There are so many emotions that are running through me right now. First is the happiness and feeling of content as my son has reached another birthday when just a little over half a year ago it wasn't believed he would reach to be eight years old. Second is a nervous feeling of meeting Holly's parents but I stand by what I told her, because having parents is better than none at all.

I grew up not knowing who my birth parents even were and then my adopted parents were killed so foster care was much of my life. It seems like everyone was scared to adopt me because something about how two sets of parents dying while I was little made me some type of cursed child.

"Did you see that huge balloon?" Nicolas jumps next to me.

"I did buddy." I laugh at how much energy he still has, but there is worry there about him passing out in a bit.

"So Nicolas what do you want to do first? We have gifts, crafts, or cake." Holly smiles at him.

Nicolas thinks and looks around. "Cake."

Holly laughs. "That does sound great."

She gets up and walks to the kitchen. Nicolas skips over to Jewels and Massie talking their ear off about everything they done for him while Tony and I had him out of the house.

Holly walks out of the kitchen and we all start singing 'Happy Birthday' to Nicolas. His eyes light up when he sees it is a Scooby-Doo cake from the bakery with his name on it.

"Make a wish and blow out the candle." I laugh, getting him out of the awe stage.

Nicolas blows the candle out quickly.

"Did you even make a wish there Champ?" Tony chuckles.

"Yup." Nicolas smiles and watches as the ladies cut the cake.

Tony had been taking pictures of everything so far and I am glad for it. At the moment I hadn't even thought about pulling my camera out but just living in the moment with the ones I hold close with my loves and friends.

Nicolas gets handed the first piece of cake and he stares at it.

"Everything okay there buddy?" I hold in my laugh.

"It is Scooby dad. How am I supposed to eat him?" Nicolas looks at me then at the cake.

"Well, little man, you can say that you are even closer to him." Holly chimes in when it stuns me into silence by her using his thought process.

Nicolas ends up takes a large bite making us all laugh. We all get to eating on the cake and the sugar is so sweet it makes my teeth literally hurt. Holly groans and looks at me.

"This will help keep him awake." She whispers, having thought ahead of me.

"I may be up all night after that myself." I chuckle.

"I got a way to work the sugar rush off for you." She smirks, leaning back away from my ear to take a drink of water.

We all help to clean up from the cake and Massie pulls out a huge wrapped box from the hallway.

"All us ladies got together to get this for you and Jack can get us later when he is the one building it." Massie snickers.

Nicolas stands and walks over to the box looking it over.

"Go ahead little man." Holly nods to the box.

He takes the paper and starts ripping through it all. The sound of clinging hits my ears like there are metal poles inside the box being moved around.

Nicolas stops dead flat in his spot and is staring at a picture on the box of a metal swing set.

"Now you don't have to go to the park just to swing it can be done here at the house in our back yard too, for days when we can't get to the park." Holly claps her hands and with the others following.

We got through all his other gifts and some of them I hope he knows how to do because they are going to be over my level of know how. It is amazing how kids can do more than most adults can because there are several advanced type puzzles that will shape into figures. That to me is not puzzles but some next level build crap because puzzles are supposed to be flat not the actual shape of an animal.

The rest of the day goes by great as Tony and I spent time putting this swing set together. Nicolas and the women all crafted before everyone left for the night. Nicolas then sat on the ground and started working on one of those weird supposedly puzzles but it looks like it will have a crystal red for whatever it may be the picture shows dinosaur but we shall see on that.

Holly curls up next to me as we watch him until he is ready for bed. It is a little early but after the day he had we are shocked Nicolas made it close to bedtime normally is.

I walk out and sit on the couch next to Holly.

"I think that was a success today."

"I agree with you, snowflake." I kiss her lips.

"So you would really be okay with me sending pictures to my mom?"

"I would." I nod and then tell her about my way of seeing it with not having parents.

"They called you cursed?" Holly looks mortified.

I nod. "I was born then within two years my parents died and I ended up being adopted within six months and when I was four those parents were killed. After that I got thrown into the foster care system and no one would risk adopting me after. Apparently it is uncommon for one kid to be so unlucky to lose two sets of parents."

"Netiher was your fault though."

"No I was in daycare both times it happened, even though I barely remember my adopted parents deaths." I shrug.

"Well I am not going anywhere." She pushes herself into me more.

"I am grateful for Nicolas and you." I kiss her head. "Now lets look through those pictures from today and get to sending them to your mom."

Holly nods and we laugh at many of them but find the ones we both like the most where it has all three of us before we send them to her mothers number. It was a few minutes later her phone dinged and Holly got a huge smile on her beautiful face.

"Mom said she loves the pictures and that he is the cutest little boy ever. Then I snagged me a hot tottie." Holly laughs.

I get up and make sure the door is locked and walk over before picking her up off he couch. Holly wraps her legs around my waist.

"I still have to much energy." I whisper.

"Me too."

A/N---

Hey Hey Guys!!!

Seems like Nicolas had a wonderful eighth birthday?

Jack seems like new things he may not be a fan of something new like the 3D puzzles?