“Because Quinley Banks knows I’m a crazy bitch who will murder a cake if she talks smack about me again.”

“Oh shi—eesh.” His shoulders were shaking.

“The boys play sometimes, but we keep to our corners.”

“And you don’t let her come to his party because you’re worried she’ll retaliate? Throw Biyen’s cake on the grass?”

“I paid a lot for the vegan, T-rex decal that I had to fix myself because they spelled his name wrong. Again.”

Over at the porch, laughter went up and Biyen said, “We can’t.”

“Of course, you can,” Gramps insisted, leaning forward in his chair to point at the little packages of jelly beans. “Take the black ones out and put the rest in the goody bags.”

“You can have this one,” Imogen said helpfully. “I counted. It’s extra.” She held up a package that Sophie knew held half a dozen jelly beans. “It has a black one.”

“I don’t like the other colors, only the black ones. Fetch the scissors, Biyen.” Gramps was having as much fun as the kids with this performance. “We’ll nip the corner off each of these and I’ll take the black one. I’ll eat them before the kids get here. No one will ever know.”

“No!” The kids were all giggling. “They’ll fall out.”

“So?”

“You can’t have sugar, Gramps,” Biyen reminded him.

“You came back for Art, didn’t you?” Logan said.

While she’d been grinning at the shenanigans on the porch, he’d been watching her. A sense of transparency had her folding her arms.

“He was missing Mom as much as I was. I thought I’d visit for a week or so, but I could see how much he’d aged.” A tiny tremor entered her voice as she accepted her grandfather would not be here forever. “I came pretty close to quitting when Tiffany started turning this place upside down, though. Gramps or no Gramps. Then Em showed up and she’s been such a good friend, I couldn’t abandon her.”

“Yeah, Em’s pretty great.”

“But I’m worried about Gramps. He’s been… I thought it was grief over your dad, but he’s… I don’t know. Tired, I guess. Can I ask you a favor?”

“Of course.” He sobered with concern.

“I’m going to make him a doctor appointment. He always says he doesn’t want to put me out, because I’m always busy with work and Biyen. Maybe if you said you were going over to Bella Bella anyway? Then he wouldn’t have an excuse not to go.”

“Done,” he assured her.

“Thanks. Oh. Here we go.” She nodded at the kids walking up the driveway, all carrying wrapped gifts. “Fasten your seatbelt and put your tray table up.”

*

The chaos of sugar-saturated children reigned for two hours.

Logan helped get hot dogs into them, then sparked a tantrum in Storm when he wouldn’t let her have a bite of his.

“I put hot mustard on it,” he argued, but no, he had betrayed her with his selfishness. He would not be forgiven. Ever.

“Umm-umma,” she cried pitifully and reached for Emma.

“Poor thing. Come sit with me. Look, I brought your cereal,” she said of the toasted O’s she produced from the diaper bag.

Storm settled between Emma’s legs on a blanket and chased spilled O’s while everyone sang “Happy Birthday” to Biyen and his cake was served.

The kids all sat on the grass to eat while they watched Biyen open his presents. They were a predictable assortment of LEGO kits and dinosaurs, books and a stuffed spirit bear that the Kiwi kids had picked up while away on their cruise.

“Cooper. Imogen,” Emma called softly, waving them closer.

They came over very distracted, watching over their shoulder for the last present to be unveiled.

Emma whispered something to them.

Imogen’s eyes popped wide. “Yes.”

“Okay, shh. Go give this to him. It’s a secret, Cooper.” Emma touched her lips.

He nodded, but his eyes were alight with excitement. Both children moved to sit right in front of Biyen.

“You already gave me the bear.” He took the mysterious little box. It didn’t rattle or jangle, though he gave it a shake to see if it would.

Sophie seemed to know what it was because she was watching closely, anticipation playing around her smile.

Cooper looked over at Emma. Emma touched her lips again in a reminder.

Logan was silently urging the kid to hurry up because his curiosity was getting the better of him.

Biyen tore the wrapping and revealed a box of baby swabs. His brow quirked up in puzzlement.

“That’s not a real box. Is it, Auntie Em?” Imogen asked.

“No, look inside, Biyen.”

“Is it a secret message?” He slid the drawer of the box and withdrew a rolled-up piece of paper with a ribbon on it.

“Read it,” Sophie urged.

“Do you want to come to Vancouver with us and see the dinosaur ex-hi…”

“Exhibition,” Sophie provided.

“Really?” Biyen didn’t know where to look. His head almost snapped off as he looked between his mom and Emma and the kids. “When?”

Logan felt a chuckle of pure enjoyment fill his chest. That was about the greatest thing ever, to see a kid get that excited.

“This weekend,” Reid provided. “I decided to go with Emma when she takes everyone to catch their flight. There’s room on the plane so we thought you might like to come, too.”

“And stay at a hotel,” Imogen said with suitable awe. “Do you want to?”