August relaxed a little bit further. He brought the truck to a stop and peered through the windshield. He knew a surprise waited beyond that big, heavy, wooden door, but Hailey didn’t.
She jumped from the truck, and he followed, pulling his phone from his pocket. He wanted to get her reaction on video—or at least one photo he could send to his parents and Josie’s.
He thought of Shannon and Daniel—Josie’s parents—and how they’d tried to stay involved in August’s and Hailey’s lives. Moving to Three Rivers had definitely put a damper on that for everyone in August’s life, but he didn’t spend a moment worrying about it.
Moving here had absolutely been the right thing for him and Hailey, and knowing that he’d already done something hard but necessary buoyed him up and made his step lighter as he preceded his daughter up to the porch.
He knocked and then opened the door, calling, “Howdy, Etta. We’re here.” She didn’t respond, of course, but the heavy scent of frosting hung in the air. He went into the house first but held his palm out to keep Hailey back. She didn’t come with him, and August’s pulse picked up as he walked toward the kitchen.
He saw no one through the arch, but he could hear some childish giggling, then someone shushing that. “It’s okay, Hay,” he called. “You can come back.” He went to the end of the island and held up his phone to record her reaction.
From there, he could see over the couch, and he saw Etta crouched down there with a little boy holding his forefinger to her lips as if she needed to be reminded to be quiet. Dot Glover and Montana Glover kept the children around them quiet too, and August grinned at Cam and Kyle, the two boys who had been such good friends to Hailey.
She came through the door, and he turned his attention back to her, nodding. “Where is she?” she asked. “It’s getting dark, and—”
“Surprise!” a few people—mostly the older children and the adults—yelled at the same time, with various renditions of the word coming from the mouths of the babes over the next few seconds.
They all popped up from behind the couches, and the adults put the two-year-olds on the furniture. Every single person wore a smile made of joy, and August felt the emotion permeating the air. It touched his father-heart, and he watched the screen on his phone as his daughter realized what was happening.
She melted, positively melted, and then her face scrunched up, and she started to cry.
He lowered his phone, not expecting that. He had no idea what to do with a daughter who cried over good things, but he strode toward her. “Hey,” he said, shielding her from the others in the room. “It’s a birthday party. For you. A surprise birthday party.”
She clung to him, her arms right around his middle, and she sniffled for only a couple of seconds before she released him. She wiped her eyes quickly and stepped past him. Cam and Kyle and Etta had led the way around the furniture, and pure anxiety lived in Etta’s expression.
August didn’t know what to do either, so he stepped out of the way as Hailey said, “You’re so sneaky.”
“Were you surprised?” Cam asked, glee on his face. Maybe he hadn’t noticed the break-down.
“So surprised,” Hailey said.
“Look, lookie,” Kyle said, pointing to something on the counter. “We all helped Auntie Etta make you a cake.” He hopped on the balls of his feet, his excitement unable to be contained within his body.
“Happy birthday a few days early, honey.” Etta enveloped Hailey in a hug while the littles clapped from the other side of the couch.
“Thank you, Etta,” Hailey said, and when she stepped back, she was made from all-smiles too. She looked at August. “Did you know about this?”
“Yep.” He held up his phone. “Do you want to see how surprised you were?” He could edit out the end of the video where she started to cry, but for now, his daughter, Cameron, Kyle, Etta, and Smiles all crowded around the phone and watched the few seconds of video.
Hailey laughed and pointed at her wide eyes. “You guys really surprised me.”
“And we almost got everyone to say it at the same time,” Etta said. She tipped up on her toes and kissed August’s cheek. “I’ve decided that there’s no better time to eat dessert first than a ten-year-old’s surprise birthday party.”
“Of course,” he said, though he