“Happy birthday, Famke,” Nyx shoved a box across the table.
Famke opened the package and took to laughing. “No way.”
“Remember when you went to the doctor, and you were complaining how the mood swings aren’t getting better despite the medication adjustments and sometimes you wanted to punch Royal in the face for breathing loudly? Now you can.” Nyx was proud of herself as Famke showed off the children’s version of a stand-up punching bag, she’d specially ordered with Royal’s face on it.
Royal took the box from her and grinned, “it’s saying something about my ego isn’t it, when I’m proud of the fact I’ve been made into a toy?” The table laughed at his comment. “You don’t need this, baby girl. We can duke it out anytime you like. Wrestling would be preferred.” His inuendo wasn’t missed by a single adult at the table and he rubbed his shin as the toe of her shoe connected with it. “Or keep the punching bag.”
“Mine next,” Cliff pushed a small box towards her.
“As a matter of fact, she did help me. She came to the mall with me yesterday.” Cliff didn’t look away from the smiles of his family. Pandora was a woman who came to the coffee shop ahead of the custody battle to write an article about the shops and Keshaun for a local business magazine. She’d returned to the shop multiple times after and it wasn’t long before they all realized she was there to scope out Cliff.
Famke opened the box and smiled at the earrings inside. “These are great!”
“Bram told me your Mom always wore little pearl earrings. I thought you might like those.”
“Thank you, Cliff.” She immediately removed the earrings she sported and put in the ones he bought. She turned to Precious, “how do they look?”
“Beautiful.” Precious grinned widely. “My present is in my bedroom.”
“Right.” She and Royal were still reeling with what they’d uncovered when they’d snuck a peek earlier. The child created an entire painting of her dream family, including Famke, Royal, Precious, two babies in strollers, which freaked them both out, a dog, and a cat. The issue, aside from the twins and animals, was the painting covered an entire wall in Precious’s bedroom. She’d drawn an elaborate mural using her water paints. There was water and paint everywhere. They’d backed out of the room and decided not to mention it until later. She blinked as she realized Jubi asked her something. “Sorry. I was reliving a past trauma. What did you say?”
“I said open mine next,” Jubi scowled, “What past trauma?”
“I think I know,” Royal almost moaned as he met her eyes and they both realized the mess waiting at home.
“I did.”
She lifted out the textbook she’d been on the fence about. “Jubi.”
Her comment was double edged as she glared at Keshaun.
“I said I don’t accept your apology.”
“I don’t want it now.” She glared at him, “don’t do this at my sister’s birthday Keshaun. I love you but I’ll kick you in the balls if you take the spotlight off her tonight.”
“She loves me, but she won’t move in with me.” Keshaun nudged Famke. “What’s a guy to do?”
“Not said no when she first asked to move in?” Royal took his sister’s side. “Dumbass. If Famke would have asked me to move in,I’d have driven a moving truck into her living room in minutes.”
“I’m still married to Kara because she objected to everythingin court. I won’t have my actual divorce papers for anothermonth. I want to be able to marry you Jubi when you move in.”
“No shit but I didn’t know at the time.”
“Can we not do this now?” Famke waved at Precious who appeared confused and a little frightened by the sudden heated and changed conversation.
“But” Precious looked around the table, “I thought Aunt Jubi is going to live with Uncle Keshaun and have a baby.” She stared at Jubi, “you rubbed your belly the other day when I was hiding in the kitchen. You asked; ‘Are you a hungry little baby? Mommy will feed you.’”
All eyes spun to Jubilee and Cliff who was sitting right next to her turned his full torso to stare at his youngest child.
Keshaun was on his feet, and he rounded the table and was on his knees in front of Jubi and the chair he’d forcefully spun around to face him faster than the table could truly react. “Are you pregnant with my baby? Your father is right beside you so don’t lie. You know how he feels about liars.”
“Yes, fine, I’m pregnant. It’s yours. But you’re not serious about me. I don’t want some man in my life because he feels I gave him an ultimatum or worse because I’m pregnant. Iasked to move in with you and you weren’t ready. I can do this on my own. I don’t need –”
Whatever else her sister-in-law was going to say was cut off as Keshaun kissed her hard on the mouth and then swung her up bridal style in his arms and carried her out of the restaurant.
“Well, that was interesting.” Royal muttered as he lifted his wine glass to his lips.
“I’m going to be a Grandpa again,” Cliff said as he wiped tears off his cheeks. “It’s great news. It’s a wonderful ending to the last several months of insanity. This will be the start of something good. Your wedding and their baby.”
“You’re not mad?” Royal asked seriously ashe studied his father.
They all shared a meaningful glance at the meddling comment.
Famke opened the box and she stared at the thumb drive inside. “What is it?”
“Well, as much as I said last Christmas I didn’t care if we missed watching the old movies of Mom and Dad and us as kids, I realized how much I did. When we were packing to move into the house with Royal, I boxed all our VHS tapes and CDs up and decided it would be better to digitalize them. So, that’s your copy. I have a copy. I also gave a copy to Royal to save in his safe in case either of us loses ours. This way, no matter where we are for the holidays, we can spend time with Mom and Dad at Christmas too.”
Famke let out a sniffle as she lifted the tiny drive and stared at her brother with tears on her cheeks. “You are the best brother in the world.”
‘I know.” He grinned.
Famke lifted her eyebrows, “uh,” she waved her ring around, “this is my present.”
“No, its not,” Royal corrected her and passed over an envelope he pulled from his coat pocket. “I wouldn’t rip you off a birthday present with an engagement ring. I heard you tell Nyx you thought I was up to something and expected a proposal tonight at dinner. I didn’t want you to be disappointed there was no proposal and unlike Keshaun I know better than to look a gift horse in the mouth. I’ve kept the ring for months the minute I heard you hissing into the phone I got it all planned. This,” he tapped the envelope, “is your present.”
She opened the envelopetentatively. She was confused by the paperwork.
“Happy Birthday Famke.”
She stared at the document in her handin disbelief. “How?”
“I know Prince and Mindy had the forged birth certificate and you had the one with Prince’s bogus last name. This is the revised, birth certificate listing you and Prince as the biological parents of Precious. Once the court made its conclusions, we were ableto legally make the changes to the birth certificate. You didn’t even know what you were signing when I asked for your signature.”
“Thank you. This means so much to me.”
“It’s the true beginning of the rest of our lives as her parents.” Hesqueezed her hand on the tabletop.
“I love you,” shewhispered.
“Are you going to kiss again?” the subject of her present screeched as she leaned over Famke’s lap to stare at Royal. “Amala said if you kiss lots, you’ll get a baby in your belly.”
Famke pulled away from Royal and tickled her ribs, loving the loud belly laugh coming from the child. Her child. From the birth certificate in her hand to the child wriggling to get on her lap to the man with his arm wrapped around her shoulder hugging them to his side, she was happier than she had ever been.
Looking around the table she knew this was her family, the people who would get her through anything and everything. Feeling the love surrounding her as her birthday cake was brought out by the staff, as she blew on her candles, Famke wished her two best friends, Nyxand Jubi, were also able to get their own happily ever afters. She felt the magic in her wish and knew, it was all going to be perfect.
Addendum