Pappy S’s house is buzzing with people. My parents, Wilder’s parents, some of Wilder’s friends, his two sisters, and Vera and Monique are here, of course. My grandparents are also here, and Pappy S is loving every single second of having so many family members in one place. Given that he’s the one who brought us together in the first place, I feel like he’s basically the guest of honor, but of course, he poo-pooed all over that notion as soon as I mentioned it.
We have cake—a huge one with real cream cheese frosting—and also a spread that would put most kingdoms to shame. We ordered from a couple of different places, and the house smells like a big mashup of different foods.
I think if Connie gets slipped any more table scraps, she’s going to have to roll herself out the door. The cats, too, have been fed treats all afternoon.
Vera and Monique both brought wine.
Hector, the fish, and my turtles upstairs are probably wondering what all the fuss is about down here, so we’ll have to give them a special treat later. Wilder has really come around. He loves the turtles, and he feeds the fish and helps me clean their tank, but he also helps care for Hector. He still won’t touch Hector, but he does think about him, which is evident when he bought him this huge new enclosure. He also stops at the pet store to get Hector’s food, and he’ll even put the food in for him. I think they appreciate each other best at a distance. Hector is my hairy spider boy, but that’s alright. It’s okay to be a mama’s boy.
“You doing okay with that? Are you going to want seconds?” I walk past Pappy S, who is sitting in the living room. I swear, he hasn’t stopped smiling since he got here, which was hours ago.
He grins at me, swipes the last bit of cake off his plate, and passes it over. “Seconds? Always.”
I grin back. “I figured. Coming right up.”
“It was a good idea to get everyone together in one spot. I’m happy for you, Esme, and I’m proud of you too. You made the right choice, keeping Wilder around.”
“Well, he’s not a dog or something, and he had something to say about it too.”
“I’m glad. Good for him. I’m glad he fought hard to be kept around. Has he lost his penchant for pee yet?”
“Pappy S!” Thank goodness no one heard that. “That’s not funny,” I inform him sternly, but I’m starting to crack too. Trying my best to smother my laughter, I walk back to the kitchen.
When I enter the kitchen, Wilder is still cutting the cake and passing it out. He takes one look at the empty plate, looks at me, and slices a huge second piece. He knows exactly who it’s for since Pappy S loves his desserts.
“He’s enjoying himself,” I tell Wilder as I take the plate from him. “He thinks it was a good idea to do this.”
“My sisters love Monique and Vera. I can only imagine the stories they’re telling right now.”
“Oh no,” I groan. “Should I go over and censor things?”
“No. Let them be. It’s alright. I’m okay with super mortifying things being said about me.”
“It’s not you that I was worried about. I just don’t know if I can handle the things that are going to be said about me.”
Wilder laughs, but since he’s holding this massive cake-cutting knife and waving it around slightly, it looks a little bit sinister.
“Well, at least our parents are having a good time. They’ve been out on the deck talking for hours, so I’m really glad about that.”
“Me too,” Wilder agrees. “It’s not that I was worried or anything. I figured they’d get along, but I’m glad they actually are.”
“Your parents could get along with anyone.” It’s true. If Wilder is a nice guy, then his parents are just as nice. I guess he came by it in an honest way. I like Wilder’s sisters too.
“They’ve been talking about toys. I’m glad someone else likes hearing about it as most people just stare at us blankly when we try to talk about what we do for a living, then make snap judgments about our sanity, and change the subject.”
“Not my mom and dad. They like hearing about all the inventions and how things come to be brought from the drawing to the actual product.”
One big change in our lives is that Wilder made the decision to stay in California. It was a hard one, and I know there are lots of moments where he misses Pittsburgh. He sold his house a few months ago, and he has his huge collection of cars in storage, including the one from Pappy S. Right now, we’re renovating one of the upstairs rooms to display all of it, which Wilder is really excited for.