13. Nate
thirteen
Nate
My phone chimes from the treadmill’s tray, and I hold the button to slow my run to a walk as Mom’s name appears in the notification. Panting as I recover from the change in pace, I tap her message and skim it.
Mom
I’ve got Quinn’s cake in the oven for Saturday, and the cupcakes are cooling now. What else do you need me to do for the party?
My eyes widen, and I come to an abrupt halt, but the treadmill doesn’t get the memo.
I stumble as I recover my footing and turn the machine off.
I click out of my messages and find my calendar app, in denial that I could have forgotten my only niece’s birthday.
When I see Saturday’s date, I close my eyes in defeat and run my hand down my face.
To be clear, I didn’t forget her actual birthday.
I know she was born on June fifteenth, I just forgot that June fifteenth is this Saturday.
Mom and I discussed Quinn’s birthday shortly after the funeral.
We decided to have a small party with our family and friends.
We thought it would be good to celebrate something happy after everything that’s happened.
But between gaining custody of Quinn, working on my house, moving her in, and going back to work, I lost track of the date.
Now I have four days until her party, and I have to work on one of them.
My mind races, trying to figure out what I need for a one-year-old girl’s birthday party.
“You okay, Nate?”
I look up from my phone and meet Miles’s concerned gaze. “Yeah, just— What do I need for a birthday party? Can I get everything at Walmart?”
He raises a brow. “I don’t know. Why are you asking me? Whose birthday is it?”
I run a hand through my hair, regretting it as my fingers come back coated in sweat from my run. “My niece is turning one on Saturday, and I have to put her party together.”
He shrugs. “I don’t know, pick up some pizzas and balloons or something.”
I nod, wiping my sweaty hand on my shirt and typing ‘balloons’ into the search bar on the Walmart app, immediately getting overwhelmed by the color options. Pink has to be the way to go. I add three packages to my cart, then close the app and open my text thread with Mom.
I’ve got everything else handled. Have you heard how many people are coming?
Before she can respond, an alarm sounds, calling my engine to a structure fire. Miles and I race into action.
I smirk as I walk into the nearly silent kitchen to find Quinn eating scrambled eggs and Lucy sipping a mug of coffee. “What? No dance party today?”
Lucy shoots me a glare over her mug. She’s been babysitting Quinn for nearly three weeks now, and I ask her the same question every morning when I get home. “Nope. Not today.”
I chuckle and shake my head, but turn my attention to Quinn as she claps and reaches for me, calling my name.
I wrap her up in a hug and plant a kiss on her cheek.
Picking up her little fork, I scoop up a bite of eggs and hold it out for her.
She grins and chews the bite with all four of her tiny teeth.
“Finish up your breakfast, Quinnie. We’ve got to get to Walmart and get some things for your birthday party on Saturday. ”
Lucy sets her mug on the counter. “Do you need me to bring anything? I don’t mind helping out.”
I hand Quinn the fork with a bite of eggs on it, laughing as she guides it clumsily to her mouth and only eats a fraction of the food on the fork. I turn to Lucy and shrug. “I’ve got the pizza and balloons handled. Mom’s bringing cake and cupcakes.”
Her eyes widen. “Is that it?”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“Pizza, balloons, and cupcakes—that’s all you have for the party?”
I blink and tuck my hands into my pockets. “What else do we need?”
She runs a hand through her hair and blows out a long breath. “Umm. What about drinks? Napkins, plates, or forks? Maybe a food option that’s not a choking hazard for the birthday girl? Maybe a few more decorations? I mean, she’s only going to get one first birthday party.”
I scratch the back of my neck and blow a breathy chuckle. “Yeah, I didn’t think about any of that. I’ll be honest, Luce, I’m a little out of my depth here. I’ve never thrown a party before, and I have no idea what I need for this.”
She nods with a look of determination, like she’s preparing herself for battle. “I’ll pack the diaper bag and get Quinn dressed. But we might need to take your car; it has more room than mine.”
My brows pull in a frown. “Take my car where?”
“Hobby Lobby, of course.”
My shoulders droop as I groan. “Not Hobby Lobby, please. My mom used to drag us around there for hours when we were kids.”
She takes a step toward me, pointing a finger in my face with a fierce glow in her deep blue eyes. “Do you want Quinn to have a memorable first birthday party?”
I sigh, closing my eyes to hide my defeated eye roll. “Yes.”
“Then you’re going to have to put on your big boy pants and suffer through it.”
I groan and let my head fall back. “Are you sure?”
The glare she points in my direction would dissolve the most hardened firefighters in my station into a puddle of tears. “I mean, yes, ma’am.”
She nods, sips her coffee, then takes Quinn’s empty bowl from the high chair tray. I nod and turn to Quinn, reaching for her. She raises her arms, and I unbuckle her and slide her out of the high chair, cuddling her close as she jabbers and pats my cheek.
Lucy sets Quinn’s dishes in the sink and takes Quinn out of my hands. “Go get ready to leave. We need to get going if we’re going to have enough time.”
My eyes widen. “It’s barely eight-thirty. I don’t think the place even opens until nine.”
She narrows her eyes. “Which is exactly when I plan to be there.”
I roll my eyes and stomp my way up the stairs, contemplating how red Lucy’s face would be if I took my time in the shower and we didn’t make it to the store by nine.