Work Text:
Iris Sholmes’s favorite thing in the world was seeing the smiles on her friends and family’s faces whenever she gave them something. This meant that she was more than happy to make tea and food for the people she loved, but it also meant that Christmas and birthdays were her favorite holidays as she had an excuse to go all out with what she was capable of.
When she was six years old, she presented her first invention to Hurley on his birthday. She had designed a bag for him to hold all his investigation tools, complete with secret compartments for whatever needed to be kept hidden. She had been too young to make it herself, so the two of them had to ask a more experienced tailor to make it to her exact specifications. Since then, he never left home without it, and she had been adding more to it herself every year. And every time, he told her how delighted and proud he was to have her.
But her favorite gift to her daddy had been a rather simple one. On his last birthday, she had presented him with the documents indicating that she had formally changed her name to Iris Sholmes. Hurley had started crying right on the spot and held her as tight as he had when she had almost fallen off the balcony when she was four. And Iris couldn’t help but start crying too, hugging her daddy just as tightly.
For Runo’s birthday which had been spent during his suspension, she took great pride and joy in showing him the traditions of an English birthday party for the first time. Silly Runo had initially been terrified of the cake, scared that by blowing out the candles he would be participating in some kind of demon-summoning ritual. Even after being reassured that no monsters would be wreaking havoc on his birthday (no thanks to Hurley), he was still nervous while he ate his cake. That skittishness eventually faded though as Runo could never be kept away from his food for very long.
For his big present, Iris had given him the suit she had been working on for months, tailored just for him but in her own signature style so he would know he was part of her family; something she could see he was truly grateful for since she knew he was still missing Susie and Kazzie. Runo didn’t like to cry in front of others, but he did this time as he hugged Iris and thanked her for the gift and the party.
Kazzie’s first birthday at Baker Street was a quiet affair. He had only just moved into the attic upstairs after Hurley had spent weeks offering the space to him, and Iris had only known about his birthday because Susie had mentioned it in one of her letters. She wanted to make it a grand, welcoming affair, but she knew he didn’t like surprises and despite his passion, he didn’t want others to make a big fuss for him. So she, Hurley, and Ginny all settled in for a simple evening at home, though Iris had refused to budge on a cake and Kazzie had a soft smile on his face the whole time he blew out his candles.
He had requested no one get him anything for his birthday, but when Iris asked if there wasn’t anything he wanted, he quietly admitted there was. Kazzie asked if she would go with him to visit his daddy’s grave. She held tight to his hand as they walked through Lowgate Cemetery to the spot where Genshin Asougi lost his life, and she finally let go when he knelt down in front of the tombstone and started speaking in soft Japanese. Iris didn’t know what he said, but she knew it was probably things he had been wanting to say for a while. Kazzie silently cried as they walked back, and she didn’t say a word except to ask what he’d like for dinner that night.
(If Iris was being honest with herself, it was a difficult trip for her too. Not that she had any resentment for the situation, but seeing the grave of the man who had killed her biological daddy had filled her with a lot of complex emotions. And even without voicing it, she knew Kazzie understood.)
She kind of wished he had been there when she visited Klint van Zieks’s grave with Uncle Barry.
Ginny’s first birthday after they had met was spent in jail so Iris wasn’t able to give her everything she would have liked, but the next year she had made sure it was special. She had surprised Ginny with her first-ever birthday party, having decked out the whole of 221B for the occasion. She had spent hours baking and decorating a huge chocolate cake topped with a miniature scene of Hedgina solving a crime, which Kazzie had been surprisingly adept at helping her put together.
The main gift, however, had been a new collar for Toby; it was, of course, in Ginny’s signature red plaid and had a special compartment for his treats and a device that amplified the sound of his bark so she could find him easier if he ever got lost or if she felt like making him sound more intimidating. Ginny’s eyes had lit up and she had spent the rest of the evening startling Hurley and Kazzie by randomly making Toby bark with his new voice. (Iris later learned from Kazzie that she now did the same thing to Barry during slow days at work.) She acted tough like the whole thing wasn’t anything special to her, but Iris could see by the way she held herself that this was a day she would cherish for the rest of her life.
On Uncle Barry’s birthday, Iris had insisted he let her throw him a party at 221B; even after she found out the truth of her heritage, he still held himself at arm’s length, and she was determined to make him feel less lonely. She had to enlist Ginny and Kazzie’s help to force him into the suite when it came time for the party, but no matter his awkwardness, Barry still enjoyed himself, even as he endured relentless teasing from everyone other than her. And Iris could swear she got a laugh out of him when she presented her cake topped with little chocolate bats.
Her gift to him that day had been one she had spent quite some time figuring out. Iris had eventually decided to make a device that would pour his wine for him, always doling out the perfect amount. Barry gave a low bow in thanks only for Kazzie and Ginny to take the opportunity to shove a whole slice of cake into his face. (They had then been assigned nothing but boring paperwork duties for two weeks as punishment, but judging by their grins, neither of them regretted it.)
Unfortunately, she hadn’t yet had the chance to celebrate Uncle Mickey’s birthday in person, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her; he was her daddy’s partner, and that made him family. When the time came, she sent him his own animal doll, a rabbit named Bunjin to match Lopsato, along with a copy of the manuscript for her latest story and a note thanking him for the detailed notes he wrote of his adventures with Hurley that allowed her to discover her passion for writing. He had sent back a letter returning her thanks for the opportunity to relive some of his memories through her stories and a promise that if she ever wanted any help or ideas for her writing, he would be happy to provide.
When Susie’s birthday came, Iris was lucky enough that she and Runo and Mickey were here for a nice, long visit. Rather than spending most of the day at home, Iris opted to take her informally adoptive sister out on a tour of all her favorite museums, showing off the new exhibits that had come up since she had gone back to Japan. Susie had spent the whole time excitedly writing all the new facts she learned in her little notebook and Iris had returned the enthusiasm by adding even more facts that she knew weren’t discussed in the exhibit descriptions. But of course, there was still a great party to be had with the rest of her family when they got back home and a cake that Iris had prepared with Kazzie’s help beforehand; this time, the two of them had painstakingly iced on hundreds of cherry blossom flowers just like the ones all over Susie’s favorite kimono.
As for her gift, Iris had gone a little more personal by copying out the recipes for all the tea blends that she developed into a separate notebook for Susie to take back with her so she could make her special tea for the others while they were in Japan. Susie had thanked her profusely and told her that whenever she would make tea now, she would always think of her and the rest of their family at Baker Street.
Yes, birthdays were definitely Iris’s favorite holidays.
But even with these thoughts strangely on her mind, Iris was feeling rather despondent one morning as Runo, Susie, and Mickey’s visit was coming to an end soon with Kazzie set to go back with them. However, she wouldn’t let this get her down as she set out to make breakfast for everyone as usual. To her surprise, though, when she got to the kitchen, she found Kazzie and Susie already making today’s meal.
“Ah, good morning, Iris. Did you sleep well last night?” Susie asked as she folded an omelet.
“I did, but what are you two up to, taking over my job?” she teased, but with a little bit of seriousness since she liked making everyone happy with her cooking.
“We figured you would appreciate a break today. Unless you think so little of my cooking,” Kazzie joked with a hand over his not-really-wounded heart.
“Of course not! I always like to try what you make, but you know I’m always happy to cook.”
“If you would still like to help, could you wake the others? We’re almost done and we all know how much it takes to wake Sholmes.”
Iris happily agreed and went to wake the rest of her family up, leaving Hurley for last as he was the most troublesome. However, she was again surprised as before she could even knock on his door, he opened it to greet her with a smile, “Hello, my dear Iris, what a lovely morning, wouldn’t you say?”
“You’ve been up all night again, haven’t you, Daddy?”
He leaned down to kiss her forehead as he replied, “Why sleep when there are so many other things to do? Time waits for no man!”
She shrugged and said, “Well, it’s your own fault if you fall asleep into your food again.”
He merely laughed and scooped her up to take her back to the kitchen while she giggled in his arms. As everyone stumbled in and they all began to tuck into their food, Iris realized that Kazzie and Susie had made all of her favorite breakfast foods. Omelets with ham and cheese and raspberry pastries and sausages dotted the table, making her mouth water. As Iris sampled everything, it seemed the two of them had managed to make everything just the way she liked.
When they were all done eating, she made to take care of the dishes, but Runo stopped her. “It’s alright, Iris, Kazuma and I can do them today. Besides, I think Mr. Sholmes wanted you and Gina to pick something up from the markets.”
“But Ginny’s not even here,” she pouted as she crossed her arms. Why wasn’t anyone letting her help today?
“Isn’t she?” he replied mysteriously just as a knock echoed from the front door.
Iris peeked around to the entryway to see Hurley open the door and say, “Ah, Miss Lestrade, perfect timing! I have a favor to ask of you.”
“Yeah, sure,” Ginny said as she meandered inside, Toby following close on her heels.
“I have business to attend to at the moment, so could you accompany Iris to the markets today?”
“But Hurley, we don’t need anything, do we?” Iris interrupted.
“Nonsense! You’re running low on herbs, aren’t you? And your mint plant has been looking under the weather lately.”
“Oh, you’re right!” She had been so distracted lately by her Japanese family’s upcoming departure that she had completely forgotten about that. “I’m completely out of my rose hips and ginger, and I can’t make Susie’s favorite tea without them!”
“Then it is of the utmost importance that you remedy that immediately, my dear!”
“Okay, let’s go, Ginny!” Iris clapped her hands and Toby mirrored her enthusiasm with a small ‘ruff!’.
The two of them wasted no time in getting themselves together and leaving, catching an omnibus to take them where they needed.
As they exited the omnibus and headed towards the busy stalls, Iris caught sight of a familiar tall figure loitering around a stand selling gloves, handkerchiefs, and other small fabric items.
“Uncle Barry!” she called, running over to give him a hug. “Are you doing some shopping today too?”
He stiffened in his usual awkward manner before patting her head and replying, “Yes, and it is good to see you, Iris. Would you permit me to join you on your errands today?”
“Of course!”
Iris grabbed his hand and started to pull him along, but Toby let out an unnaturally loud bark, startling Barry and making him press a hand to his chest. “Inspector Lestrade, is now really the time to make use of your hound’s voice?!”
Ginny laughed as she picked Toby up and said, “Gotta make sure it still works!”
“Obviously, nothing of Iris’s make would break so easily. Your tests are entirely unnecessary.”
“Nothing’s perfect, and it’s better to find out it doesn’t work in situations like this rather than when you really need it!” Iris added.
Ginny cackled at that even more, and Barry crossed his arms and scowled. “If you would, Iris, shall we return to what we came here for?”
She nodded and led her family through the marketplace to where plants and herbs were being sold. Along the way, she got distracted by a few stalls, and Barry had bought whatever had caught her eye, leaving her with a new spyglass, a new pair of stockings, some animal-shaped cookies, and some cucumber sandwiches. It got even worse when they arrived at their destination and he insisted on making all of her purchases for her.
“Uncle Barry, I can pay for them myself. I have plenty of money for that right now.”
“Regardless, it is meant to be a gift. You shouldn’t have to trouble yourself with this today; it is a special occasion after all.”
“What occasion?” She wracked her brain for what could possibly be special about today. It was June 16th, but as far as she was aware, there wasn’t any kind of holiday happening.
Barry and Ginny both stopped and looked at each other in surprise before her uncle spoke, “It is simply a nice day, that’s all.”
“Yeah, we should go to a park or somefin. Toby could do wiv a good run,” Ginny added with a grin.
Well, now she knew there was something off about today. She stomped her foot and glared at them, demanding, “What are you two hiding? What’s so special about today?”
“Nothing, just that the weather is rather nice today. In fact, I believe it is a perfect day for a visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens,” Barry replied with the same neutral expression he always wore.
Iris stopped at the mention of the gardens; it had been a while since she last visited, especially in the summer. She brought a hand to her forehead, thinking.
She was still curious about what they were hiding, and this was clearly an attempt to divert her attention, but could she really pass up this opportunity? She had been wanting to visit the gardens with at least one of them; she wanted the chance to show them all her favorite plants and talk about their scientific names and taxonomy.
She sighed, “Okay, but I have to drop our stuff at home first.”
“Allow me to call my carriage and get my coachman to take care of that for you while we head to the gardens,” her uncle offered with a flourishing bow.
Iris reluctantly agreed and the three of them finished their business at the market before they headed off to the gardens.
When they arrived, her uneasiness easily faded into excitement as she dragged her family through the gardens, chattering away about the uses and importance of each plant they came across. She could tell they were having difficulty following along, but Ginny never told her to stop and Uncle Barry even occasionally asked questions.
As they were coming up on the greenhouses that held the tropical specimens imported from across the world, Iris slowed in her walk as she recalled something.
“Iris? Wot’s wrong?” Ginny called out, “You’re slowin’ down.”
She stopped and folded her hands in front of her, looking down at the ground as she responded, “It’s just… I remembered I really wanted to take Kazzie here. I know how much he likes to draw plants and flowers, but now he’s leaving, and we still haven’t gone…”
“I am sure you will get another chance sometime in the future. I doubt this will be the last time Asougi’s presence graces this country’s shores,” her uncle reassured her.
“An’ if ‘e doesn’t, Toby an’ I’ll march over there and drag ‘im back over ‘ere!”
Iris giggled and grabbed both their hands and dragged them back on their botanical tour, putting her worries behind her and enjoying her family’s company.
When they arrived back at Baker Street, the sun was just starting to set, and Iris was ready to get started on dinner and go straight to bed. But when she stepped through the doorway into 221B, she gasped at the sight that greeted her.
Streamers in her favorite colors, pink and green, were strung all across the ceiling while balloons of all colors were tied to nearly every piece of furniture in the suite, and the walls were plastered with dozens of paper cutouts of her signature four-petal flower. Most notable was a huge banner stretched above the fireplace that read ‘Happy Birthday, Iris!’.
A ‘BANG!’ sounded from behind her and strips of colorful paper rained down on her as Susie, Runo, Kazzie, and Mickey all shouted, “Surprise!”
“What…?”
Susie came forward and gave her a hug as she said, “Happy Birthday, Iris! I’m sure you suspected something, but I hope you will still enjoy it.”
“No, actually, I completely forgot. I forgot my own birthday!” she laughed as she hugged Susie back.
“Goodness, how did you manage that?” Mickey asked.
“I guess I’ve been so distracted with all of you leaving, it slipped my mind. Oh!” she whirled around to face Ginny and Barry. “Is this why you two were acting so strange today?”
“Yes, and it greatly surprised us when we realized you had forgotten what day it was,” her uncle said with a bow.
“But it gave us the perfect chance to surprise ya even more!” Ginny said as she tucked away her smoke grenade launcher that had apparently been altered to shoot confetti for the occasion.
“So what do you think?” Runo asked, “Professor Mikotoba and I did the decorations. Do you like them?”
“I love them! Thank you!” she squealed as she ran forward to wrap her arms around both of them.
“But don’t think this is all we have for you today,” Kazzie declared with a smirk. “We have a full dinner already prepared for all of us and, of course, cake and presents.”
“Oh, I can’t wait! But where’s Daddy?”
“Sholmes had some things to take care of and will be late. We’ll have to eat without him.”
“Shouldn’t we wait for him?”
“He’ll be fine to eat whatever’s left.”
“Have you finally figured out how to avoid him stealing your food?” Runo said with a knowing smile.
“It’s the only thing that stops him.”
Everyone laughed at that and headed to the kitchen, ready to dig into what had been prepared. The table had been spread into a feast of all her favorites; she could see roast duck, oyster soup, and spicy curry, along with some carrots and broccoli.
“You didn’t make all this by yourself, did you, Kazzie?”
“Of course not. Susato and Professor Mikotoba helped me.” He then leaned in to whisper conspiratorially, “Don’t let Ryuu fool you about the decorations. The professor helped, but it was mostly him, and you should have seen him when he got tangled up in the streamers. He was so wrapped up, you would think he was trying to make himself the present.”
She giggled. “I wouldn’t mind that present.”
“Neither would I. I can tell you from personal experience, it’s quite the sight to open up a box and find Ryuunosuke Naruhodou, even when you’re expecting it.” Kazzie’s eyes got a faraway look, and she knew he was thinking of how he and his partner had ended up in Britain in such different circumstances.
“Sounds like it only brings good things!” After all, if he hadn’t decided to smuggle Runo in his luggage, Iris might not have ended up with the wonderful family she had now.
He smiled softly at her and let her take her seat in between Susie and Runo while they ate. And oh how delicious everything she ate was. Sure it wasn’t perfect, but she could taste the love in how the seasonings were tailored just to her preferences. Iris felt nothing but warm happiness settle deep in her bones as she ate and chattered with her family.
And then it was time for cake.
Iris lit up when Kazzie and Susie brought in a huge three-tiered cake covered top to bottom in pink and green frosting. On the top was a scene of Bearis typing away at her typewriter surrounded by an array of twelve candles, candy flowers, and the phrase ‘Happy Birthday Iris!’ piped in an elegant script.
“It’s all a vanilla base, but the bottom layer has raspberries, the middle has blueberries, and the top has strawberries,” Susie said as she clapped her hands and smiled. “Kazuma-sama and I did our best. We hope you like it!”
“It looks amazing! I already love it!” Iris gushed as she bounced in her chair in excitement.
“Ah, what luck! It seems I have arrived just in time for the serenade!”
“Daddy! You’re just in time for cake!” Iris called, but before she could get up to greet him, Hurley swept over to place a kiss on her forehead as he pulled out his violin.
He started up the tune for a birthday song and soon everyone was singing along wishing her a happy birthday. Her family’s voices spread out across the whole spectrum of skill; Kazzie and Hurley croaked like dying songbirds, while Runo and Susie sang like an angels’ chorus. But to Iris, they all sounded just as sweet.
“I believe it’s customary to make a wish now?” Mickey said as they finished the song.
Iris closed her eyes as she blew out her candles and made a wish.
She wished she would always have her family with her and that they wouldn’t forget her even when they were across the sea.
“Now let’s eat!” Ginny declared as everyone reached for a slice.
Iris hummed in contentment as she took her first bite of the raspberry layer. It was perfectly sweet and melted in her mouth, leaving her starving for more. The other flavors were just as enticing, and by the time she had tasted them all, she was so full she felt ready to burst.
After they were all done eating, Hurley spoke up, “Now then, shall we get to the main event? You have quite a few gifts waiting for you, my dear.”
Iris jumped up and ran to the living room to find a pile of presents waiting for her on top of the old trunk.
Her daddy sat down on the couch and pulled her into his lap as he continued, “Take your pick, dear Iris; we all eagerly await your expert opinions!”
She giggled as she swung her legs back and forth and Wagahai jumped into her lap. She leaned forward to peruse her bounty. She decided to open one of the bigger ones first, a large blue box tied with a messy gold ribbon; the tag claimed it was from Runo.
“A daruma doll?” Iris asked as she pulled the unwieldy object from the box. It was almost just like Runo’s, except instead of the traditional red, it was bright pink.
“Ah, yes!” Runo sat up straight as he started to explain, “It’s a way to sort of keep track of a wish or goal you have. When I got mine, it took me a while to decide on a goal, but when I did, I appreciated the physical reminder of the thing I wanted to do.” His expression turned soft as he looked away and continued, “And even after you fill it in, it’s nice to have that reminder of what you accomplished. I don’t know what goal you might have in mind, but I thought you might enjoy it, if anything, as a way to remember us while we’re in Japan.”
“Aw, Runo, I don’t need a doll to remember you! But I still love it! Thank you!” She would cherish it for the rest of her days just as much as her brother did his.
The next one she reached for was considerably smaller. It was wrapped beautifully in flowery paper and topped with a pink bow; this one was from Susie. Iris carefully tore it open to reveal a small leather-bound notebook.
As she started to flip through it, observing the neatly handwritten instructions, Susie said, “It’s a recipe book of all my favorite dishes in Japan; Father and Kazuma-sama added a little to it as well. Since you gave me your tea recipes, I thought it would be appropriate to return the favor with my own. I hope you will also see it as a way to keep us in mind while we’re gone,” she finished with a bow of her head.
Iris wanted to cry. In fact, she had wanted to cry ever since she got home to find her whole family waiting to celebrate her birthday with her. But she swallowed down the happy tears and thanked her sister for the thoughtful gift.
Next, she plucked up one of the simple envelopes waiting in the dwindling pile. It was thick quality paper decorated with ornate filigree and an official wax seal that told her right away that this one was from Uncle Barry. She opened it to find a single ticket for a steamship to Germany.
“To Germany…?”
Barry started to elaborate, “Yes. Albert recently started new research and asked me if I would visit someday. With your interest in the sciences, I hoped you would appreciate the opportunity to see his work and that of the other projects that are being hosted by the university that is currently funding his research.” He closed his eyes and brought a hand to his heart as he added, “This is all, of course, only if you wish to join me and if your father allows it.”
She clapped her hands and turned pleading eyes to Hurley. “Oh, can I please go, Daddy? It sounds so exciting! I’ve never left Great Britain before!”
“Hm, if you truly desire it, then how can I say no! I trust you would take good care of my daughter, Lord van Zieks?”
Barry gave as formal a bow as he could while seated and announced, “I would defend her with my life, detective.”
Hurley placed a hand over his eyes as he responded, “I would advise against such drastic measures, seeing as how Iris would be rather stricken if such an event were to occur.”
“Then I vow to keep such an upset from occurring.”
“Oh, I can’t wait to see Germany with you!”
He offered a small smile for her, and Iris couldn’t be more excited to go on such a trip with her uncle.
She turned her attention back to her presents and selected to open the biggest one next; this one was from Kazzie. It was a long package wrapped in plain red paper and was big enough that she had to have Hurley help her so she wouldn't disturb Wagahai. The paper was pulled back to reveal a large framed drawing of a variety of flowers and herbs, each carefully labeled with their scientific name and a list of uses and flavors. She recognized them all as the ones she had in her garden.
"I apologize if it's not nearly as exciting or useful as your other gifts, but I hope you'll find it fitting to your interior design," Kazzie replied with a clearing of his throat.
"How long did it take you to make this…?" she wondered in her appreciation of the detailed brush strokes.
"I, uh, it took about a month."
"Thank you, Kazzie. It's beautiful!"
It was getting harder and harder for her to keep her tears in as she smiled at her brother and his lovely gift. Were it not for the cat in her lap, she would have launched herself at him for a hug. She was really going to miss him.
She steadied herself with a deep breath and reached for the other envelope on the trunk. This one was much more plain, being only a pale green with Iris's name scrawled on it in Ginny's messy handwriting. She removed its contents to find several sheets of paper covered front and back with more of her handwriting. A quick skim told her it was a story of some kind about a doggy detective.
"What's this?"
Ginny pulled her hat over her eyes as she mumbled, "It's a story. It ain't as good as one o' yours, but I wanted to show ya all those writin' lessons ya gave me really 'elped." She looked up and glared at everyone else as she added, "And you're the only one that's allowed to see it, alright?"
"Of course! I can't wait to read it!" Runo and Gregsy had also helped Ginny learn how to read and write, but Iris was overjoyed that her sister had felt inspired enough to write something just for her.
And now there was only one present left. A pink box wrapped with dainty silver ribbon from Uncle Mickey. She opened it up to find a pair of shiny black tap shoes in just her size.
"I know there's not much time left before we leave, but I think there's enough time for a few lessons to get you started with what I know," Mickey said as he gave her a warm smile.
Iris squealed and immediately leaned over to try her new shoes on, clicking her heels together as she stuck her legs out. They fit perfectly.
"Can we try them out right now?" she asked, leaning towards her uncle with eagerness.
Before he could respond, Hurley spoke up and, with a flourish, presented her with a messily wrapped package. "Now don't think I've forgotten you, my dear. You have one last present that all of us have done our best to contribute to."
She eagerly tore it open to see a thick notebook with Hurley's gear and flower symbol engraved on the cover. Her eyes widened as she turned the pages plastered with photos of her family living their lives. Some of them she recognized, like the one they had taken right before Runo, Susie, and Mickey went back to Japan the first time. Others looked like they had been taken without people knowing, like the one of Susie teaching Runo how to perform a Susato Takedown using Kazzie as an example and one featuring Hurley and Mickey huddling over his desk, laughing about something. There was a photo of Ginny and Kazzie asleep on the floor of Barry's office with her uncle's cloak thrown over them and another one of Runo and herself eating ice cream together at a park while Ginny played with Toby nearby. And so, so many others.
"We have been putting this together for some time, but I was only able to put it all together with the finishing touches today."
Iris couldn't keep herself together anymore and she cried freely as she looked through all these cherished memories.
"Iris, are you alright?" Kazzie asked.
"I'm just… really, really happy!" Her daddy was the closest so she turned around, displacing Wagahai, and hugged him as tight as she could, tears streaming down her face as she grinned so hard her cheeks hurt.
"Happy birthday, dear Iris." He hugged her back and placed a hand on her head.
She pulled away and leapt to her feet, moving to the center of the room. She gave a low curtsy and said, with tears still in her eyes, "Thank you all for the best birthday ever!"
Everyone grinned back at her, some returning with tears of their own. The comfortable fullness in her stomach wasn't just coming from the food anymore.
"You deserve nothing but the best," Runo added.
Her smile fell and a frown settled on her face as she murmured, "I'm gonna miss you…"
Hurley came over and knelt in front of her. "Now, now, cheer up! One must make the most of the time they have. Wouldn't you prefer to enjoy their presence while you have it rather than mope?"
"Herlock is right. In fact, I can't think of a better time for your first lesson." Mickey got up and held his hands out to her.
She wiped her eyes and took his hands as Hurley started up a tune with his violin. Mickey started off tapping his toe on the floor to the rhythm of the song and Iris followed along as best she could.
"The rest of you should dance too! Don't leave me and Uncle Mickey all by ourselves!"
At her urging, Kazzie dragged Runo to his feet and Susie gently pulled Ginny by the hand to join them. With no partner, Barry stayed seated with his usual grim expression, though Iris thought she could see a slight quirk on his lips.
At some point, Hurley replaced the music with a record and attempted to get Barry to dance with him, but no matter his needling he refused to budge, only glaring at her daddy. Though eventually, as everyone started to switch partners, Iris finally got her uncle to join them by giving him her best puppy dog eyes.
The evening wore down and Iris was getting bone tired. She rested on the couch for what only seemed like a moment but then before she knew it she had fallen asleep and someone was picking her up, taking her to her room. She was too tired to open her eyes so she didn't know if it was her daddy, one of her uncles, or brothers, or sisters.
As she drifted off to sleep again, she heard the gentle murmurings of someone wishing her goodnight and a happy birthday.