Splendid Fall

Part 1, Ch. 1 Intruder

"Sucks to be you," Heyder laughed. "More cake for us."

"No one even likes vanilla," Noor slid down his chair like a sloth.

"You didn't think I would forget about my favorite baby, did you?" Maya asked as she got up from her chair and walked over to the kitchen. "I know you're picky about your cake."

"Daddy, can I open my presents now?" Zuri looked up at Hayden and grabbed his chin to make sure she had his full attention.

"Baby, those are Birdie's presents," Hayden reminded her.

"Zubee, come here," Birdie held out her arms. "Come help me open my presents."

Zuri didn't waste a second as she crawled across the dinner table towards Birdie. Heyder grabbed the cake and pulled it out of the way before the girl knocked it over.

"Monsters," he said with a spoon in his mouth.

"Cake for Noor!" Maya announced as she came back in with a slice of chocolate cake.

"You're the best, mimi," Noor sat up and grabbed his fork. "Marry me, woman!"

"How much money do you make?" Maya asked, setting the cake down and kissing the top of the boy's head.

"Not much yet," Noor said. "But I'll make more than Paba one day."

"I'll have my lawyers get started on the divorce papers," Maya winked.

"Zubee, you want cake?" Heyder ignored his wife and looked at his granddaughter.

"Later," the girl waved him off as she sat patiently on Birdie's lap, watching her aunt tear up the gift wrap.

"You want some of mine?" Noor held up his plate towards his sister.

Zuri looked up and examined the cake for a few seconds before nodding her head. Noor scooped up a forkful of cake and fed it to his sister.

"Oh, so she doesn't have germs in her mouth?" Birdie arched her brow.

"That's my sister," Noor said. "And she doesn't kiss boys."

"What boy?" Heyder asked.

Birdie's eyes widened as she warned noor to keep his mouth shut. But her reaction only made the boy laugh harder with his mouth full of cake.

"I saw Birdie kissing Adan," Noor laughed.

Maya gasped just as Heyder began to cough and hit his chest. Hayden grinned, looking at his sister's mortified expression.

"Noor," Nora called to her son. "What did we say about spilling secrets?"

"It's not a secret if she's kissing him in broad daylight in the yard!"

"In my yard?" Heyder hollered. "When was this?"

"Yesterday," Noor said.

"I'm going to kill you," Birdie said very calmly with a lovely smile. "Slowly and painfully."

Noor shrugged as he took another bite of his cake before feeding Zuri again. He looked up at Heyder and took a seat.

"I gave you valuable information," Noor said.

"So?" Heyder asked.

"What do I get in return?"

"Nothing."

"Okay," Noor shrugged once more. "No more information for you. If I ever see Birdie with another guy, I won't say a word."

"He's actually insane," Birdie said, looking at Hayden. "Do you hear this?"