Collin's heart broke and everyone, even those without werewolf hearing, could have heard a pin drop when Nicole's innocent question rang through the air. Collin wanted to crawl in a hole and die, he knew everyone in the room would understand why a birthday party had not been possible with his budget being what it had been, but that didn't keep him from feeling like a terrible father.
Collin didn't know how to answer the question but he was saved when Warren said he wouldn't hear of her not having one. A sentiment Tommy, Kyle, Auriele and several wolves he didn't know very well all agreed to. She was going to have a party this year.
"What would you like for your birthday?" Tommy asked Nicole as Warren prodded about when her birthday was, what her interests were and about if she had friends in her Pre-Kindergarten class, which she did.
Nicole thought about it for a moment and answered that she wanted a new dress. This prompted Tommy to push further with a response that she could have whatever she wanted. He could see her thinking; he figured it was hard because she had already been given so many things she never dreamed she could ever have. She seemed once again hesitant to ask. Tommy gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.
"We can't get you what you want for your birthday if you don't tell us." He pointed out gently.
"I want a bicycle... a pink one." She said her voice gaining a little confidence.
Tommy looked at Collin and he nodded.
"How about after breakfast we get a piece of paper and you can make a list of things you want for your birthday, how does that sound?" Collin asked. "Sound good?"
"Yes…" her little voice was filled with excitement.
After breakfast Nicole went to get paper and a pencil but Darryl stopped Collin before he left the kitchen.
"Why didn't you tell us, her birthday was coming up?" he asked
Collin looked ashamed "I didn't want to be any more of a burden; I would have found a way to do something for her."
"Collin we're pack now." Adam said as he stepped up to join the conversation "We take care of our own, celebrating your daughter's birthday is no burden to us, believe me she will have a good birthday, between the pack and Kyle this won't be a birthday she'll soon forget."
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Nicole's birthday came around and the pack had the house decorated in pink and white, a tiered cake was set up with "Happy Birthday Nicole" written on the bottom layer in Pink on a white background. It was decorated with pink gum paste butterflies, which seemed to be a theme throughout the party. It also had a gum paste number 5 on the top to proclaim that it was her fifth birthday along with five candles spread as evenly as possible around the bottom tier. The cake itself had been purchased by Kyle from one of the most high end bakeries in the tri-cities. It was a naturally flavored strawberry sponge cake filled with fresh, all natural strawberry buttercream. He had it made this way after finding out that Nicole loved anything strawberry. The outside was coated in a thin layer of vanilla buttercream before being covered in a thin layer of fondant.
Outside in the yard a bounce house was being set up as the first guests arrived for the party.
Nicole had quite a few friends and Collin had called several parents to invite them for the party. He had explained that he lived at the Hauptman house which made a few parents a little nervous given Hauptman was a known werewolf. He set their minds to rest with an explanation of the protective instincts of a werewolf that meant the children would be perfectly safe.
They were expecting around 10 families that day not counting those that were pack which brought the number up to 50 people total.
Collin had been nervous about the day but now he was so relieved that she was getting her first proper birthday party that she would recall. The day went spectacularly, with her getting a princess training bicycle, along with helmet and pads. Several new dresses from various pack members. Then there was Kyle who gave her a princess backpack that was filled to capacity with reading books, coloring books, crayons, games and puzzles all centered around a theme of princesses, along with several outfits from a boutique near where he lived. All in all Collin felt Kyle had spent far too much on them, to which Kyle replied that spoiling her was a pleasure, and that as one of the most prominent divorce lawyers in Washington State he could more than afford to splurge on a little girl's birthday.
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Right before the full moon Tommy was reunited with two of the many people he had been forced to deceive. They had been shocked to learn he was alive, but, to everyone's relief, they forgave him.
During the full moon they learned that the Adam's mate, Mercy, was pregnant with her first child. After that Hayley returned to her small business in California and, Tommy's adopted daughter, Kira moved from her New York apparent into Tommy's house citing she could no longer afford the rent and that it wasn't that safe for her to live in the complex alone while a burglar is targeting residents. The pack couldn't find reason to argue with her logic so they welcomed her as much as they did any child of a wolf in the pack.
The first Sunday after Kira moved in she was invited to join them for Sunday breakfast. She reluctantly came.
Nicole was doing her usual cruising around greeting pack members she knew and introducing herself to the ones she didn't, which were growing fewer in number every week, then she came across Kira, who greeted her very nicely and began to talk with her about music, which he found out was Kira's passion. He knew Nicole liked to listen to music and was considering getting her some form of music or dance lessons when she got a little bit older and finances improved a little more.
Kira sat with Nicole as the meal was served and it became clear that Nicole liked Kira almost as much as she seemed to like Tommy.
Collin was becoming more and more concerned about the situation with Tommy as it became clear that Hayley, the woman that had left a few days earlier, was the woman Tommy's wolf had chosen to be their mate. Collin figured it was only a matter of time before they said goodbye to Tommy and he feared it would break Nicole's heart to say goodbye to Tommy.
He tried not to listen in as Tommy explained to Adam that he was having more and more trouble staying in Washington with Hayley in California as he wanted her with him. It was hard for him to sleep for his wolf's mourning his mate. A cold knot formed in Collin's stomach, he saw where this was going, Tommy was gearing up to say goodbye and go to his mate.
To Be Continued…