“Yep,” I answer.
“Icing cake? Where?!” Twin One asks, looking around.
“There’s a birthday party, dumb-dumb,” Twin Two says. “At the Indian lady’s house.”
Twin One’s eyes blow wide. “Party? I wanna go to a party. Is there pizza?”
“Totally!” I match his excitement. “Pizza and ice cream and chocolate and cupcakes with sprinkles.”
The boys look up at Onyx, vibrating with exuberance. “Can we go, Uncle Nyx? Pleasepleaseplease, can we go?”
“I’m gonna beat up Thor and take his hammer and pound Spiderman with it until he’s a weeny beeny spider smashed into the ground!”
“Whoa now,” Onyx admonishes. “No one’s gonna be ‘beating up’ anyone? Got that?”
They deflate as if he just popped their balloons. “Yes, Uncle Nyx.”
He sighs and shrugs in resignation, clearly not happy he got roped into this. Shooting me a look with the promise of revenge written all over it, he says, “Well, you def don’t make it easy to say no. Guess I’ll be spending the rest of my day at a kiddie’s party.”
~
Onyx tails me back to Aurora in an SUV.
I'm still baffled at my own actions—inviting him into my personal life like this. Not only does he already know too much about me after the other night, but he’s also Calvin’s distant relative. What would possess me to want to give himmoreammo?
By the time we arrive, there’s no parking space left, so I let him block me in at the curb.
I retrieve the bags of candy from the back seat and wait for him to unload the twins. Everything about him today is so strange to me. From seeing him be all disciplinary with the twins to driving a freaking SUV. I've never seen this man driveanythingother than a Harley.
With the boys on either side of him, he walks up to me, surveying his surroundings. His attention lands on the Saxena’s Deli van in our driveway.
"Huh. Never paid much attention to your name," he muses. "Saxena's…. Of course."
"Yep. That's us." I turn and point my steps in the direction of the house next door. "The party is at my sister's. I just let you block me in here since there’s no parking left.”
We jaunt across to Preeti's while the twins suck on Sour Patch Kids. Preeti's house is a modest four-bedroom two-story home with a backyard that rivals our parents'. Large enough to accommodate a bouncy house, a jungle gym with a slide, and over thirty sugar-crazed kids.
By the time we get to the backyard, the party is in full swing. Preeti is known for throwing big splash birthday parties for her daughters. Lots of unnecessary money spent if you ask me. But she delights in doing it and it always leaves her girls super happy for weeks afterward, so who cares what I think?
"Bouncy house!" Twin One shrills. And before Onyx can stop them, they’re off.
"Don't worry, they're safe," I assure him. "We hired two party hands specifically to monitor the kids."
Onyx shakes his head. "You've got no idea. Those two arerebels."
"The one with the scar on his chin is a little too perceptive for his age," I comment.
"That’s Cameron. And yeah, he is. Very smart. Not easily fooled. He surprises me sometimes."
I spot Akhil, my brother-in-law, frowning down at the empty candy bowls on the party table. "Hey, I have to go fill those candy bowls and party bags. Be right back."
"Of course." He stuffs his hands into his pockets, looking out of place. "I'll just stay here and…something."
I laugh and point a gun finger at him. "Be good now, bossman." I can feel his eyes boring holes into me as I cross the yard to the party table.
"Candy delivery," I announce to Akhil's back.
He turns and breathes a sigh of relief when he spies the bags of candies. "Oh, thank Bhagwan. I was on the verge of panicking just now. Your sister would probably have a conniption if she came out and saw no candies. You know how she gets. "
