CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Thatcher
Theo’s party was a huge success. Carrie always invited our best friends to stay well past the party was over for what she liked to call ‘the after party.’ That’s when the heavy appetizers and the adult beverages came out, and the grownups were able to relax as the kids had a blast with each other.
As night wore on and the screams of laughter from the children started to lose some of their steam, I looked at Carrie and she nodded.
It was time for the after party to come to a close.
It was hard to say goodbye to such an awesome party and great weekend, but I didn’t want Theo to fall asleep standing up.
“Okay, y’all, I hate to do it, but I think the after party has officially come to a close,” Carrie said.
She’d poured candy of all kinds from the ‘candy bar’—a table she’d set up to look like an old-fashioned candy store—into the treat bags for the kids long ago.
The moms and dads had tucked the bags away for another day, knowing the children had reached their sugar and fun limit.
Blair was the last to leave. “I can come over tomorrow to help with the clean up,” she said, helpful as always.
Carrie nodded in relief. “That would be great. I was going to ask you to bring the kids back over tomorrow anyway. We have the bounce house for another day, so they might as well enjoy it.”
Blair’s children cheered quietly, aware of their youngest sibling sleeping safely in Blair’s arms. Her sixth child had come as a surprise.
She swore she was done now, but I had my doubts.
She was the quintessential mom. But six kids?
I didn’t know how she and Scott did it. Carrie and I had difficult moments managing one child.
And really, Scott didn’t help much that I’d ever seen.
It was all Blair, all the time. Her kids adored her, though, and she never even seemed very stressed or tired.
We waved as we said goodbye and closed the gate. There was always a strange let down at the end of a great party. This one was no different, and I saw Theo’s lower lip start to tremble. Poor guy was worn out.
“Hey, bud,” Carrie leaned down. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t want the party to be over. And I don’t want Daddy to leave.”
Carrie’s eyes shot to mine, and I grinned. This was going to be fun.
“Guess what?” I said, as I knelt down to get on his level. “Ms. Blair is coming back over tomorrow and bringing your friends to come jump in the bounce house some more.”
“And y’all can play Candy Land again,” Carrie said.
The main activity of the party had been Carrie holding up giant Candy Land cards she’d made and the kids moving through the winding path to the castle bounce house as they played the game as living game pieces.
Their favorite part was when someone got stuck in the foggy, mysterious Licorice Lagoon.
Well, that and jumping in the bounce house.
Theo grinned but rubbed his eyes and yawned. “That’ll be fun.”
“And there’s even more. I’m not going home tonight. I’m going to stay here with you and Mommy,” I said.
Theo’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yeah, kiddo.” I ruffled his hair and stood up. “I’m staying.”
He smiled, and it might have been the biggest one we’d seen all day. Then the three of us walked inside holding hands with Theo in the middle.
And everything finally felt right in our little world.
THE END