Greyson
It was hard not to laugh at Skylar as she struggled to blow up what must have been the fiftieth purple balloon in the package. Her cheeks expanded like a puffer fish and her eyes went wide as she pushed as much air as she possibly could out of her lungs and through the tiny opening of the balloon. She pinched it closed and took a few quick breaths before committing to it again and finishing off the balloon. Then she tied it and let it fall to the floor with the forty nine others she and I had already done.
“Okay, no more,” she said breathlessly. “I think I’m going to pass out if I keep going.”
“Want to sit down for a minute?” I suggested.
Skylar shook her head and tightened her ponytail at the top of her head. “No, no time. I still have to make the punch and ice the cupcakes before we go to the airport. I don’t know where the morning went.” She pressed the back of her hand to her forehead as she looked around the living room.
We had spent the last four hours decorating for Gwen’s first birthday. There were helium balloons in the corners in the shapes of babies and the giant number ‘1’. Purple and pink streamers hung from all the beams on the ceilings, and sparkly confetti was all over the place. It looked like a fairy had flown through the place and vomited glitter everywhere.
“Don’t stress,” I said, reaching out and taking her hands in mine. “Everything is perfect. Everyone will have a good time. What can I do? How about I ice the cupcakes?”
Skylar chewed the inside of her cheek as she looked up at me. I could tell that she was clearly not okay with the idea of me icing the cupcakes.
“Okay,” I said slowly, “How about I make the punch? Is there a recipe?”
Skylar nodded.
“Okay. I’ll do the punch. You do the cupcakes. Whoever finishes first gets Gwen up from her nap and changes and feeds her. Then we hit the airport. It will all work out.”
Skylar nodded to herself. “You’re right. Okay. Let’s do this.” She clapped her hands together like she was the coach of a high school basketball team. “Go!”
We both hurried into the kitchen. Skylar found me the punch recipe and I set to mixing all the ingredients in a massive pink glass bowl. I hadn’t realized what I was getting myself into, and soon found myself standing and cutting oranges and strawberries to drop into the punch.
Skylar finished icing the cupcakes before I finished the punch and she went to get Gwen. I listened to her talk to the baby as she changed her upstairs, and then she came down to feed her. While she did that I set up the car seat in the backseat of the car and loaded it up with the diaper bag.
“We should be ready to go,” I said, glancing at my wristwatch. “And we have six minutes to spare. Look at that. We’re pros.”
Skylar smiled and blew a loose strand of hair out of her face. Her cheeks were flushed as she lifted Gwen up, planted a kiss on her forehead, and then grabbed her purse. “Let’s go then.”
The drive to the airport was short. Gwen enjoyed being in the car and was only fussy when we took her out. She squirmed and grunted a bit while we waited for Renee in the airport, but once she was out of her carrier and in Skylar’s arms she settled down. Skylar bounced her on her hip as we waited for her sister to arrive.
I saw her coming and nudged Skylar with my elbow. “I see her, just through there.” I pointed between the shoulders of a young couple ahead of us, and then flagged Renee down.
She grinned when she saw me and hurried towards us. She let go of her luggage and rushed forward with outstretched arms.
Naturally, she went to Gwen first.
“Hello my favorite niece!” Gwen cried, taking her from Skylar. “Oh my goodness you’re getting heavy! Look at you, you big birthday girl. I can’t believe you’re one already!” Renee looked up at us. “Hi guys, thanks for picking me up.” She leaned in and hugged Skylar, and then me.
“I hate to rush you,” Skylar said, “But we have to get back to the house. People will be arriving for the party in less than an hour.”
“Cutting it a little close, no?” Renee asked as she play-tickled Gwen, who laughed hysterically.
I grabbed Renee’s bags. “A little. I had no idea what I was getting myself into with this whole birthday party thing. Your sister went a little nuts.”
Skylar glared at me.
“With the decorations and stuff, not actually nuts,” I amended quickly.
“Right,” Skylar said, the corner of her mouth twitching with a smile she was trying to hide.
We arrived back at the house with fifteen minutes to spare. Renee dumped her bags in the spare bedroom and rushed to step in and help with all the last minute party stuff. She set the cupcakes out on a tray and grabbed all the food we had prepared the night before from the fridge. She uncovered all the platters and set them out on the dining room table.
She also placed napkins and plates out, as well as cutlery. She put her hands on her hips when she was done and nodded confidently to herself. “There,” she said, “We’re good to go. Right?”
Skylar looked around while gnawing on her bottom lip anxiously. “I think so. Greyson, is anything missing? Did we forget anything?”
“Don’t think so, babe. It looks great. Everyone will have a great time.” I reached for a strawberry on one of the fruit platters and Renee slapped my hand away. “Ouch,” I said, pulling my hand away and cupping it to my chest. “That’s my food, you know. I paid for it.”
“No touching before the party starts. You’ll ruin the presentation,” Renee said.
“One strawberry will ruin the presentation?”
“It could,” Renee said.
“Party planning is clearly a sensitive matter for the Lindell women,” I said, “So I’m just going to stand in the corner and wait for people to show up. I’m afraid to do something wrong.”
“At least you’re a fast learner,” Renee joked before sticking her tongue out at me.
I was relieved when the party guests started to arrive, because my stomach was growling and the food laid out on the table all looked so good. There was a spinach dip, nachos, crab dip, fruit and veggie platters, a meat platter, and a variety of other snack foods.
It was way too much food for the few close friends we had invited to celebrate Gwen’s first birthday with us.
Meek made a significant dent in it all, which made Skylar happy. She filled his plate for him a couple times, until eventually he had to tell her that he was stuffed and if he ate one more bite of anything he would implode. I took the plate from Skylar she had offered him and set to emptying it.
I nudged Meek and nodded at Gwen, who was sitting on a blanket in the middle of the living room surrounded by wrapping paper from the presents she had opened. She found the paper and bows far more interesting than any of the toys she had received.
“Crazy to think she’s one already, hey?” I said.
“It is,” Meek said, nodding slowly. “It seems like only yesterday that you told me Skylar was pregnant. Remember that?”
“Of course I remember that,” I said.
“You cried,” Meek said, giving me a sideways look as he grinned at me.
I looked at my plate. “I was really happy, okay?”
Meek chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest. “I know. I know. But I won’t ever forget.”
“I would expect nothing less,” I said as I cleared the final bite of nachos from my plate. I watched as Skylar went and sat behind Gwen. She began crinkling the wrapping paper and teasing Gwen with it. Gwen squealed with delight and reached out with wide spread fingers to her mother.
Skylar tickled her and giggled, and the two of them proceeded to play in the pile of wrapping paper.
“You’re a lucky man, Greyson,” Meek said.
I looked over at my friend and realized I had been smiling as I watched my girls. “I am,” I agreed.
“You were right about her all along. Skylar, I mean. You knew as soon as you saw her that you had to meet her. I remember laughing at you about it. I thought you were mental. It seemed so irrational to me at the time. But now I see why you did it. She’s your perfect match.”
“She is,” I said. “Somehow I’m more in love with her now than I ever was. I didn’t think that would ever be possible. It’s insane.”
Meek nodded slowly. “She feels the same way about you. I can tell by how she looks at you.”
Just then, Skylar looked up at me. She froze and our eyes locked. Gwen plucked a piece of tissue paper out of Skylar’s hand and gave a triumphant little cry.
I grinned, and so did Skylar.
Renee joined Skylar and Gwen on the floor and I watched as the three of them continued to play. Soon paper was being tossed up in the air, and Gwen was looking up at it like it was something magical. I was always astounded when I watched her. Everything new was a wonder.
Gwen reached her hands above her head as the tissue floated down towards her. She giggled as it landed on her head, and then she looked back and forth. A small panicky sound came out of her and Skylar plucked the tissue from her head and cried “Voila!”
Gwen squealed with laughter, wobbled, and then rolled on to her back as she lost balance.
Everyone laughed.
I nudged Meek and handed him my plate. Meek took it and seemed to know exactly what I was doing.
I went to the middle of the living room and sat down beside Gwen. I picked her up and lifted her high in the air. She smiled down at me and laughed gleefully when I tossed her gently up and down, then guided her through the air like she was an airplane. Skylar watched on with a smile curving her lips as I played with our daughter.
Soon Gwen tired of all the games and was content to lay in my lap. I was still on the floor in the living room as the guests started to leave. Everyone peered over my shoulder to say goodbye to Gwen and wish her happy birthday once more.
Gwen was asleep by the time the door closed behind Meek, who was the last guest to leave. Once everyone was gone Skylar and Renee collapsed on the couch in front of me.
Skylar put her heels up on the coffee table and let out a deep breath. “That went well,” she said.
“See? I told you it would all be fine,” I said.
She nodded and rubbed at her eyes. “I know. You were right, as always. But now I feel like I could sleep for days. That took everything out of me.”
“Have a nap,” I suggested, “I’ll clean this all up. It won’t take me long. Gwen is ready to be put down for a nap, too. By the time you wake up the house will be back in order and we can all have dinner together. Maybe we’ll order in.”
“I could go for some pizza,” Renee chimed in.
“Sure,” Skylar said, “But I’ll help you clean.”
“No,” Renee said, “You sleep, Greyson and I can handle this. Right Greyson?”
I nodded. “Absolutely. It won’t take us long at all. Besides, I’m not tired.”
Renee grinned at Skylar, who looked like she could fall asleep right then and there on the couch. “Okay,” she said hesitantly, “But leave the dishes for me. I’ll do them when I get up.”
“Uh huh, sure thing,” I said.
But Renee and I exchanged a knowing look. We would clean the whole house. Skylar deserved at least that for throwing such a perfect first birthday for our little one.