Chapter 391: 1-4

I wanted this all to be perfect, it was important to me for so many reasons but I think the highest would be wanting Uncle Grant and Aunt Julia to know that I was so excited they were having a baby. They were amazing as our uncle and aunt; I knew that this baby would have the best momma and daddy because of who they were inside their hearts. "Oakley, you okay?" Uncle Grant asked just as he shoveled more of Chelsea's lasagna into his mouth, "I'm fine," I chirped. He nodded distracted by the fork already preparing his next bit. Aunt Julia sitting next to him had already finished, just shook her head, "You'll have to tell me how you made this Chelsea." It was February 6th and Aunt Julia's birthday. Both her and Uncle Grant, along with Jack and Chelsea had sat Ben and I down explaining that the baby was the Air Element and that Aunt Juju carried the shifter gene, and had passed it onto their baby. Knowing it was her birthday, I went to Chelsea with my idea, hoping she wouldn't mind doing this for Aunt Julia, and in a way uncle Grant as well. I think I maybe ten years old when I learned that they wouldn't be able to have babies, and to have this opportunity now was simple miraculous. Aunt Juju had been glowing all week, weeping each time, joyous. I hadn't heard her once mention this a loud, but I knew that she was missing her family, her sisters... her momma. Pregnancies were a big deal in both of our families, and while I had this irrational - but perfectly understandable to myself - issue with Dad and Sarah having a baby, I was excited for hers. I was so eager here, with Kieran next to me, I couldn't wait too see both of their faces when we showed them our surprise. "Oakley aren't you hungry?" Aunt Julia asked me, glancing at my plate of uneaten food. Blinking a few times, I nodded, "Oh... not really, maybe I'll have some later," I smiled; practically everyone in the house was at the table seated here, all on the surprise as well. Standing with Chelsea the two of us began clearing the table, "Oh let me help," Aunt Julia stood, but Chelsea shooed her off, "this is your birthday dinner, you can't help with cleaning up," McKenna, Jacks mate piped up as well. Reddening "Thank you," she replied sitting down again. After clearing everything, Chelsea went to the fridge, bringing out the large cake she and Greta made earlier. As usual - her emotions were overwhelming for her - Aunt Julia's eyes welled up; turning to uncle Grant her head hanging forward, she laid her head on his shoulder. Turning the lights down low when Chelsea approached with the cake, Ben began singing, "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday aunt Julia, happy birthday to you..." everyone chimed in. "Make a wish," Ben said when we finished with a large smile on his face, that only slightly dropped when she was both smiling and crying. His eyes flicked over to me questioningly, and without even opening her mouth the candles all blew out, the slight breeze that seemed to materialize when she cried doing the job for her. "Thank-k-k yo-you-" she said hoarsely, the same reaction she had this morning when Ben, Uncle Grant and I made her a surprise breakfast, "I'm sorry," she apologized. We just shook our heads in dismissal; cutting her cake she began passing our pieces, while Chelsea served everyone with tea or coffee. Still my fingers were twitchy and my leg continued to bounce, thankfully under the table, hidden from their view. "Time for presents!" I all but shouted when everyone had finished his or her desert, "You - Chelsea you didn't have to get me anything," Aunt Julia turned to her and murmured, bypassing me completely. Probably because you have no money to buy said gifts... they had to come from us before you said they were from you, Chelsea teased me. "I - Gabriel and I - wanted too..." she said, the both of us standing simultaneously. "Just follow Oakley," she said, everyone following our lead and heading the den on the first floor of Chelsea's house. When we were outside the door, I turned to Aunt Julia, "Close your eyes." I said bouncing in my spot, "You too uncle Grant," he rolled his eyes, but did as I said. Opening, I stood to the side, "Okay... open," I whispered, watching as they opened their eyes, blinking a few times. Stunned silent, Aunt Julia's bottom lip shook as she took in all the baby furniture - still boxed of course - bedding, supplies, and gifts we had hidden for her. Her eyes zeroed in on two things - the crib and rocking chair - that I had purposely placed near each other, before darting back to mine, "How - you - I - thank you..." she blubbered. At her first sob, Uncle Grant seemed to come back and focus on her, "What - you okay?" he cooed pulling her into a hug, he glanced at me. "A year ago, when her sister Meredith was registering for gifts-" "I - I saw this," the brown cherry crib, bureau and changing table all in their boxes, "and - and the chair," her voice muffled. "Well I was with you... I remembered how you looked at this particular crib and chair, you sat in the rocking chair, no one was around but I was..." she released uncle Grant from the embrace, and traded him for me, "Thank you." Ushering them into the room, Julia went straight to the rocking glider, pushing uncle Grant down, before placing herself on his lap.  The rest of those that followed entered as well. "You can leave the room the color it is if you want, but Oakley said that-"