18)

I got the hiccups before I got myself back under control, which made me laugh while I was crying and hiccuping. All of which should have made me even more embarrassed than opening a package of white panties from my sister in front of everyone.

But most of my family seemed happy for me to have a moment of connection with someone all but the youngest children remembered, while even Del’s eyes looked a little wet.

My Mom snuck me in a hug while Grandpa declared it was time for cake, which he had of course gone overboard with. He called it a Neapolitan cake with chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla cakes sitting together side by side on a plywood board covered in plastic, all covered in matching frosting and big green lettering saying “Happy Birthday Sara" a total of fourteen times, as he explained, "So that everybody gets some of the green frosting."

There were also fourteen little yellow flowers set in green leaves scattered evenly around the thing with the lettering curving about it.

As I glared at my Grandpa, Neal hesitantly admitted that "They let me make the flowers, I had to throw the first seven out because they didn't look right… Well, I wanted to throw them out but my Dad ate them."

I rolled my eyes, “Werewolves.” But smiled. Neal looked aside as he admitted, “Your Grandpa insisted on paying for the materials, but we made the cake as your gift.”

The rest of the night went by quicker than I wanted it to, I got to talk to people, try on my jacket, talk with at least some of my newly met family, and take a walk with Neal over to show him my new house.

And Del, and Anna, and Pete so it’s hardly like we wandered off alone, so there was no need for my Dad to carry over the Apple tree sapling ten minutes after we got there.

Then people had to get home, and the people staying pitched in to pack up the leftovers, which was mainly a quarter of the cake, and clean up.

As people began to get ready to head to their rooms, Grandpa, Grandma Bree, Aunt Rosaria, and Sofia all turned to face the west.

While the older people just looked concerned, Sofia began to shake, “Oh god, do I have to meet her? Can I go hide in my room?”

Grandma Bree hugged the girl from the side. “She respects your Uncle enough to entrust her Great Granddaughter under his protection, she will not harm his guests.”

Grucnle Drew squared up beside Grandpa, with my Dad at his father’s other shoulder as my Great Grandmother Endora Caine walked out of the darkness. All dressed in black with her typical scowl on her face.

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

My Dad whispered, loudly enough for everyone to hear. “Lord Vader has arrived.”

Grandpa almost managed to make contact with him as he tried to elbow his son. "Quiet you. Welcome Miss Caine, I'm afraid you're late for Dinner, but we still have plenty of cake and ice cream.”

Great granny, something I would never dare to call her out loud, came to a stop and looked around at my assembled family, all facing off against her. “I don’t believe I will pass up some fresh baked goods, even if they are covered with too much of the frosting. A beer would be welcome as well.”

Well, that was… friendly, for her.

She walked over and sat down at one of the tables, setting down a heavy satchel that had been hanging from her shoulder as she pointed at me and then at the opposite chair. The other two chairs at that table had vanished before she had even stepped out of the darkness.

“Sit child.”

I sat.

"My daughters have told me you have done well within your limitations."

I nodded, firmly, while looking the old woman in the eyes. I think I may have even seen a hint of approval.

“I’m afraid rituals would be so difficult to learn, that I should instead focus on what I can learn in what time I have for basic spells. It can give me an edge, and learning them has…” I wiggled my hands in the air as I tried to find the right words. ”Inspired me with doing new things with internal magic.”

She nodded, then looked up as Grandpa set down a plate with a fork and small slices of all three flavors of the cake, with half of the frosting cut off the top. He also had one of the beers from the six packs he had only got out of the fridge late in the evening. "This stuff is supposed to be a reproduction of a recipe from Egyptian times, I kind of liked it.”

He also had a can of diet orange soda from a local company called Faygo that I had taken a liking to. "Thought you might like something to do with your hands."

Which was thoughtful of him, saying it out loud wasn’t, but I still said “Thank you.”

Great grandmother took a bite of her cake and surprised me with a smile. "Very nice, I shall have to attend all your birthdays child."

I sipped my drink while the old woman slowly finished her cake, savoring each bite between happy sips of her beer. The rest of the family either were quietly escorted away by the supernatural half or casually continued cleaning up the remains of the party.

Grandpa even called out. "Don't mind us, Mrs. Caine, you're welcome to stay as late as you want, we even got some more room if you want to stay the night." All of which got him a narrow eyed stare before she firmly went back to finishing her cake, while all but ignoring me after her first comment.

Setting her fork down on the now empty plate, she finished her Pharaoh Ale and gave me a long look.

"I realize now that it may be a bit rude, but I thought that your weakness might put you in danger. But I believe that you will be more than strong enough in time to face most any danger you are likely to meet."

She reached into her bag to pull out a large yawning black puppy with huge paws, it sniffed at her plate then looked up at me with big reddish brown eyes and began wagging its tail.

“I made this to protect you until you came into your strength, and as a partner if you do follow your father in his profession. Its power will grow with yours should you bind it to you, you are enough of a witch for a familiar, even if it would normally be weaker than that of a more typical witch, but it is something I made. Weakness will be entirely relative.”

She set the puppy on the table and it walked over to lick my face before I thought to stop it. Then she stood and adjusted her hat before turning to walk back into the darkness. “Merry Birthday child of my child’s child. May you have many more.

I laughed as struggled to get good enough of a grip to both hold and hold back the pup. “Thank you Great Grandmother Endora.”

She paused for a moment, I think that’s the first time I called her by name, then vanished into the darkness.

I looked the pup in his eyes and felt a connection. And a name.

“Saku. To bloom, and the new moon.”

My Mom began to complain that my Great Grandma should have asked before she got me a pet, while Dad just remarked that it was too late, I had named it.

I got my face licked again while they had me distracted.