Chapter 9 - The Family We Chose
By the twins’ second birthday in late August, the Carter estate had fully shed the last vestiges of its former isolation.
The celebration was held not in a sterile banquet hall, but on the sprawling emerald lawns of Daniel’s newly acquired historic country home in the Hudson Valley. Long wooden tables were draped in checkered linen, covered in platters of barbecue, fresh sweet corn, and homemade peach cobbler baked by Elise’s mother, who had arrived from Queens with three boisterous aunts and six younger cousins.
Maisie and Rosie ran barefoot through the clover, squealing with laughter as they chased a swarm of iridescent soap bubbles blown by Daniel’s corporate driver, Frank, who had completely abandoned his professional dignity to wear a floppy party hat.
Julian and Victoria Sterling were nowhere to be found; their commercial firm had been quietly absorbed by an international conglomerate three months prior, forcing their relocation to a modest suburban development outside Philadelphia.
Daniel sat on a wooden picnic bench, dressed in a simple white linen shirt with the sleeves rolled up, drinking a craft beer with Elise’s older brother, Marco, who worked as an electrical contractor in Brooklyn.
"I gotta tell you, Carter," Marco said, taking a pull from his bottle with a grin. "When my sister told me she was working for a billionaire, I thought she was gonna get eaten alive. But you look pretty civilized for a bloodsucking capitalist."
Daniel laughed—a rich, booming sound that made several corporate associates sitting across the lawn turn their heads in pleasant surprise. "Your sister is the only person on earth who terrifies me, Marco. I know my place."
Across the lawn, Elise called out, "Daniel! Cake time!"
The crowd gathered around the massive, three-tiered birthday cake shaped like a giant yellow banana island, topped with two miniature marzipan figures of Maisie and Rosie wearing oversized chef hats.
The twins stood on the bench between Daniel and Elise, clapping their hands in uncoordinated frenzy as everyone sang Happy Birthday.
When the song ended, Maisie didn't blow out her candle. Instead, she grabbed a massive handful of bright yellow buttercream frosting and slapped it directly onto Daniel’s cheek.
The entire lawn went dead silent.
Several corporate vice presidents looked like they were about to faint.
Daniel sat frozen for three seconds, the thick, sugary frosting dripping onto his collar. He looked at Maisie, whose dark eyes were wide with sudden apprehension, wondering if she had crossed an invisible line.
Then, Daniel dipped his own finger into the frosting, turned to Rosie, and smeared a yellow dot onto the tip of her nose.
Rosie shrieked with delight. Maisie collapsed against Elise’s chest, giggling so hard she had hiccups. The lawn erupted into cheers, laughter, and the joyful noise of twenty people celebrating life without permission.
May you like
Elise reached up with a napkin, gently wiping the frosting from Daniel’s jawline, her eyes dancing with wicked amusement. "You have frosting on your nose, Mr. Carter."
Daniel grabbed her wrist, pulled her toward him, and kissed her soundly on the mouth, leaving a smear of buttercream across her lips. "I'm with the bananas, remember?"
