Vampire Babysitter (Camren)

Chapter 8

"Happy birthday, Ari!"

Dinah beamed at the little girl in my arms, showing her the three-tiered chocolate cake she'd spent hours perfecting. It smelled awful, but even I had to admit it was gorgeous.

Dinah had insisted on baking it herself, arguing it would be more special for Ari's first birthday with us. Camila fervently agreed, though her innocent proclamation that chocolate cake was clearly Ari's favorite made it apparent she was hoping for the same recipe that had resulted in the cupcakes she loved so much.

I showed Ari where her name was emblazoned on the cake in bright green frosting. Dinah was adamant green was her favorite colour because "she always picks the green one if I give her a choice between two outfits." She said.

Ari had no idea what was written on the cake, but she understood that today was special because we had been showering her with more attention than usual. Dinah had bought her a gold plastic tiara to wear, telling her it was "a special birthday crown." Though she liked being "special," she wasn't a fan of the tiara. Every time it was placed on her little head, it got tossed aside within minutes.

Ari eyed her cake curiously. If I hadn't grabbed her little hand mid-swipe, it would have had an Ari-sized handprint in it.

"Hunry!"

"You can eat it soon," I promised. "We're just waiting for the rest of your guests to get here."

I glanced around at the small gathering already accumulated in our yard.

Ari was too young to go to school, so the guest list had been limited to Justin, Camila, Selena and a few random kids and their parents from our outings to the park. All of them were older than Ari, but it was the best we could scramble together.

The weather forecast assured the darkening rain clouds would hold off for the day, so we'd decided the kids would enjoy playing in our sizable backyard. Dinah had even rented a bouncy castle and a portable playground for the older ones.

I was contemplating whether Ari would be patient enough to wait for Camila and her family to arrive when my girlfriend peeked around the gate into the backyard.

Selena trailed behind, setting her son down in the grass to tie his undone shoelace.

"We were just waiting for you guys," I told Camila as she sidled up to me. "You're the last ones."

"Sorry we're late," she apologized, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Selena had a wardrobe meltdown or five." She cut her eyes at Demi who was helping Dinah set up Disney princess themed plates on the patio. "She's been jittery all morning. She wants to make a good impression."

I chuckled, sparing a glance at the other woman. She was wearing a white eyelet sundress.

"It's fine. We're still setting up. Dinah just took the cake out of the fridge and the kids have been too busy giving the castle a work out to notice they've not eaten yet. It's killing Dinah not to join in, though she's excited to get the barbeque going."