“There’s so muchpink,” Cam said, wrinkling his nose.
“Your sister likes pink,” Gray said as he wrapped an arm around his son’s shoulders and pulled him into his body and then messed up his hair. “When you have a party, you get what you want.”
Jazz had totally come through. While I’d been sitting next to Slash in an auditorium, watching Lily and her ballerina friends twirl in tutus to Swan Lake, Jazz had set up a long table with a white tablecloth and ten place settings in Darcy’s backyard.
“Look at the fairy lights!” Lily pointed to the big tree.
“Wow, this is seriously incredible,” Mia said.
Darcy shook her head and looked at me. “You guys really went all out.”
“Anything for Lily,” I said.
Slash tugged me into his side.
“I’m obsessed with these cake stands,” Mia said as she walked over to the table. “Where did you get them?”
“Jazz made them,” I replied.
“You’re kidding,” Joni said. “Damn, you are so crafty.”
“They’re really easy to make,” Jazz mock-whispered. “I can show you.”
“Please do,” Joni begged. “I’d love to do an art project.”
“And the nesting instinct has completely taken over,” Darcy said.
“I’m learning how to crochet,” Allison said. “I completely get the wanting to be crafty thing.”
“Mama!” Lily yelled. “Can we have our cupcakes now?”
“I’m with Lily,” Slash said.
“Yes!” Darcy called back.
Lily made a move to lift the glass cake stand lid and Darcy immediately rushed toward her.
“I promised Linden I’d save her a few cupcakes,” Boxer said. “She’s bummed she couldn’t be here.”
“Ah!” One of the girls shot up from the table and ran away, swatting at her head as she went. “It’s a wasp!”
“Wasp!” Lily yelled.
The other girls started screaming and running around in circles like demonic lemmings, clearly trying not to get stung. They ran into the house, one after the other, their shrieks heard even after they were inside. Darcy followed suit, no doubt trying to calm them down.
“Don’t move,” Slash said to me.
“Why?” I asked.
“Just don’t.” His hand was suddenly on my neck, and he curled his fingers. “Fuck.”
He yanked his hand back and opened his palm. A wasp was stinging him, and I could see its thorax moving. Slash lowered his hand to the ground and flicked the wasp off and then dug his boot heel into it, crushing it into the dirt.
“That was like a ninja move,” I said to him. “I didn’t even know it landed on me.”
“Little bastard stung the fuck out of me,” Slash said, seemingly unfazed.
“Inside,” I commanded. “We’ve got to wash it.”