Paul smiled good-naturedly, embarrassed at being the center of attention. Annie reached for his hand, and he brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her fingers. "Thank you for this special day, Babe."
A single tear ran down Annie's cheek just before she kissed him. "I am just so happy that you're here this year to celebrate with us all."
"Time to blow out the candles," Carolyn urged.
"Did you have to put so many on there?" Paul complained. The wide grin on his face betrayed his pleasure at their efforts.
"Wanted it to be realistic," Kelly laughed. "Come on, Dad: blow."
Paul took a deep breath and blew mightily at the lit candles. He started laughing in the middle of his attempt, and he had to make several more efforts before all the flames were extinguished.
"Thank God!" Peter joked. "I was afraid that the smoke alarm was going to go off before you got them all out." He watched Kacie out of the corner of his eye, and took in the fact that even though there was a smile on her face, her hands were clasped tensely in her lap.
"Presents next," Annie sparkled. "Mine first." Reaching into the pocket of her over-sized cardigan sweater, she retrieved a box and handed it to him.
Paul opened the rectangular box and took out a new watch, reading the inscription out loud, "'Forever, Annie'." He leaned over and kissed her. "Thank you, Sweetheart."
She murmurred in his ear, "You can 'thank' me, later."
They laughed together and kissed again as Kelly presented her offering. "Here, Dad. Happy birthday."
Paul grinned as he started to open the flat package. "Thank you for the tie, Baby."
Kelly's mouth dropped open. "Da-a-d! You don't even know what's in there yet!"
"Why open it?" Peter laughed. "You've given him the same thing for his birthday for as long as I can remember." He automatically started to reach for Kacie's hand to give it an affectionate squeeze, but she moved it to pick at an imaginary piece of lint of her sweater, effectively keeping him from touching her.
Kelly stuck out her tongue at Peter. "So let's see what you've given him that's so original," she challenged.
Peter made a face at his younger foster sister, and unobtrusively pulled his hand back from Kacie's direction and rested it on the table.
Paul and Caine exchanged a look. "Do you sometimes wonder if our children will ever grow up?" Paul asked, shaking his head in mock despair.
Caine chuckled and gave Peter a pointed stare. "Yes. Some children more than others."
"Make fun of me all you like," Peter smiled. "I have found something original." He handed a package to his foster father. "Happy birthday, Paul."
Paul opened the box and took out a name plate that read 'Capt. Paul Blaisdell', along with a small, see- through paper weight that encased the badge he had turned in almost three years before. He stared at both in silence, his throat working.
Hurt by his foster father's seeming lack of response, Peter's face fell. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "I guess it was a dumb idea."
Paul's voice was gruff with emotion. "No, Son. It's perfect. It's just that..." He raised his eyes to meet Peter's. "We came so damn close to losing you -- again -- that your just being here is the best gift you could have given me. This is just frosting on the cake."
Todd raised his water glass in a toast. "Here, here. Speaking of cake, can we get to it and ice cream now?"
The dinner guests laughed at his humor, and the solemnness of the moment was broken. Peter exchanged a loving look with Paul, and grinned as his foster father winked at him in perfect understanding.
Caine handed Paul a small package and shrugged one shoulder deprecatingly. "I thought you might like to have this, so I had this copy made."
Paul removed a small, framed picture of Peter, taken at a time when he had lived at the Shaolin temple. The young man's head was shaved, and he was dressed in a saffron-colored robe. "Thank you, Caine." The fathers shared a long look, and suddenly laughed, sharing their joy as they shared a son.
Carolyn handed her package to Paul, who got a comical expression on his face when he took out a light mauve colored shirt. "Pink? You got me a pink shirt?"
Todd laughed and put an arm around the back of Carolyn's chair. "We wanted you to have at least one shirt that would match a tie that Kelly gave you."
"And I suppose I'll have to wear both out in public sometime, too." Paul rolled his eyes heavenward. "God, help me."
Suddenly shy, Carolyn smiled at her father, and took Todd's hand in hers. "We have another gift for you, too, Dad. Todd and I are having another baby. You're going to be a grandpa again in about six months."
A general pandemonium of tears, laughter, and congratulations erupted at the table. Kacie hugged Carolyn and added her best wishes, battling her own emotions at the same time. {That's how far along I would have been by now.}
Plates and bowls were brought out and portions of cake and ice cream served. Kacie sat in her chair, joining in the conversations sparingly, her face muscles aching with the strain of smiling. {I can do this. I can get through today.} She ate mechanically, the sweet desserts tasteless in her mouth.
Peter and his sisters were exchanging insults, when Kelly piped up innocently, "So, Peter. When are you going to get with the program and make me an aunt? You're already behind, one and a third to nothing."
Kacie gasped sharply, and her spoon dropped from nerveless fingers, clattering into the half-eaten bowl of ice cream before her. The room was suddenly stifling, and she couldn't breathe. With a strangled moan, she rose abruptly from her chair, knocking it over as she fled. She was out the French doors leading to the patio and back yard before anyone could move.
Peter's head bowed, chin touching his chest, as all eyes swiveled to him for an explanation. He ran a shaking hand through his hair and his voice trembled as he confessed, "We-we-we've been having some problems." He bit his lip without continuing.
Kelly looked ready to cry. "Oh, Peter, I never meant anything..."
"It's all right, Kel. You couldn't know." He took a deep breath and got to his feet slowly. "I-I better go after her."
"Where's Kacie going?" Todd asked in concern, as he looked out the windows. "She just took off out the back yard gate. She doesn't even have her coat."
"I'll take it to her." Peter moved stiffly from the table and walked out with head down and shoulders sagging. He retrieved both his and Kacie's coats from their hooks in the hallway. Somehow, he wasn't surprised by the hand that was laid on his shoulder.
"My son, we must talk."
Peter turned and looked at his father, his hazel eyes filled with hopelessness and despair.
Caine touched Peter's face and cradled one cheek in his hand. "You have needed to share your thoughts and worries with Kay Cee for many days. Her heart is as burdened as yours."
"How do you know this, Pop?"
Caine shrugged, lifting one eyebrow expressively. "You both display your emotions in plain view of those with the eyes to see."
"I'm losing her, Pop. I think I've already lost her." Tears came to his eyes. "I don't know what to do about it."
"I have told you before, Peter: I do not believe that you know the entire reality, or that what you thought you saw was the entire truth."
"What other truth could it be, Pop?" His chin trembled as he put on his coat.
Caine regarded his son solemnly, "Peter, do you not love Kacie?"
Peter drew a shuddering breath. "More than my own life."
"Then, is not such a love worth fighting for? The words you have left unsaid between you have hurt you both deeply. Go to her, and let the truth free you both."
Peter kissed his father's forehead and leaned his head momentarily on the broad shoulder before shrugging on his coat. He went out the front door, rather than face the roomful of family again.