Chapter 122

On Friday morning Alex was awoken by her mother, or someone downstairs busy breaking down the kitchen as she heard cupboards slam and a mixer working overtime. Picking up her phone she glanced at the time and sighed heavily before getting up. Assuming it would be best to take Phoebe to day care today so they can get as much things done in the time they have to prepare for the big day tomorrow.

Walking downstairs, Sita was standing at the kitchen counter, and Phoebe sat on top of the counter, her legs and face covered in flour, just as much as her grandmother's apron was. The two of them in deep conversation. "What are you guys doing up so early?" She asked looking around the kitchen.

"We're baking, or trying to." Sita smiled, handing Phoebe a biscuit as a reward for helping her in the kitchen. "I'm sure you are." Alex said and walked over to see what they were busy with and to check the contents in the mixer, sticking her finger into the chocolate batter and licking it clean.

"Can I get you all cleaned up and take you today care, bub?" Alex asked her daughter who was way too busy messing around in the flour to pay mind to her mother, seeing the look her mother gave her. "Only for half the day, we'll get more things done that way." Alex rationalized and Sita agreed.

Alex running a bath for the little girl, and undressed her PJ's lifting her into the tub, adding some yellow rubber ducks to bath time, as Phoebe pushed them along the water making little splashes and waves. "Do you know what day it is tomorrow, bub?" Alex asked sitting on the tiled floor watching her daughter. She looked up at her mother briefly, pointing towards a blue fish and Alex handed it to her. "Tomorrow is you birthday, then you turn one year old." The mother beamed looking at her daughter holding one finger up to indicate her age. "Can you show me how old you're going to be?" Alex asked but Phoebe's mind drifted again and she threw the toys around in the water making the water splash all over her mother's face, laughing about her actions. "All right, no more playing more washing." Alex laughed getting Phoebe's baby soap and her white cloth.

When the two of them returned from the nursery with Phoebe dressed in a denim jeans and a white frilly t-shirt, ready for half her day at day care. Alex packed her bag, hoping she remembered everything this time and that Marci won't have to call her again for something she'd forgot to pack. "All right, say bye to Grandma, let's get going." Sita walking over to pick up her granddaughter, kissing her chubby cheeks setting her down on the floor as she walked over towards the door. Alex just threw on some sweats and brushed her teeth, planning on taking a long bath when she gets back from day care.

On their way to the shop Alex got a call from Theresa asking if there was anyone at home, because they were on their way. Not knowing her husband would work half the day as well. Informing her mother in law that by the time they'll reach the house they'll be at home. Doing last minute shopping turned into a bit too much for Alex to handle. Sita getting the last decorating ingredients for her cake that she got of the internet, and getting the princess decorations from the party store that her friends forced her to get, since she was planning on going forward without a theme. Certain that they've covered everything on the list, and that she informed Marci and some of the other parents whom she met at day care over the course of the year that her daughter's been there, about the party that's about to go down in 24 hours.

When they got back home, surprised to see her husband's car in the driveway, and the rest if his sisters. "Where's Phoebe?" Simone asked when she saw Alex get out of the car.

"Nice to see you too, Simone Booth." Alex smiled walking over to her sister in law.

"You know I greeted you in that statement also." Simone shrugged, helping her carry the bags into the house.

"She's at daycare, figured I could get some things done without the little miss being everywhere." Alex answered over her shoulder putting the things down, Ryan getting up kissing her quickly and getting the rest of the things from the car while the women continued their conversations. Making himself invisible he checked up on what time the jumping castle would be delivered in the morning, since it was something he and Caleb organized on their own, not sure how his wife would react to it but it's already paid for so there's no backing out of it now.

They all settled around the kitchen counter, as Sita continued to finish her cake, and Theresa started the cupcakes while the rest of them decorated it as it came out of the oven, each grabbing one before anyone would notice, but it was short lived as they got caught. Ryan entered from his absence, with Phoebe on his arm. She looked between al the faces and the hands that were extended each one wanting to take her, but settled for Theresa, while the others had to bribe her in order to get her to come to them. Finishing all the baking that they could master in the day, and ordering some take out since neither of them felt like cooking, they settled around on the couch as each grabbed an open spot an ate in front of the TV before calling a day, heading to their different bedrooms hoping to get enough sleep as they were amped for tomorrow.

The next morning they were all up, Amorey grabbed a cupcake covered in pink frosting and put a candle in it, walking over to the nursery where they woke Phoebe by singing happy birthday to her. The little girl woke up with a smile, intrigued by the flame on top of the cupcake as her mother picked her up. "Blow out the candle." Alex smiled keeping her hands because she was about to touch the flame, looking between all the faces in the room, and sneezed loudly, causing the candle to go out, making the grown ups laugh. "Well that counts as blowing the candle." Simone smiled as they each made their way wishing her a happy birthday.

Between answering text messages from her friends and trying to make sure everything is in place, she snuck upstairs when it seemed like everyone has a job to do in preparation. Theresa and Sita spending time with Phoebe while her aunts got to work with decorations. Closing the door behind her she walked over to Ryan who looked at her weirdly. "Are you okay?" He asked looking at her, and she sighed deeply nodding her head. "Yeah, I'm fine. Overwhelmed but I'm fine. When we first met, who would've thought we'd end up where we are now. Having a daughter who is seemingly growing up way too fast for my liking." Alex commented looking at the picture on the dressing table where Phoebe was just a few days old.

"It's crazy right. You know this morning, I woke up thinking about that morning you went into labor, how you stood in the shower and kept telling me that you're fine even though your face was scrunched up in constant pain." He smiled walking over to her, putting his hands on her shoulders from where he stood behind her. "Those nasty things you said to me when your contractions became worse." He continued and she turned around hitting his chest playfully. "Hey, you are not allowed to use that against me, I was in a hell of a lot of pain and I apologized afterwards." She justified leaning into his embrace as he held her tightly, kissing the top of her head.

Emptying packets into bowls on the tables, and setting things up Phoebe's aunts were sure making progress downstairs when Alex joined them. A knock on the door that she attended to, when Natalie and Shelby stood there willing to help, and the two of them soon joined in helping them set up. The time seemed to fly after that, because soon more people arrived, Marci from daycare together with the parents and their kids, all friendly and cheerful as they wished Phoebe who walked around dressed in a pink princess dress, with two curly pigtails. Alex was still in shock about the jumping castle that was fully inflated on the backyard and it being enjoyed by the kids. Somehow Phoebe got onto it, she had no idea how as Natalie's daughter was holding Phoebe's hands, helping her remain upright as the air shifted beneath her feet.

Shelby who took over photographer duty were all over the place capturing happy, smiling moments. Alex stepped out onto the porch greeting her guests and trying to cut herself in as many pieces as she possibly can to spend time with everyone there, while simultaneously keeping an eye on her daughter. The last thing she wanted was an injury for the birthday girl. The jumping of the other children soon became too much for Phoebe who started whining and Alex walked over and picked her up, calming her down. The parents were soon too busy socializing that they left the front door open after making too much trips to see who was there. When Joey arrived Phoebe was first to run over to him as fast as she could lifting up her arms so he could pick her up. "There's my Phoebe-girl!" He smiled kissing her head. "How old are you today?" He asked, and to his surprise she showed him one finger, the trick she and her mother had been practicing this morning.

When Alex went in to get Phoebe a snack she ws surprised to see that the gifts on the coffee table had doubled. Most of them wrapped in pink but a few of them stood out that was wrapped in bright orange and green wrapping, and another in zebra stripes. Her timing was perfect, because just then CJ started crying and she checked up on him, picking him up and soothing him, as more guests arrived. "Hello, come on through." She smiled when Hayden and his wife Camille together with their daughter Ruby who was three, and Chana who was five showed up. "When did you get this one?" Camille joked when Alex stood with CJ on her arm. "No no no we're not there yet." Alex laughed as Camiile guided her daughters out the back, and Shelby came in to check on her son, taking him from Alex and telling her that she should be outside enjoying the party not baby sitting. Nadia and Simone had the idea of handing out pink and white balloons, and bubble containers, making things more interesting, but after the fifth balloon popping incident left Phoebe in tears, her father picked her up and her grandmothers decided it was time to open some presents.

Once everyone, or most of them were inside she sat in the middle of the floor, surrounded by presents. It didn't take her long to become intrigued by the colorful paper that she started grabbing gifts randomly and teared off the paper, sticking some in her mouth making her mother rush to her rescue by taking it out of her mouth. After a few seconds of playing with the dolls that was in the first packed, Nadia handed her another one and she continued tearing the papers again, this continued for a while as some of the unwrapped presents included hairclips and headbands from Maranda, play dough, a massive pink teddy bear courtesy of Liam and a tea set from Simon amongst other things. Once the kids were all seated outside and eating, Marci walked over to Alex, handing her a rectangular package.

"On behalf of all the staff at the day care, it's a tradition to give the parents something for their child's birthday as well." Marci said and Alex teared the paper of carefully. A thick notebook, containing pictures of Phoebe and her friends from her early days until now, together with some so called artwork and handprint paintings. Smiling broadly she struggled to find the right words and gave Marci a big hug instead. The two of them laughing as Phoebe held up a pink paper plate as if it was a mirror before setting it back down again.

They all gathered around the table and sang happy birthday to Phoebe once again, while he father held her on his lap, as the one candle burnt on the cake. With some effort she finally mentioned to blow out the candle leaving everyone clapping and cheering. Ryan put her on the table and she sat down, because he wanted to respond to his cellphone buzzing in his pocket when Phoebe smashed the cake with her little hand, now full of frosting, leaving everyone laughing. "You're rebellious at one already, I don't want to know what the teenage years will hold." Nimah laughed from where she sat in the shade of the tree.

When most of the guests left, and only their close friends and relatives remained they all settled down around the table outside on the porch, eating the cake and some of the other food that was left over. Phoebe started to yawn and Ryan and Alex escaped momentarily to put their little princess to bed, lingering in the nursery just staring at her for a while before they joined the laughter outside again. Alex made a mental note to thank her husband for getting the jumping castle because once the kids weren't jumping on it anymore, the FBI family soon ended up on there, playing a newly invented ball game where they teamed up as the men played against the women. It wasn't until everyone had gone home and they settled down that Alex realized how tired she was, but besides all the tiredness how grateful she was that the day was so much fun.

Hey guys! Here's another one. Initially I wanted to save this chapter for much later, but I figured we could fast forward a bit. (Hope you're not mad at me for doing it.) My eyes are barely open anymore but I wanted to post this today before I'm ready to call it a day. Hope you enjoy.

Lovies-S