Rooney and soon all the kids started singing with me, and I stood behind Ira while Rooney placed the cake with four candles on it in front of him.
She had found a recipe which was sugar free, but still ended up sweet for the kids to enjoy.
It was Ira’s choice to get a carrot cake for his birthday, but since we had eleven kids hoping for chocolate and other sweets, I went to Divine to get a few muffins and brownies.
They were sugar free as well, but I had to make sure Ira wouldn’t eat too much.
Poor bud.
Can’t even enjoy all the food he wants on his birthday.
But Ira wasn’t bothered by it.
“Happy Birthday to you!” we sang in unison, and I kissed Ira’s temple and whispered, “Make a wish, buddy!”
He scrunched up his nose and thought about his wish before blowing out the candles.
“That’s a pretty cake,” I heard one of the girls say.
I looked up to see Bethy, the oldest out of the bunch who was already six, stare at the cake wide-eyed.
“It is, huh? Rooney made it.”
Bethy looked at Rooney with excitement dancing in her eyes. “Can you give the recipe to my mom?” she asked, making us both chuckle.
She sounded like a teenager already, but she was very sweet with the younger kids.
“Of course! I’ll write it down and give it to her tomorrow morning,” Rooney told her.
Once every kid had a slice, they ate and kept talking about this and that and making plans about what they would play with next.
“They’re loving it,” I told Rooney as I stepped next to her and leaned against the counter.
“I’m glad they do! They’re all adorable. I thought that this many kids would mean trouble, but they’re all playing nicely with each other.
Luckily.
“They’re all having a good time. Thank you for helping me out,” I said.
“Of course! It’s fun, and I couldn’t have let you do this on your own. You deserve a break sometime, you know?”
I laughed and reached for her hand to pull it up and kiss the back of it before locking our fingers. “Yeah, I know. But it’s hard to look away when Ira experiences new things. I love seeing the joy in his eyes.”
She nodded and leaned against me for a moment before she let go of my hand and turned around to cut another slice of cake.
“Here, you gotta try some too.”
I took the plate from her and took a bite of it. “It’s delicious, Rooney. Thanks for taking the time to bake and everything. I know how busy you’ve been the past week.”
“It’s fine, really. I’m done with all of my assignments and I have no tests next week.”
I nodded and took another bite. “That’s good. Ira is just as excited as I am to go to the ranch. It’s still on, right?” I asked.
“Of course! If you get off work early we can head there Friday afternoon. It’s a one hour drive to the ranch,” she told me.
“I’ll make sure I’m home by four.”
“Wells?” Sia was walking up to us with her empty plate in her hands.
“Yes, darling?” I bent down to hear her clearer over the sound of the other kids and took the plate out of her hands.
“I have to pee,” she said, her voice quiet and soft.
I smiled, then pointed at Rooney as I thought she’d be more fitted for this in case she didn’t feel too comfortable with me helping her to the toilet.
“Rooney will show you to the bathroom, okay?”
Sia nodded and reached for Rooney’s hand, and just at the sight of her holding a little girl’s hand made my heart melt all over again.
I could see her being a mother.
It came naturally to her, but I had to stop thinking so far ahead.
I had yet to meet her parents, and although not much time had passed ever since we first met, I could tell that this weekend on the ranch would only push us closer together.
“Anyone want some more iced tea?” I asked the kids as I stepped up to the table, and a few of them called out to me for more.
I filled their cups, then walked over to Ira to check in on him.
“Did you enjoy the cake?”
“Yes, it was good,” he replied, looking up at me with joyful eyes.
“When can I open my presents, Daddy?”
“Let’s wait until Sia is back from the bathroom and then you can start opening your gifts, okay?”
He nodded and got down from the chair before running