"When are you bringing the little peanut back here?" Grace asks worriedly through the phone to Sarah. Her daughter's birthday is today and she and Chester had been decorating their back garden to celebrate. Grace still can't believe she's 6 years old.
"We're driving back now, Hannah is entertaining Elise with dumb food puns." Sarah replies.
"Hey! My puns aren't dumb!" Hannah exclaims in the background.
"Okay. Thank you for taking her out for the day." Grace says gratefully. Sarah and Hannah would take Elise anytime Grace needed them to and Elise would just as easily go with them. She's quite taken with her aunts, especially Sarah.
"No problem. I don't mind having her, she's an angel." Sarah remarks. Grace and Sarah talk for a while longer and then they hang up. Grace goes to help finish setting food out and Chester comes behind her, wrapping his arms around her and pressing a sweet kiss to her cheek.
"Hello beautiful." He murmurs in her ear.
"Hello handsome." Grace replies, chuckling a little. Chester's warm and gentle hands rest on Grace's stomach and Grace frowns a little. "Do you really think she'll like this birthday present?"
"I'm positive. You saw her birthday wish list." Chester replies, smiling.
~
"Mommy, daddy!" Elise exclaimed, rushing through the door after getting off the school bus. "Look what I made at recess today!" Grace comes through the door from the kitchen to the lounge and picks Elise up to give her a hug.
"What did you make today sweetpea?" Grace asks softly, sitting on the couch and balancing her daughter in her lap. Chester comes and sits beside the two of them, taking his wife's hand. Elise proudly hands over a piece of paper with her messy, kid handwriting on it. It's a birthday wish list, for her sixth birthday was coming up in a couple months.
"I only wished for a couple things." She says, her voice quiet and almost embarrassed. As though wishing for something on your birthday was selfish; Elise had always been the kind of kid who'd share just about anything she had. A generous nature, like her father.
"Well let's see it then." Chester says, giving his daughter a warm smile. Elise hands her mom the list and Grace begins to read. There are things like plushes and toys and regular kid things, but one thing catches Grace's eyes in particular. In slanted, messy writing are the words: baby brother or baby sister.
"Ches, look." Grace mumbles, showing him the request. Chester's eyes widen as he reads it.
"Well, Elise, we'll have to think about these." Chester says, smiling at his daughter before exchanging a glance with his wife.
~
"I hope she'll be excited to have a baby brother or sister." Grace states.
"She will be." Chester reassures her.
"Knock, knock." Hannah says as she pushes the front door open, letting herself, Sarah, and the birthday girl inside. Elise is wearing her favourite dress and she had insisted Grace let her do her own hair so there's two different coloured bows.
"Mommy." Elise happily cries, running into her mom's arms. It's odd how Grace, the one who doesn't like touch all the much, had a daughter who might just be the biggest cuddle bug ever.
"Happy birthday again El." Grace whispers. The group goes out to the back garden and Mamrie, Flula, and their little ones James and Madison arrive.
"Come on and give me a hug Momma Helbig." Mamrie jokes, hugging Grace. Elise, James, and Madison run around the back garden, playing and having fun. Grace and Mamrie watch, as James lets Elise climb on his lap to go down the slide. "They're all pretty damn cute."
"Mamrie." Grace scolds with a laugh."Please tell me you don't say that around your kids regularly."
"I don't and you know it." Mamrie answers, chuckling along. It's nice to be with friends and family all day and Elise seems to enjoy herself.
"Should we do presents?" Grace asks her daughter, and she watches El's eyes light with glee.
"Yes!" The little girl says happily, running to the picnic table and sitting down. Elise opens the packaged gifts, a chorus of thank you's coming from her without much prompting from Grace or Chester.
"Should I go inside and get the last present?" Chester asks Grace quietly. Grace nods and he goes to the house. When he returns he has a small box, and he hands it to Elise. "This is a very special present, sweetie." He tells her. The little girl opens the box with extreme care and looks confusedly at the sonogram picture that's been put inside.
"That's your baby brother or sister, El." Grace informs her, watching Elise's smile grow wider. Elise jumps off the picnic table and rushes to her mom, Grace picking her up and holding her close. "Do you like this present?" Elise nods and as Grace sets her on the ground, she places a small hand on her mom's bump.
"Is the baby in your tummy?" She asks.
"Yeah, the baby is in my tummy." Grace replies, smiling.
