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By the time we got home, the whole Trevor situation was already becoming my favorite inside joke. Sam and Lily kept bringing it up, making me laugh even though I still couldn't believe it had actually happened.

But now, I could finally focus on something way more important—my birthday party.

The house smelled amazing the second we walked in. The rich, buttery scent of cake filled the air, and my stomach growled loudly.

"Mom, did you make a cake?" I asked, grinning.

She smiled over her shoulder as she adjusted something on the kitchen table. "Of course! What's a birthday without cake?"

Lily leaned in with a smirk. "Did you check the ingredients first? You sure you didn't accidentally bake a prank cake?"

Mom groaned. "I triple-checked everything, thank you very much."

I laughed as I set my backpack down and peeked into the kitchen. The table was decorated with a bright Happy Birthday banner, and a stack of wrapped presents sat near the edge. Streamers hung from the ceiling, and the cake—chocolate, covered in thick frosting—had eight candles waiting to be lit.

I felt warmth spread in my chest.

This was my party. My home. And I wasn't alone.

Jasmine and Mia were coming over soon, and Mom had even made my favorite food for dinner—homemade mac and cheese with crispy, buttery breadcrumbs on top.

I couldn't wait.

Lily was already bouncing excitedly. "Can we do presents first? Please?"

Mom chuckled. "Dinner first, then cake, then presents."

Lily groaned dramatically, but I didn't mind. Right now, I was just happy.

For the first time in a long time, my birthday actually felt special.

And nothing—not even Trevor—could ruin it.

By the time dinner was on the table, my stomach was practically screaming at me. Mom had gone all out—homemade mac and cheese with crispy breadcrumbs, roasted green beans, and buttery biscuits on the side. It smelled so good I was ready to forget everything else and just devour my plate.

Jasmine and Mia had already arrived, and we were all crowded around the table, laughing and talking as we ate. Lily was going on about something dramatic, as usual, when she suddenly pointed her fork at me.

"So, Emily," she said. "Since your birthday's today, how old are you now? fourteen?"

I paused mid-bite, then swallowed my food before answering. "Actually... no."

Lily frowned. "Huh?"

I smirked. "Technically, I'm only three."

Jasmine nearly choked on her drink. "Wait, what?"

Mia blinked. "You're messing with us, right?"

I shook my head. "Nope. I was born on February 29th—Leap Day. So technically, I only have a real birthday once every four years."

Lily's eyes went huge. "Wait. What?!"

Sam snickered. "Yeah, she's actually three years old. She's a baby."

Jasmine and Mia lost it, bursting into laughter.

"You're literally the youngest person I know!" Mia wheezed.

"Aw, should we get you a toddler cake?" Jasmine teased. "Maybe some finger paints?"

Lily looked personally offended. "How come I'm just now finding this out?!"

I shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal. It just means that since this isn't a leap year, I have to celebrate on the 28th instead."

Mia shook her head. "Nah, this is huge. We need to throw you a 'third birthday' party next year when Leap Day actually happens again."

"Oh, definitely," Jasmine agreed. "With balloons. And one of those giant number candles. You only turn four once."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help laughing. "Yeah, yeah, very funny."

Lily huffed, still glaring at me like I'd betrayed her. "I can't believe you've been three years old this whole time."

Sam smirked. "And you just figured it out. Some sister you are."

Lily shoved a biscuit at him, and the table erupted into chaos again.

Just when I thought the night couldn't get any better, Mom walked in from the living room with a smirk on her face.

"Emily, there's one more surprise for you."

I blinked, my fork hovering over my plate. "Huh?"

Before I could even guess what it was, someone stepped into the kitchen behind her.

Lexi.

The whole room went silent.

Jasmine and Mia's eyes went wide, and I felt my stomach do a weird little flip.

Lexi looked nervous. She shifted on her feet, her hands tucked into the sleeves of her hoodie like she wasn't sure if she should be here or not.

"Um... hey," she said quietly.

I swallowed. "Hey."

Mom looked between us, then gave me a reassuring smile. "Lexi wanted to come wish you a happy birthday."

Lexi nodded, glancing at the others before looking back at me. "I, uh... I know we weren't exactly friends before. And I know I was awful to you for a long time. But..." She hesitated, then let out a breath. "I just wanted to say happy birthday. And... I hope you don't hate me."

I stared at her, my emotions twisting into something I couldn't quite name. A few months ago, this would have been unimaginable. Lexi, standing here, trying to make things right.

But now?

I thought about how she had stepped away from Tasha. How she had tried, in her own way, to do better. And I thought about how I had changed, too.

I took a breath and managed a small smile. "Thanks, Lexi."

She looked surprised for a second, then gave a relieved nod. "Yeah. No problem."

Lily, who had been completely silent this whole time, finally leaned toward me and whispered, "Okay, first you tell me you're three years old, and now this?"

I snorted. "Crazy day, huh?"

Lily shook her head. "Wild."

Jasmine clapped her hands together. "Alright! This birthday just keeps getting more interesting. But let's not forget the most important thing—" She pointed dramatically at the cake. "We still have candles to light, people!"

Mia grinned. "And cake to eat."

I smiled as everyone gathered around, the tension melting away. Mom lit the candles, the warm glow flickering over the frosting.

As everyone sang, I looked around at the faces surrounding me—my family, my friends, even someone I never expected to be here.

A few months ago, I never would have believed this was possible.

But today?

Today, I was just happy.

And when I blew out the candles, I knew exactly what I was wishing for.

Lily still looked completely lost, her brow furrowed in deep concentration as she tried to wrap her head around it.

"So... how old are you really?" she asked again, squinting at me like I was trying to trick her.

I laughed, shaking my head. "I'm fourteen, silly."

"But you said you're only two—no, wait, three—ugh, I don't get it!" She threw her hands in the air.

I grinned, deciding to break it down for her. "Okay, so I was born on February 29th, 2028, which was a Leap Year. But Leap Years only happen every four years, so my actual birthday doesn't show up on the calendar most years."

Lily blinked. "Wait... what?"

Jasmine smirked. "So technically, Emily has only had three real birthdays—2032, 2036, and 2040. That's why we were joking that she's turning three today."

Lily gasped like the universe had just personally betrayed her. "WHAT?!"

Sam, who had been silently watching, smirked. "Tough break, Lily. You've got an ancient big sister who's secretly a toddler."

Lily groaned, burying her face in her hands. "This is so confusing! So are you old or young?! Pick one!"

I laughed. "I'm fourteen—my age still goes up like normal! I just don't get an official birthday every year."

Lily let out a dramatic sigh. "Ugh. That is so weird."

Mom chuckled from the other side of the table.

Jasmine nudged me. "So, what happens next Leap Year? Are you gonna have a real birthday party like a real four-year-old?"

Mia smirked. "We should throw you a toddler-themed party. Get you a little princess cake. Maybe some party hats."

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, yeah, very funny."

Lily crossed her arms, still pouting. "Well, if you're three, that means I'm older than you now."

Sam snorted. "Sure, Lily. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

She scowled, but before she could argue, Mom started lighting the candles on my cake.

"Alright, alright—enough teasing," she said with a smile. "It's still Emily's fourteenth birthday, and that means it's time for cake."

Everyone cheered, and as the room filled with the glow of the candles, I felt that warmth in my chest again.

No matter what day I was born, or how many birthdays I'd technically had, this one was mine.

I went to my room to write in my journal about my day so it was still fresh in my mind, and after I finished, I closed it with a satisfied sigh. Today had been wild, hilarious, and weirdly perfect all at the same time. But the night wasn't over yet.

As soon as I stepped out of my room, I heard Lily's excited voice from the living room.

"Come on, Emily! We're picking a game!"

I walked in to find everyone gathered around the coffee table, a few different board games spread out in front of them. Lily was bouncing on her heels, Sam was lounging on the couch like he couldn't care less, and Jasmine and Mia were arguing over which game to play. Lexi sat awkwardly at the edge of the couch, looking like she wasn't sure if she was really included in all of this.

"What's the game?" I asked, plopping down onto the floor next to Lily.

"Monopoly!" she announced proudly.

Sam groaned. "No. Absolutely not."

Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because Monopoly ruins friendships," he said, dead serious. "It destroys families. If you want this night to end in rage and betrayal, sure, let's play Monopoly."

Lily pouted. "But it's Emily's birthday! She should pick!"

I smirked, considering my options. I loved Monopoly, but Sam did have a point. And honestly? I wasn't in the mood for a three-hour screaming match over fake money.

"How about The Game of Life instead?" I suggested. "Still competitive, but less chance of anyone flipping the board."

Sam exhaled in relief. "Thank you."

Lily nodded enthusiastically. "Ooooh, yeah! I wanna get the best job and be super rich!"

Jasmine grinned. "I'm making it my mission to have, like, twelve kids and fill up my little car."

Mia rolled her eyes. "Because that's the real American dream."

We set up the game, placing the tiny plastic cars at the starting point. Lexi hesitated before finally scooting closer, and I gave her a small smile, letting her know she was included.

Once we started playing, chaos immediately took over.

Lily somehow ended up in the most debt possible within the first five rounds. "How am I broke already?!" she whined, staring at her empty pile of money.

Sam, of course, was playing it as logically as possible. "You made terrible investments, Lily."

Mia cracked up. "Said like a true businessman."

Jasmine stuck to her goal and ended up with a car full of plastic babies. "I have six kids and no money, but I have love," she declared dramatically.

Lexi, surprisingly, was actually winning. She had a high-paying job and the most money out of all of us. "Huh," she muttered, staring at her pile of cash. "This is weird. I've never been good at this game before."

"Beginner's luck," I teased.

Then, my turn came. I spun the wheel and landed on a space that let me steal money from another player.

I smirked. "Lexi, I think you're a little too rich. Time to redistribute some wealth."

Lexi gasped in fake outrage. "No! Not my hard-earned money!"

I cackled, grabbing a few bills from her pile. Lily cheered. "Finally! A win for the little guys!"

Sam shook his head. "This is exactly why Monopoly is dangerous."

The game lasted over an hour, full of laughter, groaning, and a few dramatic moments where Lily insisted the game was rigged against her. In the end, Lexi still won, and I came in second.

"That was actually fun," Lexi admitted, leaning back against the couch. "I haven't played a board game in forever."

Jasmine stretched. "Yeah, and nobody flipped the board. I'd say that's a win."

Lily pouted at her empty bank. "Except for me."

Sam ruffled her hair. "You'll make a financial comeback someday, kid."

I leaned back with a happy sigh, taking it all in. This was my family. These were my friends.

And this? This was the best way to end my birthday.