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Lily rolls her eyes. “Yes. Karaoke, Beer and Fun Night. We're all going anyway, so we go, have some fun and bring a little cake. Nothing big.”

“Mama's definition of a little cake could feed the entire state of Wyoming,” Dex mutters.

Lily points at him. “Nobody asked you.”

I laugh.

“We'll have a piece of cake while we watch these goons make fools of themselves singing.” Lily gestures towards her sons. “That's it. No party. No fuss.”

“Hey,” Cas protests. “I can sing.”

Ethan snorts. “No, you can't.”

“Neither can you.”

“Never claimed I could.”

“I can,” Jace says.

Everyone turns towards him.

“No,” several voices answer at once.

I laugh again before looking at Chiara. She's practically begging me with her eyes.

Please.

I narrow mine at her, and she clasps her hands beneath her chin.

Damn her.

I look around at everyone, trying to imagine what it would be like to celebrate my birthday with all these people.

My second birthday without Damiano.

Last year, I drank until I couldn't feel anything and spent most of the day unconscious. I don't even remember turning twenty-six. What I do remember is Chiara trying to get me out of bed, my mother calling and me ignoring her, and the bottle on my nightstand that I kept reaching for because I desperately wanted the entire day to disappear.

Because how the hell was I supposed to celebrate another year of my life when Damiano didn't get another one?

This year feels different. It still hurts, God, it hurts, and I know there will be moments when I'll wish more than anything that he could be here. But I don't want to spend another birthday hiding from the world, trying to forget that I'm still alive.

Not anymore.

My eyes drift towards the lake, where part of him now rests. The music is still playing softly behind us, the Hawthornes are still arguing about who can and can't sing, and Chiara is still looking at me with those pleading eyes.

And I'm still here.

Maybe that's enough.

I exhale. “Oh, all right.”

The women cheer.

“But no big party!”

“Of course not,” Lily says immediately.

I stare at her, and she smiles sweetly.