petals out of Olive's little hand, which isn't as easy as it sounds. She has a grip as strong as her Mama's on a bakery bag.
To me, my father-in-law delivering the flowers himself, with a promise and also a genuine apology, would have been a more appropriate 'I'm glad you were born' gift. Once again, he chose to ride the fence between his wife and his daughters and had Edna do his dirty work for him in a way Helen likely isn't aware of.
"Why don't you help yourself to the flowers, Olive-pie," Steph told our baby with a hint of humor as well as a bit of sarcasm. "If I didn't have to worry about you eating them, I would let you play with the rest of them."
She put the bouquet down on the sideboard for someone else to hydrate or toss, and curled her free arm around Julie while talking to Edna.
"You're in for a treat, Grandma. If you compliment Papa Manoso's breakfast skills ... he'll double his efforts to get more thank yous with even more food."
"What do I get if I tell him he's got nice buns?" Grandma Mazur replied.
My mother was quick with her response. "As long as you're talking about his cinnamon buns, Edna, you'll get a second or third one. His other buns only I'm allowed to compliment."
"Mom!" Steph said at the same time Julie groaned out a "Grandma!"
"What? Am I supposed to pretend I'm blind to my husband's assets?"
My wife turned red and my daughter groaned even louder. My mother winked at me. Only she, my father, and I, know what had prompted her outright flirting. She got Steph's mind off her parents being absent on the day of her birth by making my wife smile, while giving her a personal glimpse of how she and I will likely be behaving twenty birthdays from this one.
