A Birth day

Ruby was glad Angus and shot down the boys but it also stung they could not have just been happy for her and Angus , she'd know his fear and with Edwards permission done it the best way to lessen his anxiety. she saw him clear the table and she finished feeding Caprice who by now had eaten enough and was rubbing her eyes as was Amari, " I'll take the girls for their baths and settle them down" she said picking up a tired Caprice as Aria picked up Amari.

"guess my desert can wait, great end to a great day, huh " she said to Marcus" I'll be back in a sec" she said walking with Ruby inside and up to the nursery. Now with two clean and sleepy babies she walked to the changing table and dressed them in their PJ setting them down in their cots Aria covered Amari while Ruby covered Caprice then gently kissed each on their head and made sure they were sleeping before heading down to the out door seats on the porch and sat back down poring a glass of the red wine and sipping it looking out over the yard towards the cottage, Aria did the same and stood looking into the duplex .

"Give it a little," Marcus told Aria quietly. "They just all need a minute." Marcus felt like this was bound to go off the rails at some point today. Marcus saw Ruby and Aria both go outside to drink. He sighed and pitched in to help Angus. "I'll give you a hand."

"I suppose I can get it," Angus said.

"I'm not doing anything in particular so I might as well help," Marcus said. 

"I rather expected that from the boys," Angus said.

"Did you?"

"I did," Angus said. "They have a different relationship with Ruby than they do with me. After all, they've lived with her pretty much their whole lives until she move out. When you grow up with your siblings, you lose any kind of fear of confronting them when you feel like they've mucked something up. Me, they'd have given me what for too, but they'd have gone about it a bit differently. We tend not to hold back from our siblings, though."

"You might have a point," Marcus said. "You've also been very firm with them from day one. they know where your boundaries stop and start. And did you expect that from the girls too?"

"To a given degree, yes. Neither of them would think the dueling competition was more important that our wedding, but they also have come to believe that we do things in this house out in the open, no secrets, no dirty tricks except in a small way as a practical joke. I think they're happy that we're married, just not how it was done."

"And Ruby feels punished," Marcus said, as they put leftovers into storage containers for the fridge and stacked the dishes to start a washing up spell.

"She has a right to her feelings, whatever they are, so I'm not going to deal with that tonight," Angus said. "I haven't figured out how I feel about that yet myself, but regardless, I'm supposed to defend her. So reserving judgment tonight feels like a rather defensive approach."

"Understood," Marcus said, getting out a couple whiskey glasses and pouring them each a stiff firewhiskey. 

"Thank you," Angus said, casting the washing up spell.

Aria and Ruby stayed outside watching the kids play on the new basketball court off in the distance from them as Ruby held her glass taking one more sip she placed it down feeling she would not want any more for the night. " I don't know what I thought they would say once we told them " she said to Aria who stood listening to her.

"they'll get over it." she said " Edward had it right anything happened to Angus things would have been a lot more complicated " she said and looked inside to se Marcus with Angus having a fire whisky. She smiled and nodded to Marcus she was okay with that and looked to Ruby. " give it tonight and I'm sure they will be happy for you both, you know the boys better than any one.."

The kids and Dennis played basketball for about 45 minutes and came back. They seemed to all be better. They were joking and laughing and talking about how great it was to have basketball as an option.

"Aria," Marcus called, as Angus put on a pot of coffee. "Now might be a good time for dessert. They're going to be looking for a snack anyway. You know that's how they roll."

Angus had found a big steak bone in the meat, and he had trimmed it out and saved it back for Finn. Now he went over and got a pack of cigarettes out and put it in his shirt pocket. Then he took the bone and whistled for Finn. He took Finn out on the back deck and gave him his bone. 

"Just until you get it all cleaned off. When it isn't going to make a grease spot on the rug, then you can bring it in, okay?" He gave the steak bone to him and went back inside.

"He's going to be gnawing on that thing for a couple months," Marcus laughed. "He's in doggie heaven, I think."

"Well, its a good solid bone, so he might as well have it instead of my just chucking it in the bin," Angus said.

Aria heard Marcus and looked at him " you think?" she asked as she walked into the kitchen and took out the white box. Sat in it was a galaxy cake with congratulations on it. She showed Marcus " still think its a good idea?" she asked lowering the side she showed him they were cupcakes made into a cake. slipping it onto a large platter she paused .

Ruby saw Angus walk out with Finn and chuckled " I agree with Marcus he looks super happy" she said and looked at Angus as she saw the boys walking over to them and Aria in the kitchen as she worked on something she could not see.

"Yes. I do," Marcus told her quietly. "This wedding wasn't anything like what Angus and Ruby had wanted. Have you really seen their rings? He had them made before his magical system was destroyed. He'd been keeping them all this time, hoping he could conquer his terror of it, and hoping for the right time to let her have the wedding she dreamed. This wasn't anything like it. Your cake at least gives them just a tiny spark of what they had hoped it might have been. Do it. I'll pour some coffee. I know everyone here drinks coffee with cake."

Marcus got out some mugs and poured coffee, calling to the kids and Dennis.

"Come on in, you lot," Marcus called. "Aria's serving dessert, and I've got the coffee. Come on, Dennis. You'll miss the best part."

Aria heard Marcus and smiled nodding as she finished the cake " okay here it is come and get it." she said carrying it to the table and placing it down to show them the galaxy cake " now for one time only , Angus Ruby Cut the cake at least" she said handing them a knife to cut it as she looked at Marcus.

Ruby looked at Angus as Aria said for them to come and have desert walking over she sat down and waited for Angus to join her at the table. She placed her glass on the counter in the kitchen then saw the coffee Marcus had made glad for it as she saw Aria walk out with a large tray with a cake in the center surrounded by cup cakes that looked like galaxies. " that's beautiful" she said.

Aria smiled " thank Lizzie she organised it , its an original" she said smiling and looking at Angus " and she gave me a discount because it was for you and Ruby." she added handing Angus the knife . " now cut the cake at least so we can eat.." she said and chuckled.

"Did you get a couple pictures of it?" Marcus asked her, setting a dessert plate on the counter for the first slice.

"It's a great looking cake," Angus told Aria. "Couldn't have picked a better design myself. Thank you. It looks terrific--for another five seconds until this crew demolishes it." He picked up the cake knife. "Come on, Ru." 

With her help, he cut the first slice and put it on the dessert plate. Then he picked up a little bit of the cake with his fingers and offered it to her, not interested in the other sometimes-observed tradition of smashing cake all over each other's faces. That didn't interest him in the least. Trying to do it decently did interest him.

Ruby looked at the cake and smiled standing next to Angus as together they cut the cake. she saw him pick up some of the cake and she did the same offering it as she took his piece " tastes good too" she said smiling licking the icing from her lips. " thank you Aria" she said smiling " you too Marcus"

Aria smiled and looked at Angus " yes I did and I just got another" she said showing them on her muggle camera the two of them gazing at each other as they ate the cake. She then flipped to several of the cake and of them signing that morning. " might have been simple but you still need memories" she said smiling to them both. " that's Lizzy she wanted to try an new flavor, Layers of fresh banana and caramel sponge, filled with a soft caramel and caramel buttercream." she said .

"Sort of a banoffee cake. Good choice," Angus said. "It's a good cake. Thank you."

The kids liked the cake too, and so did Dennis. And the dessert gave them some more positive time to socialize. It seemed to turn the evening, which had soured for a bit, back into a decent evening. 

"I hate to eat and run, by I really do need to go now," Dennis said. "I have some chores to do when I get home. But I thank you for a really lovely evening and for all the unlimited time with my girls. And, congratulations for Diamond's--sorry, Amari's adoption and your wedding. it's a fine family you're all building."

"Thank you. You're always welcome, Dennis," Angus said.

"We'll see you out," Ginger said, as she and Aria got up and walked Dennis outside.  The boys got up and cleared the table of the dessert dishes and put the cake away and then headed upstairs to shower and clean up for the night. Angus heard the sounds of apparating, and that told him Dennis was gone.  The girls came back in a minute later, and they headed downstairs to clean up.

It was starting to feel, to Angus, like it had been a very long day.