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I laughed.

“Of course.”

“Why she crying?” Michael yelled.

“Because y’all loud!” I yelled back.

“You loud too!”

I looked at my son.

“Michael.”

He disappeared into the crowd.

Smart boy.

My mother picked Serenity up while Avery leaned over Carter’s high chair.

“Blow it out, mama.”

“That baby can’t blow no candle out,” Nesha said.

“She can try.”

“She just turned one. She don’t even know what fire is.”

“Nesha, shut up.”

“I’m just saying.”

Avery laughed before blowing Carter’s candle out for her.

My mother helped Serenity with hers.

Everybody clapped again.

And just like that, my baby’s first birthday was officially in the books.

Both of them.

Serenity and Carter had been born close enough together that doing one party made sense.

At least that’s what Avery and I had decided.

Ten months ago, I couldn’t have imagined voluntarily planning anything with my sister.

Life was funny like that.

Not ha-ha funny.

More like this bitch got jokes funny.

The party had been small.

Family.

A few friends.