It was a sunny morning with a slight breeze; September 18th. When Joe went downstairs for breakfast, he found that Katrina had already put on coffee for him.

"Happy birthday, daddy," she said, going over to hug him and kiss his cheek. "People have been calling all morning. Grandma and Tatie Gina are coming over for lunch, and Vikky's going to swing by this evening. He has a gift for you."

With that, she took her bookbag and left for school. Joe smiled, and picked up his coffee, fresh from the brewer.


Later, at lunchtime, just like Katrina had said, Amélie and Gina, with Connor on her hip, arrived with finger sandwiches and a fruit tray. They came inside to sit down and eat.

"Alors, Joseph," said Gina, "comment sens-tu d'avoir trente-quatre ans?" (So, Joseph, how does it feel to be thirty-four?)

"J'en sais pas," said Joe, "je ne sens pas différente." (I don't know, I don't feel different.)

"Tu étais presque le même âge que Katrina quand j'étais cet âge," said Amélie. (You were close to Katrina' age when I was that age.)

Joe never thought of that. He was ten when his mother turned thirty-four, and now here he was, turning thirty-four while his daughter was ten. If the cycle continued, he would be a grandfather before he reached his sixties! He shuddered a bit. He couldn't imagine ever being a grandfather; it just made him feel old.

Connor's happy babbling snapped him back into reality. He shook his head. He was perfectly content with his present state of being a father, and an uncle.


That evening, as expected, Von Kaiser arrived around dinnertime. The three of them had takeaway rib sandwiches and fries. Once they had finished, Von Kaiser presented Joe with a small box with a red bow on top. When he opened it, it was a new phone. "Oh, Viktor, ceci c'est tellement généreux de toi." (Oh, Viktor, this is very generous of you.)

"Hier," said Von Kaiser, "helfe ich Ihnen bei der Übertragung Ihrer Daten. (Here, I'll help you transfer your data.) He connected the two phones with a cable and let them sit.

"What are we gonna do with the old one?" Katrina asked.

"Ich dachte, es würde an Sie weitergegeben werden," said Von Kaiser. (I was thinking it would be passed down to you.)

Katrina's jaw dropped. "Really?!"

For real. Once the data transfer was complete, Von Kaiser helped Katrina set up the old phone with Joe, Amélie, Gina, Annie, and his phone numbers. Joe insisted they wait until she was thirteen to set up any social media accounts.

"J'ai vraiment apprécié toutes ces choses," said Joe, kissing Von Kaiser's cheek. (I really appreciate all this.)

"Ich liebe dich, Joseph," said Von Kaiser, "und ich möchte, dass du und deine Familie glücklich sind." (I love you, Joseph, and I want you and your family to be happy.) He held his lover and his daughter close.