“What the hell were we thinking letting a toddler loose in the store?” Jude asked, depositing the bags and slumping into his usual seat at the kitchen table.
Cope walked into the kitchen carrying the toddler in question. “It’s her party, Jude. Lizbet should be able to pick out her own theme.” Cope set Lizbet down and she ran off into the living room when she heard Wolf turn on the television.
“No arguments here, but LizzyB picked outtenthemes!” Jude snorted. “We all knowFinding Nemois her favorite movie. All we had to do was chuck Nemo stuff in the shopping cart and call it a day. But, nooooo, you had to set our mini Godzilla loose on humanity.”
“Lizbet isnota mini Godzilla!” Cope laughed.
“Oh, no?” Jude asked, sounding snarky. He reached for the bag in front of him, grabbing the first thing his hand landed on. “Little Mermaidcake plates.” He tossed them onto the table. “Sleeping Beautynapkins.Toy Storygift bags. Nemo toys to go in the bags. Lilo & Stitch cups. Princess table cloths. Snow White party hats.” Jude opened the package and strapped one to his forehead, making him look like a deranged unicorn. Stop the insanity!” Jude shouted dramatically.
“Honey, youarethe insanity.” Cope grabbed the items and the hat Jude was wearing and shoved them back into the bag.
“Not funny.” Jude wore a grumpy look. “I just want Lizbet to have a great time at her party. Make memories that will last a lifetime. Squeal when she sees my present. You know, all that kind of hippy dippy bullshit.”
Cope opened his mouth looking like he had a comeback loaded and ready to fire at Jude, but he shook his head and walked toward the laundry room with the party bags.
Jude knew the best place to hide things in their house was in the cabinets above the washer and dryer. Jude could reach the storage spot easily, but Cope, who was half a foot shorter, had to stand on tiptoes just to reach the door knobs. The kids couldn’t see the top of the dryer even if they stood on a stool with Lizbet on Wolf’s shoulders, like something out of anI Love Lucyepisode. The hiding place was safe until Wolf hit a major growth spurt.
When Cope walked back to the table he carried the party invitations and the books of stamps they’d picked up after the trip to the party store. He poked through the pens in the mug on the counter and came back to the table with two.
Jude didn’t like the look of this. Cope was going to ask him to pitch in with the invitations. He had worse penmanship than doctors.
“I’ll write the invitations. You can address the envelopes and add the stamp.” Cope opened the first package of invitations and divvied them up.
“Who are we inviting?” Jude asked, scrolling through his list of contacts on his phone. “I’ve got like two hundred names here.” Jude wasn’t kidding. Between all their friends, other privatedetectives, Salem and Boston Police officers, parents from Wolf’s school and Lizbet’s preschool, the contacts were legion.
“Ourfriends, doofus!” Cope chuckled. “I don’t think the septic tank guy would come anyway and I damn sure wouldn’t want him to be the one scooping ice cream.”
Jude burst out laughing. “Hard pass.” Instead of addressing the envelopes, he pulled up pictures from the day Lizbet was born. “She was so tiny.” He turned his phone around to show Cope. Lizbet was swaddled in a pink blanket and wore a matching hat.
“That was the first picture I took of her when I met her in the maternity ward.” Cope blinked rapidly. Jude knew his husband was trying to keep from crying.
“This picture was waiting for me when I woke up after I died.” Jude snorted.
“You didnotdie!” Cope protested.
“Oh, yes I did! I was flatlined. Ronan and Fitz both told me I was touched by an angel. Well, Ronan did, Fitz said the devil didn’t want me and sent me back.” The night Lizbet was born, Jude had been attacked by a serial killer who’d been stalking their prey at Salem Mercy Hospital. In the aftermath of the near fatal attack, Cope had received a call from the Department of Youth and Family Services asking if he and Jude were able to foster an infant girl. While Jude was recovering from his death with Ronan and Fitz by his side, Cope was in the maternity ward meeting Lizbet for the first time. “That little girl pushed me to get better. From that moment on, I did everything the doctors and nurses said. The only thing that mattered was getting home to you, Wolf, and our daughter.
“Da!” Lizbet shouted from the living room.
Jude knew what that tone of Lizbet’s voice meant. Snacks and drinks on the double. “Coming Doodlebug!” He grabbed and peeled a banana, before slicing it into Lizbet-sized pieces. Next he cut up an apple for Wolf and got each child a juice pouch. “Okay, here’s the grub.”
“’Nana!” Lizbet reached for one of the banana rounds. She offered Jude a big smile before taking a dainty bite.
“Thanks, Dad!” Wolf hugged Jude. “I can wait for Lizbet’s party. She’s gonna be so surprised when she sees her presents.”
“She sure is, buddy.” Jude poked each of the kids, making them giggle before heading back into the kitchen.
Taking a seat at the table, Jude got to work addressing the party invitations. “We need to talk about summer vacation. The kids get out in two months. What’s your plan for the kids and work?”
“I’m not sure. Kaye said she was willing to help out with the kids, but not full time. We’re gonna have to find a camp for Wolf. One that Aurora and Everly would enjoy too.”
“Isn’t it a little late for that? Is it gonna be like selling Halloween candy in August and all that’s left to buy in October are the things no one likes? I don’t want Wolf going to the Almond Joy of summer camps.”
Cope chuckled. “Registration doesn’t open until May fifteenth. They do it on purpose so that every kid has the opportunity to attend the camp they want. I printed out the list last night. We’ll get the big kids together and see which ones they like the best.”
“What are we gonna do with Lizbet?” Jude didn’t like the idea of splitting his kids up, but knew his daughter wouldn’t be old enough to attend the same camp as Wolf.
“Ten said there are going to be openings at the preschool Ezzie attends. They bring on more staff during the summer. I’ve got our name on the list. If we can get Lizzy B into that school, Ten and I can carpool the kids there. We’ve started adding more reading times to the books for the summer months, but they’re going to be virtual, over Zoom. We’ll alternate days so that when I have readings, Ten will have the kids and vice versa.”
