I elbow him. “Don’t call me that,” I hiss.
He snorts. “What is she supposed to call you? Bethany?”
I lunge for his phone. “Skip the ad.”
“Nope. I have a crush on that character. I think I might be in love with her.” He sighs. “If only she were real.”
I try to grab the phone again, but I’m interrupted when the door to the kitchen swings open, and Jack steps into the lounge. He’s got flour smudged over his cheek.
“We’re ready!” He announces. “You have to go back to the bedroom, sweetheart.”
I snort, snuggling into Cyrus’s chest. You couldn’t pay me to move right now. “Make me.”
“Okay,” Cyrus says cheerfully, nipping my earlobe as Jack takes Cami out of my arms. Cy waits until she’s safely out of reach, then stands, picking me up and carrying me towards the bedroom. I hook my arms around his neck and kiss his throat, trying to distract him. He just grumbles and gives my bum a slap, pushing through our bedroom door.When we step inside, my mouth falls open.
The bedroom has been transformed. There are pink streamers on the walls and vases of fresh flowers on the bedside tables. Bunches of pink and white balloons float around the bed. Cami stares at them like she’s been hypnotised.
Cyrus deposits me neatly in the middle of the mattress, and Sebastian appears, placing a large tray in front of me. I stare at the spread that they’ve laid out; four giant stacks of pancakes, chocolate sauce, syrup, blueberries, tea, orange juice. There’s a carnation sitting in a glass of water, and a box of chocolates tied up in a silky ribbon.
“Yikes. This is awkward,” I say. “Guys, my birthday was last month, remember? Are you all going simultaneously senile?”
Cyrus pinches my hip.
“Cami’s not really big enough to cook you pancakes yet,” Jack explains. “So we’ve taken over this year.”
I laugh. “What does that mean? Why would jellybean be cooking my breakfast?”
“It’s traditional,” Seb says, which makes absolutely no sense. Still, I don’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth. Cami crawls across the bed towards me, and I tuck her under my arm, ripping off a piece of pancake and holding it to her mouth. “Want the first taste, baby?”
She takes a little bite and chews thoughtfully, her tiny face scrunching into a frown. “Yummy?” I ask. “Or did your daddies burn it again?”
“Is yummy!” She declares, throwing her hands up.
Jack pretends to wipe sweat off his forehead. “ThankGod.” He sits on the corner of the mattress and picks the box of chocolates off the tray. “Cami picked these out for you.” He smiles. “Well. I held her up in front of the shelves in the candy aisle, and they were the first ones she grabbed.”
“You have great taste, baby,” I tell her, tickling her belly. “Seriously, guys, what’s all this for? I don’t understand. Are we just having a Beth Appreciation day?”
They all share a look. Cyrus elbows Sebastian in the ribs, and he steps forward, sliding into the bed next to me.
“Hey,” he says quietly.
“Hey.” I push back the coppery hair flopping over his forehead. “Was this your idea?”
“Kind of.” He cuts a forkful of pancake and holds it up to my lips. I take the bite, humming happily as the chocolate chips melt over my tongue. He smiles. “There’s one more present. Cami, will you please do the honours?”
I look up to see Cami holding an A4 envelope, happily gnawing on one corner. Jack gently pulls it away from her mouth.
“Nooo, don’t eat it. Give it to mummy. Go on.”
“Don’t call me that,” I groan.
He just gives me a sparkly look. “Yes, it’s for yourmum. Your mama. Hand it over, baby.”
With some coaxing, Cami hands the envelope over to me. I slip my finger under the flap and peel it up, shaking out a familiar-looking piece of paper.
“Cami’s birth certificate?” I ask, confused.
Cyrus looks like he’s about to explode. “Oh myGod read it.”