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Chapter 114

I see things change
And now watch them grow
And I know you do too
When the things don't make sense
I have courage
Because of you

— The xx, Brave for You

. . . .

I hold the door open for Harry as he carries the cake with the seven birthday candles aflame out to the patio where the rest of his friends and family are sat with Lilly at the head of the table. Harry places the cake in front of her, and her face glows with the warm light. I take pictures for Harry while Anne records it on her phone as everyone sings the famous song for Lilly. She blows out the candles and everyone cheers for her.

Harry begins cutting the cake and serving the pieces out to people. When everyone has their cake and are talking amongst themselves, Harry sits on one of the patio chairs and pulls me down on his lap. His cousin, Karlee, and her boyfriend are seated nearby talking to Harry. Meanwhile, Lilly's eating her cake on the ottoman seat in front of us with Robin talking to her.

Karlee and her boyfriend tell Lilly that they have to leave and hug her goodbye. While Lilly is waving them off, Harry taps on my shoulder, and when I look back, he smears pink icing on my nose, but for some reason, looks surprised when I slap his arm.

"You're a shithead," I tell him, and all he does is smirk then lick the glob of icing from my nose.

"I learned from the best," he grins with his eyebrow arched.

While he's busy looking at me with that goddamn look that I go weak at the knees for, I scoop some icing onto my finger and swipe it from his nose down over his lips to his chin. He doesn't look the least bit surprised, though.

"Karma."

"I guess so," he smirks once again.

"But at least now I have a good enough reason to do this..."

I cup the side of his head in my hand and lean down to kiss his lips. The pink icing is definitely on my face now, but neither one of us seem to care as he sticks his tongue in my mouth.

"Ew, Daddy!" Lilly shrieks from her spot in front of us. "He has cooties, Violet!"

"You two are gross," Ryan says jokingly.

As I'm wiping the transferred icing from my face, Harry leans forward and whispers, "If he thinks this is gross, what would he think about you licking whipped cream off my dick a couple of weeks ago?"

"Be quiet. Eat your damn cake."

"I'd like to, but it would be a bit inappropriate with everyone here."

"Stop being so vulgar with your family around."

"I know you love when I have a dirty sense of humor," he sets his empty plate on the table beside us and rubs his hand up and down my thigh.

"How can you sit there and call it a "sense of humor" if you're not funny?" I challenge him with a witty smirk, and he tightly squeezes me around the waist.

"I think I'm funny."

"At least someone does."

"You're a sassy little thing."

I stand up and stack his plate on top of mine to throw away, but before I walk away, I say, "It's why you love me, and I love you for your lovely, vulgar sense of humor."

I toss a collection of our plates into the trash, then help Harry set up a spot for Lilly to open her gifts. While everyone is getting to their seats to watch Lilly open her presents, her dad helps her reapply sunscreen.