Avery nodded as she chewed.
I braced myself for more, but nothing happened. No questions, no tears. She just watched her mom cut her food, then dug in once she was done. Sage and I stared at her for a minute, both expecting her to say something, but she didn’t.
After a deep inhale, Sage set her fork and knife on the edge of her plate and dished up her own food, then handed me the spatula.
We all ate as Avery told us about all the gifts she hoped to get tomorrow, and as I chewed and drank and listened, it hit me.
They were becoming my family.
And I didn’t want it any other way.
34
Sage
Giggles and conversation flowed through my small backyard as kids ran past mingling parents. Everyone had started arriving early based off Avery’s instruction to get here an hour before the invitation stated, which was unbeknownst to me as I opened the door to the first guest a little over forty-five minutes ago.
Callan had helped me set up the decorations last night, so at least that was taken care of, but cookies still needed to be iced, the cake still needed candles, the food hadn’t arrived yet, and my helping hands were doing the best they could to offer me assistance with all of it. Pudding was locked in Avery’s room down the hall and she was aware that she wasn’t supposed to go in there until after the party, yet I couldn’t help but glance down that way every few minutes to be sure no one was letting the cat out. The last thing I needed today, on top of everything else, was the cat getting loose again. Thankfully, we’d passed our Food Safety Inspection at the cafe with flying colors, so that was off my shoulders in time for the party.
My hair was thrown in a messy ponytail, matching my stained apron, as I’d been in the middle of the cookies when her first friend arrived.
Some of the parents had stayed, but others had dropped their kid and left, which meant everyone was under my supervision, along with the eyes of whatever other adults were here. Adults including Brandy, Oakley, and Lettie, but I wasn’t very confident in their ability to keep things under control because last I’d heard, Brandy was egging someone on to climb the tree in the middle of the backyard.
That was just what I needed—a kid to fall off a branch and end up with a broken arm.
“Is that icing meant for the cookies or you?” Callan’s voice filled the air as I used my shoulder to brush a rogue piece of hair out of my face.
I looked down at my apron, then back to the cookie I was currently mutilating with my shaky hands and runny icing. Nothing was going to plan.
“The cookies,” I mumbled.
I didn’t have time to spare a glance at Callan. Today had to be perfect for Avery.
“Hey,” Callan said. The sound of a gift bag crinkling filled my ears as he set his present down. Then he rounded the counter and grabbed the piping bag from me.
“I need to finish these,” I told him, but reluctantly let him take the bag anyway. It was sticky and covered in edible glitter.
“They’re not going to come out the way you want if you keep rushing,” he stated, as if that wasn’t obvious.
“People started arriving early,” I told him as I grabbed a paper towel off the counter to wipe my hands.
A corner of his mouth tilted down. “Avery’s doing, I take it?”
I nodded and silently wished he had been early, too. He seemed to always be calm, keeping everything together when it was so clearly falling apart.
“No one’s going to blame you if they’re not done right this second.”
“I know, but I just want it to be perfect.”
He set the piping bag on the counter and grabbed both my hands. “Avery will think today is perfect, regardless of whether every cookie is covered in pink glitter icing or not.”
He was right, but it didn’t stop me from wanting to get it all done.
I released one of his hands and went to reach for the icing, but he snatched it back. Walking me backwards, he caged me at the counter, and I frowned up at him. “I need to get back to it, Callan.”
“Breathe, Sage. You’re going a mile a minute right now. You deserve to enjoy the day, too.”
I huffed a breath, and he added, “Your little girl is six years old. Six. Think of how those years flew by.”
I did. I always did. Every day was gone in the blink of an eye, and I wanted all those moments back to treasure them just a little bit more.
“Today will be over before you know it, and all Avery is going to remember is that her mom threw her the best birthday party out of her whole class.” He reached up, brushing that damn rogue hair behind my ear. “So enjoy it with me.”
I glanced at the mess of the cookies on the counter as Brandy walked in the room from the back sliding door. Callan looked over at her.
“Hey, Brandy. Can you handle this for a minute?” he asked, gesturing to the cookies.
“On it,” she said. She was wearing one of the unicorn party hats Avery had picked out for the party, and I would’ve laughed if I didn’t feel like crying at the moment.
“Come with me,” Callan said, lacing his fingers with mine.
“Callan, I really need to—”
“Just for a minute.”
Sighing, I conceded, letting him guide me down the hall as Brandy got to work on the sugar cookies. In all reality, the kids probably didn’t need more sugar, but Avery had insisted. It was one of her favorite cookies.
“What are we doing?” I asked as he led me into my bedroom.
