Chapter Three

Birthdays come and go. There's always one day a year every kid is excited for. For when they get presents, cake, a special song, stuff like that. It's always on a different day of the week each year, so you get excited when it's on a Saturday or Sunday because you have no school on your birthday.

For Keith, it's always been another reminder that he doesn't anyone besides Pop. Now that Pop is gone, it just shows that he's even more alone.

Keith and his Pop always celebrated his birthday with just them. No friends, no aunts, no uncles, no grandparents. Just him and Pop.

This is his first birthday without him.

And don't get him wrong, Shiro and Adam are very nice and welcoming. But.. without Pop, it feels a bit wrong.

So when he came into the dark kitchen this morning with a vanilla cupcake with a candle on top, it made him a bit more uncomfortable.

"What's this all about..?" Keith asked hesitantly.

"It's your birthday of course! Your first one with us, and so early as well." Shiro said and smiled.

"Why? Are you not happy about it?" Adam frowned.

"No.. it's just..." Shiro and Adam looked at him, a bit worried because he was giving them glass eyes. "My first birthday without Pop." Keith gave a weak smile.

Adam nodded. "Sorry if we're making you uncomfortable, but please," he smiled fondly. "Come blow out your candle and make a wish."

Keith shuffled over to them and when they both finished singing 'Happy Birthday' to him, he blew out the candle.

"Better save another wish." Shiro smiled.

"Why?" Keith asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Later, we're going to the McClain's for a barbecue."

Keith nodded. "Who all is gonna be there? Just the McClains or the neighbor Veronica mentioned. Mr. Moyer?"

Adam chuckled. "No Joe. Just the McClains." A small smirk formed on his face as he said the next thing. "And Lance."

Shiro chuckled at that and Adam started laughing even mores when Keith's face got a bit red.

"Shut up.." he ended up grumbling, but that made them laugh even harder because his face got a bit more red.


After all the laughs, breakfast, watching a movie, and a few showers, Keith found them walking over to the next door house's barn patio.

Marco was the first to spot them, saying a 'Hey guys!', which made everyone turn to where he pointed the comment to.

"Hello! Come, come! Lunch is almost ready!" Mrs McClain smiled.

They finished walking over and Shiro set down his basket full of cupcakes. "Hope we aren't late."

Rosa shook her head. "You're never late when you think you that you are." She held up a finger smiling. "Sometimes, you're early and sometimes you're late." She winked. It was.. actually a bit charming for her age. "Just like right now, your earlier then we told you. We're still setting up." She gestured to around her.

Everyone was scrambling around in the grass, setting up streamers, balloons, and other party supplies. Nadia and Syvlio were chasing each other, not really helping at all. Veronica was blowing up balloons with Luis and Lisa, while Marco, Jose, and Rachel hung them up. Lance was setting the picnic table, with different plates, napkins, and plastic sliver ware.

"Just come sit, everyone's almost done." She smiled.

They sat down with her and talked for a few minutes. Soon, Nadia and Syvlio joined them, all out of breath. For a four year old and six year old, they sure did run fast and have a lot of energy.

After they were all done, they all sat down at the table, squished together. Jose has started using the grill, and somehow, Keith ended up sitting next to Lance.

He could feel his eyes on him, glaring.

"What's the matter?" Keith asked, shifting for a conversation with his new neighbor.

Lance blinked at that. "Nothing" he mumbled. "Just.. feel like I've seen you somewhere." He continued to glare at him and Keith felt a bit uncomfortable under the intense stare.

"You do that..." he mumbled, turning away to look at the cat at his feet.

Suddenly, besides him, he heard an exclaim. "Rosie!" And Lance got out of his seat and picked up the brown and white cat.

The cat gave a meow that sounded between exhaustion or excitement.

"Oh, Rosetta. You been chasing mice all day, I haven't seen you." He said happily.

"Is that your cat?" Keith asked.

Lance looked over at him, like he had forgotten he was there. "Yes." He ended up saying and going back to petting and cooing to the purring cat in his arms.

"Foods out!" Jose yelled with Luis next to him.

Everyone got up from their seats and headed over to where the food had been placed on picnic table over a little.

The weather was perfect for a barbecue, no snow, sunny- even with the roof of the big gazebo patio attached to their barn- and no neighbors. There was a few cars passing by everyone now and then, getting chicken eggs from the McClains sold in fridge in front of their barn across the road. A field down the road where people were camping despite the season changing.

Yes, everything was surprisingly going well.

Half an hour later, everyone had finished eating their hotdogs and burgers. Veronica, Rachel, and Lisa were gossiping. Luis and Jose were talking about work that needed to be done on their small farm. Shiro, Adam, Lance, and Rosa were talking about something he didn't really understand. And Keith was sitting on the end of the picnic table, watching the kids chase each other.

"I think it's time for the cupcakes." Rosa said as smiled and stood up from her seat. She got the box of cupcakes and came back over to picnic table where everyone was. On top of the box was a set of 6 candles. She opened the candle pack and the cupcake box and set a candle on the cupcake. She set it in front of him and Rachel handed her mom a kitchen lighter.

Rosa lit the candle and stood back. They all started singing the 'happy birthday' song. And when they were done, Keith blew out the candle.

"What did you wish for?" Syvlio asked as he leaned over from Luis' lap.

"Syvlio, if he tells you, it wouldn't come true." Luis said as he ruffled his son's hair.

Syvlio let out a pout and reached for a cupcake.

Keith took off the candle on his cupcake and peeled off the wrapper. He then took a bite of the sweet vanilla cupcake.

All the McClains, Shiro, and Adam got their own cupcakes and ate them.

The rest of his day was just playing with Sylvio and Nadia, talking with the McClains, and watching the sunset over the trees behind the McClain house.

His birthday was pretty ok this year, if he did say so himself.