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August 10th
“Daddy is it my birthday?” Emma asks. Tim puts down the paper to look at her. She’s standing in front of him looking up at him with big brown eyes. Just like Lucy’s.
“No Bug. You still have three more days.” Tim says. Emma pouts a little and then twists her hands together.
“When is my party?” She asks. Tim raises his eyebrows at her, they were keeping a countdown for her birthday and birthday party.
“It’s on Saturday Bug.” Tim says. He points to the countdown on the kitchen counter. “Remember?”
“And it’s a kitty, unicorn and pink party?” Emma asks bouncing on her toes.
“Yes Bug.” Tim says. “Are you excited?”
“I’m so excited daddy!” Emma says. “I’m going to be 7!” Tim sighs a little because he can’t believe his little girl was going to be 7.
Sophie turning 2 already made him a little emotional (he tried not to show it of course and Emma was so excited for her party.
“I know you are Bug. I’m excited for you too.” Tim says. “You are going to have so much fun.”
“Yay!” She cheers and then she skips off without another word. Tim just shakes his head, Lucy was busy getting ready for Emma’s party. And he was busy trying not to think of Emma as a baby. As the six month old baby that he met and connected with.
He had no idea how it would go. He had no idea that he would be standing in the kitchen he shared with Lucy and their two beautiful girls. He had no idea that he would adopt this little girl and that little along with her mama would become the center of his entire world. And he would be celebrating that little girl’s 7th birthday in a few short days.
It was amazing but bittersweet and yet he couldn’t wait to celebrate his little (big) girl.
***
August 11th
The fact that Emma’s birthday is getting closer and closer dawns on Tim when he walks in on Lucy’s looking at the girls baby books. She’s sitting in Sophie’s room with both of them in front of her.
“What are you doing?” He asks. He sits down and pulls one of books towards him. He’s flips it open, and sees a newborn picture of Emma. She looks exactly like Lucy, there’s some resemblance to Chris but it’s mostly Lucy. “Look at her.” Tim mutters. “I wish I could have known her when she was this little.”
“She was a good baby.” Lucy says. “She was colicky and she was clingy but she was good.” Tim hums softly and flips to the next page. He’s has no doubt Emma was a good baby, she was when he met her.
“I’m sure. Just like Sophie was.” He says. Lucy nods and he looks over to see she’s looking at a picture of Sophie as a newborn.
“It’s amazing how fast they grow up.” Lucy says. “I don’t understand how my baby girl is going to be 7.”
“Me neither.” Tim says flipping through Emma’s book. He smiles as she gets bigger and bigger. He knows when they finally got away from Chris because Emma seemed happier. Lucy too. Slowly all their San Diego life fell away and it was replaced with their LA life. Emma’s first birthday. Tim slowly made his way into the pictures too. The first one was a snapshot of him holding Emma at her party. He didn’t even know Lucy had taken it.
“Look,” he says. “Our first family picture and we weren’t even together.” He points to a selfie he remembers taking. It was at Christmas picking out their Christmas tree.
“It’s kind of crazy it took so long for us to get it together huh?” Lucy asks. She’s looking through Sophie’s which is obviously a little shorter than Emma’s. At this point Emma’s wasn’t just a baby book anymore. It was all their memories and pictures in one single place. He’s glad Lucy continued it.
“A little crazy.” He agrees. “I was crazy about you. Oh look! When Emma met Sophie.” Lucy looks over a soft smile spreading across her face.
“Cuties.” She says. “I’m glad we gave them each other.”
“Me too.” Tim says. The greatest thing they could have done was give Emma a little sister. Sophie was still young but she was the luckiest girl to have Emma as her sister.
“I’m glad I kissed you that day in the locker room even if you were being an idiot.” She says. Tim shakes his head, the next page is Emma’s fifth birthday. He can see Lucy in the background holding Sophie who was barely a month old.
“Seven years old.” He mutters. “We are going to have a 7 and 2 year old.” Lucy nods and scoots closer to him. She lays her head on his shoulder.
“They are growing up way too fast.”
“I agree.” He says and just like Sophie he knows he will be emotional. But they would make it through, their girls were turning out to be amazing human beings. And that’s all that really matters.
***
August 12th
“Daddy my birthday is tomorrow!” Emma says bouncing in the room. “I’m gonna be 7!”
“Yes you are.” Tim says looking over at her. “You are excited huh?”
“Yep!” Emma says and she walks over to the fridge and opens it. She pulls open the snack drawer (or what Lucy calls the snack drawer because Emma could reach it) and pulls out a cheese stick.
He remembers her asking for a snack and him going to get it. He remembers how dependent she was on Lucy and eventually him.
Now she was independent and it was breaking his heart a little. Sophie was a little more dependable on them but she always wanted to do what Emma was doing. And she never really was as clingy as Emma.
“Love you daddy.” Emma says looking over at him. That’s my girl.
“Love you too Bug.” He replies. She gives him another bright smile and then skips off without another word.
***
August 13th (Emma’s birthday)
“Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you.” Lucy and Tim sing as they step into Emma’s room. “Happy birthday to you.” Emma sits up and blinks looking around. Her face lights up when she sees Tim and Lucy.
“It’s my birthday!” She squeals. “I’m 7!” Tim glances over at Lucy who looks like she is about to cry. She hadn’t said much this morning, but he could tell it was getting to her.
“You are.” Tim says making his way over to her. “We love you so much Emma.”
“Where’s Sophie?” Emma asks. Tim looks over but Lucy is already on her way out.
“You need your sister huh?” He asks.
“Always. She’s my best friend.” Emma says and squeals when Sophie comes running into the room and jumps on Emma.
“Sissy.” Sophie says. “Happy birthday.” Emma squeezes Sophie hard making the little girl giggle loudly.
Tim steps back to Lucy who just rests her head on his shoulder. It couldn’t get better than this. Their two beautiful baby girls, (or big girls according to both of them). And they had each other. They were a family.
It really couldn’t get better than that.
***
Emma opens a few presents from them. She got a new pink and sparkly backpack for school. She got some art supplies since she was showing interest in that lately. Their refrigerator was plastered with her art.
She got some new clothes and books. Tim knows she’s getting a ton more tomorrow at her party.
“This was the best birthday ever!” Emma says when they walk out of the pizza place (her choice).
“Yeah?” Lucy asks and she bends down in front of her. “I’m glad you had a good day Emma.”
“And it’s not over yet!” Emma says. “My party is tomorrow.” Lucy lets out a laugh and kisses the top of her head.
Tim loves days like these and he knows he can’t ever get them back once they are gone. So he just soaks it in.
He wants to remember this for the rest of his life. Because this was indeed the life he would always want.
***
August 14th (Emma’s birthday party)
“It’s my birthday party!” Emma yells running into their bedroom. Tim swears she’s more excited for today than her actual party. He doesn’t mind though, he loves seeing the sparkle and excitement in her eyes.
“It is.” Tim says looking over at Lucy. She had been up late last night decorating and making sure everything was ready.
“I am so excited!” Emma squeals. “All my friends are coming.” She jumps up and down and then skips from the room.
Tim turns over to face her with a soft smile on his face. She looks tired and he is too. But they both know this is worth it.
Emma is worth it.
“Are you ready for a bunch of 7 year olds running around?” Lucy asks.
“Yes. Are you ready for a bunch of seven year olds running around?” He asks.
“Yes. Thank god I had summer babies. I don’t think our house is ready for that.” Lucy says. Tim laughs and presses a kiss to her forehead.
“Let’s do this.” He says swinging his legs out of bed. Lucy does the same.
“Let’s do this.”
***
Lucy had rented a bounce house, a small swimming pool and a water slide. It’s perfect, and Emma is running around the yard with a huge smile on her face. She’s in her little pink sparkly swimming suit. Her hair is in braids and she is pulling Sophie around the yard. Tim wants to tell her to be careful but Sophie is giggling and she seems happy. He’s grateful
Emma is still so patient with her.
“Mama!” Emma squeals as she runs up to Lucy. “I love my party.” Lucy catches Tim’s eye and he gives a small nod.
This was a good day.
Emma was happy.
They had everyone who cared about Emma in their yard. Emma had her friends over and playing with her. There was a table with presents, more than she would ever need but—
He is grateful.
So, so grateful.
***
“Remember when you hosted Emma’s first birthday party without hesitation?” Tim turns to see Angela, she has a pink sparkly cup in her hand. Lucy really went all out for this party.
“Yep.”
“And now that baby is 7.” Angela says. She says it teasingly but she looks a little emotional. “How did that happen?”
“Don’t even get him started.” Lucy says coming over to stand by him. “We had a whole thing about this yesterday.” Angela laughs a little.
“I get it. But look at her.” She says as Emma races by. “She is so happy.” Tim nods and he can’t help but smile.
His little girl is happy and healthy and thriving. And that’s all he could ever want.
***
“Did you have a good day today Emma?” Tim asks as he tucks her in. She has a new pink cat blanket. Emma nods but she yawns.
“It was so much fun.”
“Are you tired Bug?” Lucy asks. Emma nods again. Tim gives her a kiss, and then Lucy does the same. Emma is asleep before they leave the room.
“We survived.” Tim says when they are outside the room. They tiptoe and check on Sophie who is curled up in her bed. She had a busy day too. She was wiped out by the time the party was over.
“We survived.” Lucy says. “Now we have the first day of school coming up.” Tim groans and it was like a never ending revolving door of things they had to do. Emma was going into first grade, Sophie was still in daycare but she would be moving up to preschool soon. It was just a lot.
“We got this.” Tim says. Lucy nods and leads him to their bedroom. She shuts the door behind them and wraps her arms around his neck.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”