âHappy birthday to yew. Happy birthday to yew. Happy birthday dear Timmy⌠Happy birthday to yew.â
It was barely even light outside and already Savanna was in her brother's room singing to him. She seemed more excited about Timothyâs birthday than he appeared to be. Keeping his present a secret all week hadnât been easy for her. There were a couple of isolated incidents where she nearly ruined the surprise. She couldnât wait for the grand reveal.
âSavvyâŚâ The nine year old mumbled as he pulled the blankets up over his head. âItâs too earlyâŚâ Timothy groaned. Victoria wasnât even finished with his traditional birthday breakfast. Every year on her childrenâs birthday she made a fat stack of rainbow pancakes with homemade whipped cream. A single candle held breakfast in place until their wish was made. This year was no exception.
âBut itâs yer birthday! Ya gotta get up.â Savanna explained. âMommy is makinâ yer special pancakes anâ daddy is gonna come over.â That was all Timmy needed to hear to get out of bed. This was the first year heâd be celebrating his birthday with their father at home. What made the day even sweeter was having off of school. Palm Valley Elementary School had parent/teacher conferences. It wasnât mandatory that parents attend if their kids were doing well in school, which Timothy and Savanna both were, so Vic and Declan didn't have to go. âWe getâa spend the whole day with mommy anâ daddy.â Savvy beamed. The smile on Timmyâs face was proof that he was equally as excited. âAre ya gonna get up now?â The seven year old questioned.
Downstairs Victoria was busy making breakfast. She had Timothyâs plate ready by the time he came down. âHappy birthday, my sweet boy.â She greeted the nine year old with a kiss on the forehead. âMommy, whatâa âbout me?â Savvy chimed in causing Vic to chuckle softly. She kissed her daughter on the forehead too. âGood morning, my little butterfly.â She spoke before turning her attention back to the stove.
âWhat are we gonna do tâday?â The seven year old asked as she patiently waited for her pancakes to be ready. Victoria turned to face her children. Declan would be there shortly. She sent him a text when she woke up to let him know the kids were already waiting for him. It amazed her how difficult it was to get Timmy and Savanna out of bed when it was time to get ready for school, but when they had the option to sleep in for a little bit⌠They were up before sunrise. âAre we waitinâ for daddy âta eat breakfast?â Savvy asked. No one knew when Declan would arrive, so Vic told the kids they could eat without him. She would wait. She was satisfied with her cup of coffee for the time being.
âMomâŚâ Timmy spoke after taking a bite of his pancakes. âIf we go out âta dinner tânite, can dad come too?â The little boy opted out of a party this year. He just wanted to celebrate with his family. He knew his friends would understand. âAre Ransom anâ Dottie gonna come over?â He hoped they would. He hadnât seen either of them in over a week and he missed spending time with them. âAnâ aunt Clara?â One of his favorite traditions was when Clara and Victoria made him a cake. âThey can all come âta my birthday dinner.â He also secretly hoped Rory would tag along too.
Before Vic had a chance to reply, Declan walked through the front door and Timothyâs attention shifted to his father. âDad!â His face lit up. The nine year old had a feeling this would be one of the best birthdays yet. âHappy birthday, little dude.â DC replied as his arms wrapped around his youngest son and kissed his crown. He could have sworn Timmy grew a foot overnight. Declan was all too aware of how quickly the kids were growing up. How dare they? Who gave them permission to turn into miniature adults so soon?
âCan I open presents now, mom?â Timmy turned to face Victoria giving Savanna a chance to properly greet their father. The seven year old felt like it was her birthday she was so excited to see her brother open his gifts. âAfter breakfast.â Vic replied. She could tell how eager he was, but it was still very early. She wanted to make sure everyone ate (especially Timmy) because she knew once gifts were opened she wouldnât see her son again until dinner time. âAwwwâŚâ The little boy groaned, but he didnât protest further. He knew his mother was up early to make his birthday pancakes and he wouldnât let them go to waste.
After breakfast, once the kids were both dressed for the day, the four of them headed to the living room to watch Timothy open his presents. There werenât many, but quantity didnât matter to him. Everything Victoria picked out was something he loved. In fact, he couldnât wait to put his new Lego star destroyer together. Timmy even agreed to let Savanna help as long as she didnât lose pieces this time. âThank you mom.â The little boy said as he stood up to hug Victoria. âThank you dad.â He did the same with Declan. âSavvy⌠I love my treasure box. It's perfect.â He pulled his little sister close and kissed her on top of the head. She had given him a hand painted box (similar to last year) with all kinds of things she collected over the course of the year. Each piece was linked to a memory. A memento of their journey whether it was a coin from a trip to the arcade, or a heart shaped rock. Everything had a specific meaning. She put a lot of thought and effort into the present so she was glad he actually liked it.
âYa still have one more thing ya didnât openâŚâ The seven year old said in a cheery tone. Her attention moved from the birthday boy to her parents. They couldnât possibly have forgotten the biggest gift all. Savanna had been hyper-focused on it all week. âYer right, princess.â Declan smirked. âHow could we forget?â He teased. âEveryone grab jackets.â He stood and pulled Victoria to her feet. Savvy couldnât locate her own jacket so she grabbed the closest thing she could find⌠One of Vicâs cardigans from the hall closet.
âYer gonna have âta cover yer eyes, pal. Wouldnât wanna ruin tha surprise.â Declan explained as he carefully led Timothy into the detached garage Declan used to store his tools. Now they were collecting dust. Ransom borrowed them from time to time, but for the most part they remained untouched for the duration of DC's incarceration. âYa didnât get meâa goat or somethinâ did ya?â Timmy laughed softly. âI wish!â Savanna chimed in. In her opinion, they didnât have enough animals.
âAlmost there.â Declan stopped so Timmy was standing directly in front of his present. âNo peekinâ.â He liked keeping the kids in suspense. âAlright⌠Open um.â
The nine year old uncovered his eyes but his smile quickly faded when he saw nothing but a dirty blue tarp in front of him. âIs this it?â The question made Declan and Victoria laugh. âWhy donât I give ya a hand?â Before Timothy could nod, DC pulled the tarp aside to reveal a small, but fully functional motorcycle. It was a little big for him, but Timmy would grow into it.
âWhat doâya think?â Timmy was honestly speechless. He wasnât sure what he was more excited about⌠Learning how to ride it or learning how to fix it. âThis⌠Th-this is mine?â He couldnât believe it. âMom⌠Did ya know âbout this?â  It didn't seem like a gift Victoria would be completely onboard with given how dangerous it was. Savanna spoke for her mother. âWe all knew âbout it.â Declan chuckled watching his family. âHappy birthday, little man.â He said as he placed a new helmet on Timmyâs head. "Can't ride without one'a these. Safety first."
â...This is the best birthday ever.â