Marcus drove up beside Grayson’s car and joined them inside, carrying pizzas for everyone. “Happy birthday, Ivy,” everyone said, before they took their pizzas, water, and sodas out to the back deck to eat.
Balloons and flowers decorated the deck and tables, making it feel like a garden party. Ivy loved planting flowers, making bouquets, drying them, and pressing them for artwork. She had even been painting floral watercolors, which were displayed around the deck like an outdoor art show, and everyone thought they were beautiful.
The dining room and living room were filled with glowing, bubble balloons and a large banner wishing Ivy a happy 16th birthday.
She was beaming, wearing a flowery boho shirt and shorts under a short skirt like the other girls, so they wouldn’t have to change into something else that would work for roller skating afterward. Kendra wore a pretty floral shirt and long pants.
Grayson’s dad, brother, and he wore jeans and T-shirts, nothing really formal about them. But they were guys.
“You’re going to be all right skating, aren’t you?” Grayson asked his sister because she still had a cast on her arm.
“Yeah. I’m not going to fall.”
Her friends had already written well-wishes on it and drawn numerous, colorful flowers and butterflies. It looked like a piece of artwork now.
Once they finished their pizzas, Dad asked Ivy, “Do you want to have your birthday cake now and open presents, or after the roller-skating party?”
“Now!” Ivy said, and the other girls agreed.
Marcus lit all the candles, and Ivy blew them out as everyone sang her a happy birthday. Grayson removed the candles.
Kendra began cutting slices of cake while Grayson scooped ice cream for everyone who wanted it—the choices: chocolate, vanilla, chocolate-mint, and strawberry.
Marcus served up glasses of milk while Dad put out napkins and forks on the dining room table.
After they ate their ice cream and slices of cake, Ivy was eager to open her presents from everyone. The girls had given her bracelets and necklaces. She loved all of them, but when Kendra gave her the heart earrings, she hugged them to her breast and hugged Kendra. She was already wearing gold hoop earrings, but she swapped them for the crystal heart ones. She was wearing all of the other jewelry from her girlfriends too.
Marcus gave her a whole new set of paintbrushes and watercolor paints. Grayson handed her his package, and she ripped off the floral paper to discover the new roller skates. She loved both her brothers’ gifts and gave them hugs.
Then her dad gave her the keys to a car. She beamed and embraced him warmly. “You can drive all right with the cast on your arm?”
“Yeah, sure. It’s no problem. Can I drive the girls to the roller-skating rink?”
“Nope. Sorry. You need to get your regular driver’s license. Not until you’ve been driving for a year, and had no accidents, can you take friends in your car.” Their dad was adamant about it. She could drive by herself or with a family member, but not with other young people in her car. He didn’t want her distracted while she drove.
He had done the same thing with Marcus and Grayson when they began driving at that age.
She made an exaggerated sigh. But she knew that was the stipulation for her getting a car at sixteen. Plus, she still only had her learner’s permit and would take her regular driving license test next week, hopefully passing. Until then, she had to drive with a licensed adult driver.
“My dad said the same thing,” Lily Mae said, one of Ivy’s best friends.
“Yeah,” Jenny said. “I think it’s a grizzly bear thing. Others that are strictly humans don’t have as strict parents.”
The other two girls, Sarah and Betsy, agreed.
Grayson was glad that the other bear families felt the same way and didn’t sway Ivy to fight with her own family over it.
“Can I take Kendra with me then?” Ivy asked.
“Sure, she is a trusted, licensed adult,” Grayson said.
Ivy twisted her mouth for a second, then smiled. “Grayson, you can come too because you and Kendra need to be together.”
There she was, matchmaking again.
The girls all giggled.
Then they grabbed their skates and headed out to the cars. The other girls went with Dad and Marcus. And Grayson and Kendra got to ride in the new Jeep Cherokee. It smelled great!
