Page 126 of Myla: The Hawthornes

“Could be anythin’,” I replied as I reached for one side of the cooler. “Just be prepared, yeah?”

“Fuck,” Titus muttered with a nod.

My siblings pulled up just as we were setting the cooler on the porch.

“Cian, come help me,” Aoife ordered, climbing out of the car.

I jogged down the steps and met her at the trunk. “Jesus, Mam, what did you bring?”

There were six big covered dishes carefully packed with towels around them to keep them from shifting.

“I made a taco bar,” she replied. “There’s more in the back seat with Sean.”

“Go get my nephew,” I said, bumping her gently out of the way. “I’ll carry these.”

“Don’t stack them,” she warned as she walked to Sean’s door. “They’ll spill everywhere.”

“Great,” I muttered as Ronan and Aisling joined me.

It took a few trips to get everything inside, and we’d barely finished as Aunt Ashley arrived, Frankie’s SUV pulling in behind her.

“You can park anywhere,” I called as Aunt Ashley parked beside Aoife, and Frankie pulled over by the garage.

“I wasn’t sure how many people were coming,” she said as Saoirse climbed out of the passenger seat. “Head on in, honey. We’ll be right there.”

“Hey, brother,” Saoirse greeted as she passed me.

“Happy Birthday.”

“Thanks!”

As soon as Saoirse was inside the house, Aunt Ashley scowled. “I forgot the damn cake.”

“How the hell did you do that?” I asked as Frankie and Lou reached us.

“I put it on the table in the motorhome so Saoirse wouldn’t see it before the party, and then when she asked to ride with me, I forgot to put it in Aoife’s car.”

“What’s wrong?” Frankie asked.

“No, nothing,” Lou said into the phone held to her ear.

“I forgot the cake,” Aunt Ashley answered. “Left it in the frigging motorhome.

“Ashley forgot the cake in the motorhome,” Lou said in exasperation. She looked at me. “It’s Myla.”

“She on her way yet?”

Lou shook her head.

“I can run back and get it,” Aunt Ashley said. “I’ll be back before it’s time.”

“Let’s eat dinner first,” I ordered. “I’ll run and get it when we’re done.”

“I can’t believe I forgot it,” Aunt Ashley said as I led her toward the house. “I had one job.”

“It’s no big deal,” Frankie said easily. “These dinners usually last a while anyway. There’s plenty of time to go get it.”

Inside the house was chaos, and it only got louder when Tommy and Heather showed up. People were spread out all over the kitchen and living room eating their food, and we could barely keep Diana and Sean at the table long enough to eat anything.

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