Today's Lev's first day back at the office at the work building since he's been given a clean bill of health. It's also his birthday, which he's pretending he has no idea about. His birthday's always been a non-event, by his own design. He genuinely forgets half the time, and the other half he just doesn't see the point in making a fuss over another year passing. he treats it the same as any other Tuesday. Like today.
Alex pretends along with him, obviously with something up her sleeve. Of course she did the midnight thing where she sang happy birthday and all that, but that was it for now.
Some of the kids have been assigned tutors, since they're at the age where they could go to school, but Lev didn't want to put the pressure of school on them yet. So they're running around, leaving hair ties and stray socks in their wake, trying to mimic the early Monday morning school rush, which almost feels real, while the younger ones just chill in their seats watching them.
Lev sits at the table, calm, eyes tracking every movement without seeming to notice. It's the first time in a long time he hasn't had to fight for control over his own body, and he feels fucking amazing.
Alex sets a cup of tea down, even though he didn't ask for it but wants it, and brushes a hand through his carefully styled hair, that he just ran a hand through in the bathroom. He just lets her, because she's the only one who ever gets to.
While she starts on breakfast with her AirPods in, Lev just stares at her over the rim of his cup, but she's completely oblivious to it.
When he heads out for work, nobody in the house says a single word about the date, keeping the whole thing locked down tight all day while Alex works the phones behind his back.
She'd been planning this for days, quiet and careful, roping in his siblings first, then his friends, then the rest of the family. Everybody agreed to the plan the second she brought it up, since apparently nobody's ever actually thrown him a party that he's attended.
Word travelled fast through the house too. Everybody started volunteering to help, keeping it a secret from Lev.
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The house has never moved this fast for anything that wasn't an actual emergency, but Alex has managed to turn birthday prep into a full-scale operation with clipboard and all, because apparently that's just who she is when she's determined about something.
Dilara and Santiago get put on approvals, whether certain string lights clash with the yard's aesthetic, which food options are better enough, stuff only they would genuinely have an opinion on instantly. Same for Canaan which is why she's on supervision duty.
To say Lev's family are thrilled about what's happening is an understatement. They're practically glowing at the idea of Lev getting an actual celebration instead of quietly ignoring the date like he always does. Every year they've tried throwing a party for him it's just ended up being a celebration without the man of the day.
"He's gonna pretend he hates this," Selin says, hanging the banner as her mum directs where it should hang.
"Oh, a hundred per cent," Alex agrees, "and he's gonna cry a little on the inside. Watch."
Selin, Siena, and Sasha are on decorations, dragging string lights across the fence line, bickering the entire time about whether warm white or fairy-light gold looks better, before eventually settling it with "both."
Aleyna insists on helping blow up balloons and surprisingly she gets heaps done so quick, it's almost insane but then u gotta remember the girl's a perfectionist and a prodigy. She's just gotta ace whatever she puts her mind to. No one disturbs her during this, orders from the princess herself.
