The girls’ laughter carries through the open kitchen window. Audrey rounds them out of the pool, handing out towels to Maisie and her friends. I hold back tears as I push the last candle into the cake. Amira made it, and I’m continually impressed with her skills. The two-tiered white cake has a rainbow waterfall cascading over the side, falling into a pool of rainbow frosting. It’s extravagant for a ten-year-old, but then again, so is taking her to Disneyland. And so is building a pool so she could have a pool party, but that’s what her step-dad did. She’s not normally this spoiled, but we all went a little overboard for this birthday. Double digits is a big deal.
It’s still hard to believe our little girl is ten. Harder still to believe we call her ‘our’ little girl. It took a long time for all of us to fall into our respective parenting roles, but I’m glad we put in all the work.
Even more so, I’m glad for the whole tribe of kids we now have in our little circle. Maisie has her cousins, and most importantly she has her siblings. The ones I knew she deserved but could never give her. When Audrey announced she was pregnant, Maisie was beside herself with joy. She loves her brothers with all her heart. Surprisingly, I do, too.
Just not quite as much as I love Maisie.
My favourite part of the week is when we go to ballet class together. Every Monday, whether she is with us for the week or not, I pick her up from school and take her dancing. Our tradition started five years ago, and I’ve never missed a class since. I hope she never wants to stop.
Cal kisses the nape of my neck as I light the candles. A gentle shiver washes over me, my fingertips tingling as I take in the moment. I never thought I’d end up here, and I’m grateful every day.
“You okay?”
Placing the lighter down, I shift to face him. “More than,” I whisper as I plant a kiss on his lips.
I reach up behind his neck, tugging his hair as I tilt my head. My lips part and together we deepen the kiss. It’s the kind of all knowing, all-consuming kiss we’ve had countless times over the years, but every time Callum kisses me, my knees go weak.
We lose time, lost in our kiss, until I hear the sparkler extinguish. Pulling away from Callum’s embrace, I take another one from the box.
Once it’s lit, Callum picks up the tray.
“Happy Birthday to you …”
The girls sing as soon as they see the cake, crowding around the birthday girl.
I hang back, finding somewhere to sit. I squeeze between Noah and Amira and throw my arms around Amira’s growing belly.
“How’s the little munchkin?” I ask.
“She’s perfect.”
Amira rubs her hands over her stomach, stretching her back into me.
“Heavy though,” she whines.
Noah rolls his eyes with a huff. Standing, he roughs his hand through Amira’s hair before strolling off towards Callum and the guys. Madison waddles over, one hand rests on her own swelling middle, the other holding a plate of cake large enough to share. She sits in Noah’s place, handing us forks.
“You should add this flavour to the shop’s cake list,” she says with a mouth full of icing.
Since opening the coffee cart, Betty Blooms Boutique has continued to evolve. After a few months, we rebranded to become “Betty’s.” Amira’s love for baking spread further into the business. As well as flowers and coffee, we now offer a full range of sweet treats, from donuts to macarons, to full sized cakes. When the gift shop next door closed down, we took over the space—and some of the stock—and spread even further.
We now have five employees, and I can’t think about our success without tears forming in my eyes. All of it, from one coffee craving influencer who planted the tiny seed of an idea.
The sound of laughter and splashing from the pool brings me back to the present.
“Look at what we have,” Amira muses.
My gaze shifts between Maisie and Callum, and I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face.
