"Were you good for Grandma and Peter?" he asked.
"Yes," she giggled, placing her little hands on his cheeks. Caleb smiled, smoothing down the beautiful hair she'd inherited from Maddie. Caleb was glad that she looked just like her mother, from the hair to her eyes, to the shape of her face. She'd gotten his coloring though and his stubborn streak, according to Maddie.
"She was a little angel, like always," Cindy said, touching Kinsley's chubby cheeks. "Now, I'm going to go help your wife set up the food."
Peter was sitting on one of the swings, his girlfriend that he'd brought home sitting next to him. He was home for the weekend for Kinsley's birthday party, but he'd have to drive back down to Los Angeles tomorrow, where he attended college. Even though the teenager had been resistant to the idea of even applying for college at first, Caleb had wanted to give him an opportunity that he himself never had. Peter was talented and if he still decided that he wanted to work at the garage once he completed his four years as an art major, then Caleb wouldn't stop him.
Looking at him now though, with his head bent close to Beth's, giggling, Caleb knew that he was happy in L.A., that he was coming into his own there. The knowledge filled him with satisfaction.
Maddie was smoothing tablecloths over the plastic tables they were using for the party and he made his way over to her. She smiled when she saw them. "There's my little baby," she cooed at Kinsley, smacking a loud kiss on her cheek, much to their daughter's delight.
"Need help?" he asked her, shifting Kinsley in his arms.
"No, we're almost done," she said, giving him a kiss, right as the doorbell rang. She looked at Kinsley. "Go help your daddy greet your guests, okay?"
"'Kay!" she said, bouncing in Caleb's arms. Kinsley had been looking forward to her birthday party all week. She was quite the social butterfly at two-years-old. At parties, Caleb would watch Kinsley flit from one person to next, pointing at things and asking questions. Everyone adored her.
An hour later, their backyard was full, music drifted from the outdoor speakers, and happy shrieks from children and adult chatter filled the air. The children, mostly neighborhood kids Kinsley's age, played on the playground and the bouncy house they'd rented.
Cindy and the man she'd been dating were talking to a couple of Maddie's co-workers from the museum. Brian and his wife had brought their grandchild over to play and the older man was currently soothing the overwhelmed three-year-old. Kyra and Thomas were manning the food tables and making sure that everything was stocked. Even though he hadn't told Maddie yet, Caleb strongly suspected that something was going on between the two of them and had been for quite some time. Caleb knew that Maddie wouldn't mind that her best friend and brother were seeing each other, but they seemed to think so.
He and Maddie were standing with their group of friends. Maddie had become quite close with Olivia, Kate, and Christie, which Caleb was grateful for. His friends meant a lot to him. They'd been there for him for years and they were all starting a new chapter of their lives … a chapter full of marriage and children.
Alex and Olivia had gotten married around the time Maddie had given birth to Kinsley and they were expecting their first child any day now. Olivia waddled all around and Alex fussed over her like a mother hen, but Caleb seemed to recall that he had been the exact same way right before Maddie had given birth. No matter how many children they had, he would always act that way.
Luke, his outspoken jokester of a friend, and his girlfriend Kate tied the knot just a few months ago, but they weren't in any rush to have children. They wanted to travel before they eventually got around to starting a family. Next week, they were off to Greece for a solid month. Kate had just finished another book and Luke had surprised her with the trip.
As for Adam and Christie … Adam had popped the question to his long-time girlfriend at the beginning of summer and all the women were excitedly starting to plan the wedding. Christie wanted it to be 'geek chic,' whatever that meant. And whenever she told people that, Adam would just shake his head, blushing a little.
"Uh oh, Caleb," Alex said, drawing his attention. The four guys were sitting in lawn chairs, nursing beers, while the girls chatted nearby. "Looks like Kinsley has a friend."
Caleb craned his neck around to where Alex nodded and sure enough, his daughter and one of the little neighborhood boys were playing together. He watched, slack-jawed, as Kinsley gave the boy a kiss on the cheek. The boy clutched her and gave her one back, in that clumsy toddler fashion.