Epilogue
“Carry the potato salad and fruit salad out back and put them on the table,” Jamie told Todd as he finished putting the rolls and buns in their bowl. “Can you take that out?” he asked Kenny, who grinned and carried the bowl as though it contained something precious.
“Is there going to be cake?” Kenny asked with a touch of worry that tugged at Jamie every time he heard it. There were still times when Kenny woke up from a nightmare, but they were fewer and fewer.
“What did I promise you?” Jamie asked.
“Chocolate cake with chocolate icing,” he repeated. “But I don’t see it.”
“That’s because it’s not here yet.” Jamie had asked a neighbor, who happened to have been a pastry chef some time ago, to make the cake, and he had promised something wonderful with raspberry filling.
Jamie hadn’t known what to put on the cake, so he left that up to Dominic.
All he knew was that Kenny was too excited for words.
“Now, take the rolls out and come back because I have more for you to do.” The guests would start arriving at any time.
“What’s next?” Todd asked. The backyard had been set with tables and chairs under the trees with a food table on the covered porch.
“Bring out the coolers. They’re inside the back door.
I’ll send Kenny out with cups and stuff.
” They shared a quick kiss before he started pulling out the veggie tray, cheeseboard, and dips, which he had carried out as well.
He wasn’t sure how Todd would arrange things, but by the time the food was out and the guests arrived, everything looked super nice.
He’d gotten balloons, so they decorated the space, and he had a gift table all set up, along with prize bags for the kids.
“Knock, knock,” Dominic called through the screen door, and Jamie hurried and let him in. “I have the cake.” He came through the house and set it on the table. Then they exchanged hugs before Dominic and his partner, Dan, got the cake out of the box.
“Oh wow,” Jamie said. Dominic had put Cindy on the cake.
“He’s going to love that. Let’s leave it on the dining room table for now.
We can bring it out when it’s time.” It would also keep the cake out of the heat.
It was mid-September, but the days were still warm.
“There are drinks out back, as well as snacks and food. Help yourself.”
“What else is there?” Todd asked.
“I think it’s all set.” He took him in to see the cake, and Kenny ran in, sliding to a stop in front of the table.
“Yummy,” he said, and Jamie stopped him from running a finger through the icing.
“You need to wait until dessert. Now, go on out back and greet all your guests as they get here.” Jamie had invited the neighbors, people he worked with that Todd and Kenny knew, as well as a few people who worked with Todd. The party included a few kids from Kenny’s class as well.
Todd and he had talked a lot about where to place Kenny in school.
He had tested at the second-grade level in math and reading.
His writing was behind but catching up. They had decided to put him in kindergarten to start because he needed to socialize with other kids and get used to being in school.
He spent the mornings with his class and the afternoons with a tutor to help him with his writing.
And two times a week, Adrianna came in to work with him on his French, which he soaked up like a sponge.
The thought was that next year they would reevaluate where to place him, but for now, this was working.
Jamie’s biggest fear was that Kenny would get bored.
Currently, he seemed happy, which was all Jamie really wanted.
“Poppy, look,” Kenny said as he joined Todd out back. The first time Kenny had called him that, Jamie had grinned and hugged Kenny before excusing himself to get a tissue. “The presents,” he added in a stage whisper.
“Yes. It’s your birthday. Those are for you,” Jamie told him as Dan added a gift bag to the growing cluster of gifts. Like most kids, Kenny was fascinated by dinosaurs, so Jamie had a pretty good idea that Dan had used his 3D printer to make some for Kenny.
“Really?” Kenny asked, his eyes growing wide.
“Yes. Now go and play with your friends. We’ll open gifts later.” Andrea’s son and daughter were there, along with other neighborhood kids. Jamie had enlisted one of the older girls, Beth, to help organize some games. He’d slipped her a few bucks, and she was corralling them for a game of tag.
“It’s a wonderful party,” Todd said as he slid an arm around his waist.
“I hope so.”
Todd had blossomed in the past four months.
He was more confident in many ways, though there were still some holdovers.
Jamie pretended that he didn’t know about the jar of cash that Todd kept in the very back corner of the closet.
It was his business, and if it made him feel safer, then who was he to say anything about it.
His work was going well. Todd had been trained as a forklift operator and was working on his certification.
They had also found a good, but quite unstylish, used car.
The old Honda wasn’t a looker, but she got him back and forth to work, and Todd was saving for something newer, but that would take time.
Just like everything else. For now, time was on their side, and he and Todd had plenty of it.
“Thank you,” Todd said softly.
“For what?” he asked with a smile.
“Well….” Todd seemed at a loss for words, but Jamie got it and knew what he meant. For everything.
“You’re welcome….” For everything and anything that was to come.