Epilogue
Payton
We did it. Months of planning, and the day is finally here. Tears threaten to spill for what feels like the millionth time since waking up this morning.
One year ago today, Gabriella Elliott Mosby was born at 2:13 p.m., weighing seven pounds and nine ounces.
“Incoming,” Rhy shouts from the other room. “Birthday Princess on the loose.” The sweetest giggles and two sets of footsteps follow his voice.
I’m pretty sure Gabby went from crawling to running. That girl keeps me and Rhy on our toes, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
As the footsteps get closer, I step out from the island, planning to intercept Gabby before she makes it to the slider. But just before she reaches me, Rhyland scoops her into his arms.
“Gotcha,” he says before blowing raspberries on her belly. Gabby laughs even harder.
“Da, da, da, da,” she babbles. I swear Rhy’s face lights up every time she says it.
Was I jealous that “ma” wasn’t her first word? Maybe a little. Especially since I was the one who carried her for nine months and all. But coming third in her list of words isn’t too bad. I had a lot of fun teasing Rhy, saying, “Nope, she’s calling for you, not me,” when she would wake up in the middle of the night calling for him. The bond they have reminds me of what I had with my dad, and it warms my heart because he treats her as if it’s his blood running through her.
“Are you ready for your birthday, Princess?” Rhyland moves her to his hip, and she rests her head on his shoulder.
“And what about you? Are you ready?” He turns his attention to me.
I laugh. “It’s here whether or not I’m ready.” I never would have made it through this year if not for him.
No, no, no, I tell the tears again. To keep my mind busy, I move back to the counter and continue putting the cupcakes around the lower tier of the three-tiered birthday cake.
“I thought you had already put the cake together. We need two? Did you end up inviting the entire town?”
A giggle slips from my lips as I shake my head. “Of course we need two. That smaller cake is for Gabby, for her cake smash, and this one is for the rest of the guests. Unless you would rather have a slice of cake covered in icing with baby drool. I can totally arrange that.”
Rhy mocks me as he closes the distance between us. “You think you’re so funny, but just you wait till everyone leaves.”
His lips press to mine, but before either of us can deepen the kiss, he pulls back.
“Looking forward to it.” My smile matches his.
“I was just thinking about the last birthday we celebrated here and how all I wanted to do was kiss you out in the open.”
“You can kiss me anytime you want.”
“Good, I plan on it.” When Rhy leans in to kiss me again, Gabby smacks his cheek.
We both laugh.
“Always my little cockblocker.” Rhy tickles her belly. “To be continued later.” He winks at me, and I nod. “We’ll let you finish in here, and I shall take the princess to her castle.”
“Just be careful not to get her too riled up. Everyone should be here shortly.” But I know my instructions fall on deaf ears because they’re already headed out the back slider toward the princess castle bounce house we rented.
I finish up with the cake and then go outside to double-check everything else is ready.
“The funcle is in the house. And that f doesn’t just stand for fun but favorite.” Ollie’s voice echoes through the house from where they enter the front door.
“We’re out here,” I shout over my shoulder as I watch Rhy encouraging Gabby to jump on her own.
“Damn, sis, the house looks like Pepto-Bismol exploded all over the house,” Ollie says as he walks out onto the back patio, Hollie right behind him with a look on her face I can’t exactly decipher. What is going on?
I roll my eyes. “It’s not that bad. And it’s not just pink. There’s also green.” You can’t have a berry first birthday themed party with strawberries, Gabby’s favorite food, without having all sorts of shades of pink.
His eyes dip down, and he chuckles. “Nice shirt.”
I smile, even though I know his compliment is more sarcastic because I went a little overboard with the theme. “Thank you. It matches the theme.” My shirt is a black T-shirt that says “mom,” but the o is a strawberry. Rhyland is wearing a matching one, but his says “dad” with the a a strawberry. I’m sure Ollie will give him just as much shit. But when he’s a dad, I know my brother will be the same, if not worse.
“Where’s the birthday girl?”
I nod over toward the bounce house Rhy and Gabby disappeared off to.
“Hell yes, this is epic.” Ollie claps his hands together, and I swear there are heart eyes in his pupils as he takes in the giant princess castle bounce house.
Hmm, not wanting to make fun of me for the décor now, huh, asshole?
“Here.” Ollie shoves a bundle of balloons and a giant gift bag into my arms before taking off toward the bounce house.
“Five bucks says we end up in the emergency room by the end of the night,” my sister-in-law says as she steps up beside me.
“Nope, I’m definitely not taking that bet.” Although I would probably take a good guess that it’ll be my brother there rather than anyone else.
“You’re no fun,” she teases and shoves my shoulder with hers.
“Thank you for coming a little earlier to help set up and grabbing some last-minute balloons.”
I know my daughter won’t remember today and all the little details, but I can’t help going overboard. The pink, white, red, and lime-green balloon arch she and I made yesterday wasn’t enough, in my opinion, so I texted my brother last minute, asking them to pick up a few more to attach to chairs and such.
“Of course.” She hesitates and pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, scrunching her brows. “Although I’m not sure you will say that when you realize what exactly it was that your brother bought.”
I follow her gaze to the balloons that Ollie had shoved at me.
My eyes nearly bug out. “What the fuck?” How did I not notice that when he first walked outside?
Hollie fails to keep her laughter at bay. And if I wasn’t dumbstruck at the moment, I’d join in.
“Did my brother seriously get balloons that resemble—”
“A dick and balls? Yes, he did. Although, in his defense, he didn’t realize it till afterwards.” Was that why he ran off to join his best friend and niece?
I stare up at the Mylar balloon in the shape of a number one with two rounded balloons at its base.
“Well, at least he only got this. We can just set it off to the side and make do with the balloon arch.”
A snort leaves Hollie, and I turn to face her with a glare and a sigh. “How many of these did he get?”
“There are five other sets in the living room.”
This time, I let my laughter slip. This is almost as ridiculous as when my brother proposed to Hollie with a diamond ring on a damn hot dog, thanks to her obsession with the Elmhurst Wiener Bandit. I’m thinking maybe he did actually do this on purpose.
“Oh my God, my daughter turns one, and she’s going to be surrounded by dicks and balls.”
“Hey, could be worse.”
“Oh yeah? How could it possibly get—” Before I get the chance to say the word “worse,” I hear Rhy say Ollie’s name in warning, followed by loud shouts and my brother coughing. Hmm, someone may have bounced the birthday girl a little too much.
“Yep, dick and ball balloons are the least of our worries today.”
Never a dull moment in the Mosby family, that’s for damn sure.