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“And you didn't tell me?”

She lifts her chin. “Fancy, I didn’t even know you were here.”

“See, even he knows you’re fancy.” Lucy claps and jumps up and down, bringing me back to reality and reminding me to keep the kiss I want to give her, PG.

“Happy Birthday, Anna,” Aleks and Lenzin say in unison behind us.

I shake my head, eyes still on her. “They lured me here from Jersey to be part of what I thought was a birthday message to you.”

“You let me come here thinking we were making a birthday video.”

“We are making a birthday video,” Lenzin replies. “For Anna.”

I pull her into a hug. “Jesus, it’s good to see you. I thought I was going to miss your golden birthday.”

“My what?” she asks, laughter mixed with emotion, emotions I feel to my soul.

“Not that kind of video,” one of the girls says.

I hold her tight, burying my face in her hair, and let myself believe she's really here. She's warm and real, and she smells like herself, and for a few precious seconds I don't care that everyone in the kitchen is watching.

“God, fancy girl,” I murmur.

She laughs against my shoulder. “Miss me?”

“Don't be a smartass.”

“So, yes.”

I draw back to look at her. “You came all this way without telling me.”

“I wanted to see you for your birthday,” she admits. “Your golden birthday too?”

Her hands rise to my face, and she kisses me back. I hold her close, one hand at her waist, the other against her cheek, trying to make up for weeks of distance in a single moment. When I finally pull away, I keep my forehead against hers.

Lucy tugs on Anna's hand, “Be careful of your crown!”

Anna touches it, as if she's forgotten it's there. “It’s safe and cared for.”

“Cause we take care of our things, so we can give them to someone someday,” Lucy says.

She laughs, and I kiss her forehead.

Behind us, Gabe clears his throat. “Are we still making that video, or should we just film this instead?”

“Shut up, Gabe.”

“That's a no, then.”

The kitchen erupts in laughter, and Anna turns pink against my chest.

I keep an arm around her and look at the people gathered around us. They're smiling, teasing, giving us room without making a production of it. Lenzin catches my eye, and we both nod.

I look down at Anna, still wearing her ridiculous crown, and press another kiss to her hair.

“I want to thank you for doing this for Anna, I’m very glad she has you all.”

“She has me too,” Lucy says.