You shine even on a rainy day.

I tangled my fingers with Seb's and gave them a squeeze as we started up the walkway, my heels clacking against the sidewalk all the way up to the door. "Don't worry, she called off the strippers and magicians. There might still be a huge cake that I was supposed to jump out of, but -" I cut my own words off as he gave me a pointed look, making me break into a huge grin. "Come on, that was funny!"

"You have a different sense of humor than I do," He retorted but the smallest of smiles was playing on his lips. 

"You don't find me funny? I'm hurt," I faked a pout, wanting Seb to have the perfect day since you only turned 30 once. So far I'd surprised him with morning head and breakfast, took him out to lunch at his favorite secluded restaurant in town followed by an after lunch blowjob, and now we were having dinner at his parents. I still had my present for him which would wait until later - for now I'd let him believe his only gift was a never ending supply of blowjobs. My jaw was seriously starting to hurt though. I definitely deserved the wife of the year award because I was killing it. 

"You're my comedian instead," He said with what looked like a forced smile, tempting me to drag him back to the car to get him to relax a little. How was that man still so tense?!

"Thank you, I try," I stole a quick kiss on his lips while he rang the doorbell, it sounding like a million voices behind the door even if I knew it was only his parents, sisters and spouses, and the little girls. I guess the kids were loud enough to make up for a few dozen. 

He pulled back and grinned at me, my heart speeding up a little since this was going to be the first time we told someone other than Erin that we were married. I was nervous, not that I had any reason to be. "Seb!" All of the older girls enveloped him into a hug before we even had the chance to know that the door had opened. They told him happy birthday all at once, laughing at how in sync they were. Sometimes it made me wonder how Seb had come from this family... until you met his dad who was kind, but so closed off. Seb and his dad weren't that much alike, but they both were quiet and kept to themselves. He hugged them back and then they broke away one by one, walking into the house before they hugged me next. Even though things had been up and down in our relationship in the past, they had always been so welcoming of me, excepting me like I was part of the family. It broke my heart in a way that my dad couldn't do so much for Seb. Of course he had his reasons, but people changed and Seb had proved himself time and again. 

"Happy birthday Uncle Sebby," Jules smiled up at him, one of her front teeth missing. "I made you this," She held out a card that she'd drawn a picture of what looked like me and Seb holding hands on the cover.

He took it in his hand, his lips widening into a smile as he looked at it. "Thank you cutie, it's beautiful," He said and bent over to kiss her cheek, but she kicked him off balance and threw her arms around his neck instead. Wrapping his arm around her tiny waist, he pulled his head back to look at her, "Who's holding my hand?" He asked, studying the drawing.

"Aunt Aria." She said back with a grin as she glanced up at me, not moving an inch and basically keeping Seb trapped in this awkward position. "But look inside Sebby!" She added, with enthusiasm and he did as told, smiling bigger at the trembling letters forming her name next to a girl who was obviously Jules.

He gave her a serious look even if it was hard, because she was adorable, "You did really good, this is the best card I've ever gotten in my life." He said as he handed it to me while I stared at him with an amused expression. "Keep it safe," He added and when he straightened himself in a standing position again he realized that his niece had no intention to let him go, so he picked her up effortlessly.

"Aunt Aria did you make a card for Uncle Sebby?" Jules asked, looking finally content with her new position which was above everyone.

"No because I'm not as good as drawing as you are," I said back with a smile on my face.

In that moment, Haylie decided that she wasn't getting enough attention from us, and her mother had disappeared along with their other sister, so she started waving her tiny chubby hands in the air. "Me too Seby," She protested, making it clear that she wanted to be treated like her sister.

Seb looked confused and uncomfortable, not knowing how to react around kids, let alone babies. He shot me a look, the kind asking me to silently save him. "Come here pretty baby," I said softly and picked our other niece up, setting her against my chest and staring at her. "Better now."

Haylie nodded but didn't add a word, always the shy one between the sisters. "Where's grandma?" Seb asked Jules.

"In the backyard," She answered and pointed her little finger in that direction.

We started walking, Seb and Jules leading the way. "Do you know what's waiting for me already?" He asked, still afraid people might pop up screaming surprise.

"Stop worrying," I answered but grinned.

"Look at you two, you came with your kids!" His sister Natalie said as we joined the rest of the family in the backyard before she chuckled at her own joke, "No wait, those are mine."

Seb ignored her and headed to his dad who was standing by a huge grill, cooking meat like no tomorrow. "That looks good," He said from over his shoulder, looking relieved that the only party that would be happening today was a bbq. 

Michael turned his head with a grin on his face, "I wouldn't mind some help." 

"I got my hands full," Seb said as he winked at his niece.

"It's his birthday, he can't help you!" His mom protested as she came out from the house, holding a bowl with some salad and setting it on the table before heading to me first. "Hi Aria," She said, hugging and smiling at me before her eyes dropped on my hand. And on my ring.

"Hi Helen, you did a great job here," I said back, grinning wide while Seb just stood there, holding Jules and looking even more uncomfortable. 

"Thank you honey," Helen smiled one more time then walked to her son, taking him in slowly while I turned my attention back to Haylie and made a silly face at her that caused her to giggle. "Oh god Sebastian," Helen said and when I looked, there was a shocked look on her face.

"What's wrong?" I butted in, noticing his mom's expression as I bent over to let go of Haylie.

His mom glanced at me before looking back at Seb and I felt everyone's eyes on us, wondering what was going on. "Yes mom," He breathed out, answering at the silent question she was asking. 

Her hand flew to her mouth and a gasp like laugh escaped her while tears sprung to her eyes and I swore that a groan left Seb's mouth, quiet, but I didn't miss it. "Sebastian!" She said again but this time sounding happy. Her eyes flew to meet mine then back to Seb's, Jules blinking at everyone in the same confusion everyone else had to feel. "Aria," She said next and walked back over to me, enveloping me in the tightest hug I had ever experienced. "Welcome to the family!"

I heard another gasp as I hugged Helen, my now mother in law. I'd pictured the moment a few times and how it would go, but being here now? It felt surreal. It made the marriage feel even more real if possible. "Thank you," I said and smiled at her as she pulled back, Kathleen hugging me next while my eyes locked on Seb's as his mom gave him one of her squeeze hugs. 

"You're going to marry a Pitt? You must be crazy," Kathleen grinned at me. "But I'm glad you'll finally be my sister."

I parted my lips and looked at Seb again, finding my voice as I shook my head slowly, "We're already married..." Their heads shot it two directions; half of them looking at me while the other half looked at Seb. 

"We got married in Bora Bora," He said in one of his nonchalant tones, everyones eyes huge.

"Why?" Natalie asked, looking even more confused. I had gone to hers and Jeff's wedding years ago when Seb and I were first dating. It was the first time I met his family and the wedding was so lavish, it put any Hollywood wedding I'd ever been to to shame. "Are you -"

"No," I cut her off and shook my head, reading her mind since whenever someone had a quick wedding nowadays? It only meant one thing. "We're not planning on having kids."

"Well you didn't plan on getting married and here you are instead," Kathleen pointed out instead, getting a glare from Seb. "I'm just saying."

"We're not having kids, end of the story," He retorted, not liking being on the spot and not liking when people questioned his choices either. He bent over and set his niece back on her feet regretfully, knowing this was a moment for adults only even if he looked like he'd rather go escape with her. "Go play with your sister," He told her quietly, smiling too and watching her nod with a confused expression before she marched towards Haylie.

"You're not bad with her though," Natalie said, looking at my husband with her arms crossed and a teasing smile on her face that looked a lot like his own, getting a groan from him in response.

Michael seemed to be the first to recover from the shock and patted his sons back, "Well done son. Congrats, it was about time." He said sounding honest and looking proud too, prouder than I had ever seen him before.

Seb scratched the back of his neck before his mom broke into a loud sigh. "Why didn't you tell us anything Sebastian?" She asked, even using the full name for effect then looking at me. Walking over to me, she hugged me again, "We're really happy to have you in our family. Well, officially, because you've always been during these years."

I bit down on my lip, feeling a little moved and forcing myself not to get emotional. "Thanks Helen," I breathed out as I hugged her back, "I'm happy to be a Pitt," I added with a smirk.

"Gate Pitt," Seb corrected me, getting a glare back.

"How did that happen? When? Why didn't you tell us girls anything?" Natalie asked me, setting her hands on her hips, "I bet he forced you to keep the secret."

"I'm glad to know you have such a great opinion on me," Seb said sarcastically but then again, he deserved that too.

She ignored him while Kathleen grabbed my hand and looked at my ring. "How long have you been engaged?"

I glanced at Seb and bit down on my lip, "Two days." I said with a hint of amusement in my tone, "Your brother surprised me. It wasn't planned, at all."

More shock appeared on the members of his family's faces. "So he happened to have a huge ring by chance?" Natalie pointed out while Jeff shot him a sympathetic look and Caleb shook his head, all the men a lot quieter than the girls who had, of course, a lot of questions.

"No smartass, it was supposed to be her birthday present but I changed my mind instead," He explained flatly as he stared at his older sister before his eyes went back to my mom, who looked like she didn't know if she wanted to hug him, slap him, or faint. Probably a combination of the three.

"Maybe Ar's present to you will be a baby," She joked back, knowing how to push her brothers buttons.

I shook my head quickly and tried not to wrinkle my nose at the thought of being pregnant, "No. Definitely no baby."

Helen let out a sigh and smiled eventually, even if it looked forced, "Let's give the two of them a break." Seb stared at his mom skeptically, wondering where her change of attitude had come from but my guess? I think she was hurt that she had to find out about our marriage this way... or the fact that she had missed our wedding. A somber feeling washed over me as I realized how I was still doing the same thing with my own family, putting off telling them. "Who's hungry? Your father has been cooking all day," She added with another cheerful smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. I wondered if Seb caught it too.

"Your moms right," Michael stood up a little straighter and walked back over to the grill to put the meat on a plate.

The girls both looked at Seb once more before finding their husbands and kids. I crossed my arms over my chest and walked over to Seb, a heavy feeling in my chest. "They're mad," I said in a hushed tone, knowing in my heart that they had every reason to be.

He looked uncomfortable and shrugged his shoulders, "They're happy for us."

"That's true," I admitted, that much was obvious. They had always approved of our relationship and took a quick liking to me. "But they're hurt for being left out."

He swallowed, knowing that I had a point whether he'd ever admit that one out loud or not.  "Happy birthday to me," He said eventually in a cold tone, closing himself off like he did everytime he  got defensive.

"Seb." I said seriously, staring at my husband, "Think about them for once, will you? Don't you think they would've been happy to see your wedding?"

"I don't want to argue with you right now," He retorted while I narrowed my eyes on him and he ignored it, grabbing my hand instead, "Let's join them, they made everything for me I don't want to make them wait."

I sighed but followed him eventually, "We need to tell my family too. I don't want to keep them in the dark, it's not fair," I said quietly as we walked to the table where everyone was sitting.

He suppressed a groan, "I can't wait." He muttered under his breath before wearing his straight face again and taking the seat next to his dad, me on his left. "Thanks for this dinner, everything looks really good."

"Thanks to you for giving dad an excuse to make a barbecue," Kathleen grinned, reaching for a plate full of meat and handing it to me.

"I forgot the beers," Helen said absentmindedly and got up, the look into her eyes a blank one that Seb seemed to have caught.

"Let me help," He said as he stood up, following his mom inside the house while we all stared at the two of them in silence, each of us dishing up food on our own plates. 

"So how was it?" Natalie asked finally, the silence making it feel like an eternity had passed. We all looked up at her and her eyes were on me, "The wedding. Was it nice?"

I smiled genuinely and nodded my head, "It was beautiful. We had it on the beach as the sun was setting."

The girls both smiled back at me with dreamy expressions, going silent once more as Helen and Seb returned to the table. He handed a  bottle to his dad, then to the other men before sitting next to me again, "Nothing for you right?" 

"The girls are having some bubbly," Kathleen winked at me before handing me a glass full of white wine. 

"Thank you," I smiled at her and brought the glass up to my lips to take a sip, catching Seb making his plate from the corner of my eye. 

"Mom?" She asked and looked at her mom who shook her head.

"Nothing for me tonight," Helen said but smiled a little more genuinely, making me wonder what Seb had said to her inside... and if he'd open up and share with me later on when I'd ask. He'd been getting better at talking, but I felt like the movie had been a major step back for him. I kept trying to keep him happy, but our entire relationship couldn't be based on sex. "What were you guys talking about?"

Natalie smiled at me then looked at her mom, "Aria was telling us about the wedding."

"It was on the beach!" Jules added from beside her mom, hiding against her side when we all looked in her direction.

"Booch," Haylie added in a matter of factly tone that made every one laugh.

Seb glanced at me with a raised eyebrow, eating a piece of steak while I rested my hand on his leg and gave it a squeeze. "Aria looked stunning," He said finally and everyone smiled back at him, looking relaxed since the moment had started out so tense. 

"Did you take any pictures??" Natalie asked as she stood up to reach for the salad. 

"Of course," Seb answered then added a forced smile in an effort to play nice.

I grinned at her, "We hired a random man we met. He barely spoke any English, he just kept saying "Yes" to everything we asked him. Fortunately, he was great with the camera."

Kat's eyes widened as she looked at her brother, "And you're not afraid he'll sell the pictures to a magazine??"

I shook my head, "He looked about 90 years old and had no idea who we were."

"And it was Aria's camera, so," He said nonchalantly with a shrug, stuffing his mouth again because in Seb's mind? Eating was better than talking.

I swallowed before breaking into a teasing smirk, my eyes bouncing between his sisters, "Do you really think he'd let anything out of his control? You should know your brother better than that."

"Sebastian the control freak," Kat joined the teasing wagon.

"If I had paparazzi always after me I'd be one too," Jeff pointed out out of nowhere, "I'd hate to see the picture of my own wedding on magazines."

Seb looked at his brother in law, "Thank you for that." He sighed, moving his eyes back to me, "See? I'm not the only one who cares so much about his privacy."

"But maybe you're pushing it, since not even your family knows what you're up to," His dad cut into the conversation, surprising me since that sounded so little like him and so much like something his mom would say instead. My guess? He was reading his wife's thoughts and taking her side, which I couldn't blame him for. At all.

"I still think it's better to know something maybe a little late then to know it from magazines," Seb said back as he kept his face straight.

I parted my lips while Seb shot me a look as if daring me to say the wrong thing. He really needed give me the benefit of the doubt sometimes. "We took a few pictures with Seb's phone too," I smiled at Helen. 

She lightened up, "I'd love to see them." 

Seb reached for his phone and gave it to me, "They're in the wedding folder." 

I caught his eye before taking the phone, hoping there wouldn't be any discriminating photos in there since we hid our sex life pretty well. Seb knew better though, those pictures were probably somehow hidden. I tapped a few icons and pulled up a picture of me in my dress, one while I was getting ready. We owed that man a lot for doing us such a big favor, more than the generous amount of money we'd given him. "This is me getting ready," I said as I handed the phone to his mom.

She smiled big, "You look breathtaking."

"That dress is amazing!" Kat  gasped while I prayed that no one would ask how I had a dress delivered in such short notice. It would be hard to explain Erin's role in our lives, how she was so much more than Seb's personal assistant. The woman was a savior. 

"My girls would've been adorable flower girls," Nat added, shooting her brother a grin before looking down at the phone again. 

"Flowers!" Haylie repeated, perched on her moms lap. 

They kept scrolling through the pictures while I turned my head in my husbands direction and gave him a dreamy smile, thinking about our wedding day and how it had been the best day of my life. I couldn't remember a time when I had been so happy, every good moment paled in comparison to it. "I love you," I whispered and kissed his lips softly.

He smiled back against my lips as he kissed me just as softly, his  hand dropping on my leg before he pulled back regretfully, never one to show affection in front of his family. "I love you too babe," He added, surprising me. 

"You two look really happy," His mom's voice brought us back to reality.

I kept looking into his stunning eyes, still smiling, "We are happy."

"How did you manage to arrange all of this in two days? It's crazy," Kat asked, still flipping through the photos as her eyes stayed on Seb's phone.

He shrugged his shoulders as he glanced at me, that meaning that I could answer for him. Actually, for us. "Everything's easier when it's for two only," I answered very diplomatically and vaguely too. She was starting to learn from my man.

"This cake looks adorable. Delicious too," Nat pointed out as she glanced up at us for a moment, "And oh my god look at how many flowers! Oh Seb..." She trailed off with a smirk on her face, shaking her head with an amused look on her face, shocked by how much effort her brother had put into our wedding. 

He stared at her blankly before sipping a large gulp of beer. "Can I have my phone back please?" He asked politely, stretching his hand in her direction.

She rolled her eyes and kept scrolling, "I'm not finished yet. Have a little patience."

"I thought phones weren't allowed at the dinner table," Seb added in a more monotone voice, trying to trick his sister into giving him the phone back.

"Nice try," She flashed him a grin before glancing down again. "You look so handsome!"

"As always," I smiled at Seb who still looked like his hands were itching to get his phone back. He was never away from it, so in a way it made sense. 

Helen smiled with glazed eyes and I could practically feel Seb tensing up beside me at the site of an emotional woman. Her hand was over her mouth but you could still see her megawatt smile, her eyes leavig the phone for a second to look at her son and then back at the pictures once more. "I honestly couldn't think of a more perfect wedding for the two of you," She said sincerely, even if I knew she wished she could be there. She also knew Seb and knew that he wouldn't truly enjoy himself if he had an audience on his big day. "You did a great job Sebastian. I'm very proud of you." More tears in her eyes. 

Michael reached for his wife's hand and smiled at her, "No tears at the dinner table."

"They're the good kind, I promise," She replied and smiled at her husband, staring at him the same way I looked at Seb; admiration and love. 

He let out a sigh without even noticing, having a hard time handling all these attentions and emotions. "I'll make sure to have a ton of kleenex when you'll see the other ones," He said in an attempt to joke, to make the moment lighter. 

Michael laughed and so did everyone at the table, Seb's mom glaring at him for a moment. "Sebastian! Don't make fun of me," She protested but a second later she was chuckling too.

My husband smiled more genuinely at her while I reached for his hand from under the table and tangling my fingers with his, "I just wanted to make you stop cry."

"No wonder why she forgives you everything, you always lick her-" Kat started but Nat cut her off.

"Language! She protested, setting her hands on Haylie's ears.

Jules tilted her head as she looked up at her dad, "What does uncle Sebby lick?" 

"Look at what you've done," Seb said looking at his sister who didn't have kids yet. 

"I was thinking I could take the girls to Disneyland one of these days," I said out of nowhere before the three siblings could get another chance to argue. 

"Yes!" Jules clapped her hands as she jumped down the chair, making what looked like a happy dance, I couldn't help but grin at how adorable she was. "Yes aunt Aria, take us to Disneyland!"

"We'll see, maybe if you behave," Natalie said to her daughter then glanced at me, "How long are you guys staying in town this time?" 

I parted my lips, wishing I knew that exact answer since I had been asking Seb for a while now. For whatever reason, he kept avoiding the conversation, always using the wedding, work, a movie, as a distraction of an excuse. I glanced at Seb who had a mouthful of food, making it clear that he had no intention of answering and was leaving it up to me. "We're not sure yet," I said honestly. 

She raised her eyebrow and glanced back and forth between me and my man, "What do you mean? Seb plans out everything. Literally."

"He obviously doesn't plan out everything,"  Kat pointed out like a smartass, getting a glare from her sister in return. "Well the wedding was pretty spontaneous! Our baby brother is full of surprises."

I grinned at her, knowing that Seb was probably already annoyed by his sisters share of words. "We have the place in Seattle and I'd like to keep it," I started, having already put so much work into that house. It fit us perfectly and whether we decided on living there for even half of the year or just needing a getaway from time to time? I wanted to keep it. "Beyond that, we haven't really discussed it."

"Well you two just got married," Caleb shrugged, "Enjoy the honeymoon phase while it lasts."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kat lifted an eyebrow at her husband. 

 He let out a chuckle and kissed his wife, "It means that I love you."

"It sounds like you're already bored with me instead," She quipped back, giving him a face that reminded me a lot of Seb's annoyed face. I bit back a grin and winked at Seb who almost looked amused, maybe even thankful that the attention wasn't on us for once. 

"Bored? Never," He said quickly and looked a little frazzled, probably wishing he'd kept his mouth shut. 

She sighed and rolled her eyes before looking at us again, "What's wrong with LA?"

"What's not wrong with LA?" He asked back flatly, eating his last bite of food as he looked at his sister with a brow raised.

"See? Enough said," I sighed and shook my head, our opinions on the city opposite.

His dad furrowed his brows, "I didn't know you didn't like LA."

"He hates it," I said back and he side glanced at me, looking on the verge of groaning. "What, it's true!"

"It's hot as hell, the traffic is so bad it takes one million years to go anywhere and there are paparazzis everywhere," He retorted, saying things I already knew but he never missed a chance to remind me.

I parted my lips but before I could speak Kat talked, "I feel like this is going to be interesting."

"If it was up to him?" I said and glanced at his sister, "He'd go live in Greenland with seals."

"Ha!" He scoffed then shot a grin at me, not wanting to get into this conversation now, with my family as audience, and not wanting to argue either. "I so would."

His mom chuckled, shaking her head as she got up from the chair, starting to collect everyone's empty plates, "You're just being silly Sebastian."

"The tragedy is that he's serious instead," I sighed but there was a grin on my lips to let him know I was playing along with him.

"Aunt Aria can I come visit?" Jules asked with wide eyes, "Baby seals are cute." At that everyone relaxed, I did too.

Getting up, Seb walked over to his mom to take the pile of dishes from her hands, "Let me help you mom."

"But it's your birthday-" She started but he cut her off gently.

"You already did so much," He said before glancing at me, while I got the hint and stood up as I took everyone's forks and knives. "Ar is helping me, you can relax."

"Well thank you," She smiled from her seat, her hand intertwining with her husbands on the table. I smiled at the two of them, wondering how Seb and I would be at their age.

I let Seb lead the way to the kitchen, carefully putting all of the dishes in the sink first while I added the utensils. "Let me do the dishes, birthday boy," I bumped him with my hip as he stared at me in amusement. "What?"

"Nothing," He shook his head and shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned against the counter. "I'm just surprised you aren't making me do the dishes instead since I offered."

"Birthday princes aren't allowed to do any work," I said in a silly voice while he let out a snort.

"Please, we've already come to the conclusion that I'm just as much a prince as you are an angel."

I laughed back and shrugged my shoulders, "Speak for yourself. I have my angel moments every now and then."

"Yeah, while you're asleep," He replied with his grin still in place.

"It counts still," I winked at him and went back to focusing on the dishes. "We're going to need to discuss where we'll live soon, but not today."

Another chuckle escaped his lips while he watched me wash, "Whys that?"

"Because I have to say yes to everything on your birthday," I wrinkled my nose.

He stared at me with an eyebrow raised, his amused expression back on his face, "And you're telling me that just now?" He asked, crossing his arms against his chest.

I shot him a side glance, rinsing the dishes carefully, "What?" 

"That you have to say yes to everything I say today," He repeated my own words, his grin getting impossibly wide since there was a million ways he could easily use that against me. I didn't answer but sighed, shaking my head slightly, being silly. "What babe? I think that's a great moment to talk about where we'll live instead."

I laughed this time, turning my head in his direction once I was done with the dishes, "You wish. You'd tell me to move to some crazy cold place and I'd have no choice."

He reached for a clean dish towel and used it to dry my hands, taking them in his, "San Francisco is not that cold." He spoke in a low tone, almost a whisper since it was as if I was talking to himself.

I parted my lips and stared at him, then blinked with a smile, "As I said, we don't have to talk about that now." 

He nodded, tossing the towel on the kitchen table and setting my hands on his chest before he wrapped his arms around my tiny waist. "Okay. We have plenty of time for that," He smiled back at me as he leaned into me, his lips capturing mine in a chaste kiss that left me wanting more.

"It's all a fire the first three months," His sister Kat's voice interrupted us with her usual tact.

Seb groaned and pulled away from me regretfully, "We could have been married for years as well, nothing changed from how we were before." Smiling again, I grinned back at my man. "I think it's cake time," He winked at me before making his way back out and leaving me alone with his sister. 

She sighed as he disappeared from our site, "He reminds me more and more of my dad every day... even though neither of them would ever admit it." I tilted my head in her direction and smirked, knowing that she had a point. "Well you heard the man. Sebastian wants his cake, we better bring it to him before he throws a temper tantrum."

I laughed, knowing how pissed off Seb would be if he heard her. Luckily, he hadn't. "He's really not so bad," I said instead, defending my husband who had really grown as a person over the past few months. I had too. 

"Yeah yeah," She grinned and walked over to the fridge, pulling out a cake and setting it on the counter. "I just can't believe my baby brother is 30. It's official: we're old."

"Speak for yourself," I matched her grin and grabbed the candles, wondering if we should use 30 or just one. Seb was going to hate blowing out 30 candles. I made the decision and handed one candle over to Kat. Not saying a word, she stuck it into the cake and lit it. 

The girls perked up as we walked outside, the cake in my hands. Clapping their little hands, they started off the birthday song, everyone singing along while Seb kept his eyes on me. I set the cake down on the table in front of him then took my seat beside him once more, leaning my body into his and pressing a quick kiss against his cheek. When the song finished, he blew out the candles and the girls started arguing over which piece they wanted, which of course was the same piece. 

"There's plenty for everyone," Natalie told them and took the knife from her sisters hand to start cutting and dishing it up. "Seb gets first choice since it's his birthday."

"Any piece is fine," He responded.

"Uncle Sebby is the birthday prince," Jules announced and handed him over a paper crown. 

"I think I'm too old to be a prince," He smiled at her, surprising me by being so good with her. Neither of us were kid lovers, but we made an exception for those two cuties.

She climbed onto his lap and adjusted the crown on his head, a serious expression on her tiny face, "Princes become kings when they get old." She announced and we laughed at how cute she was.

"Alright, I'm the birthday king," He said to his niece and smirked, tickling her side a moment and making her giggle before taking a bite of his cake.

I kept my eyes on them, licking the extra frosting off the corner of my mouth before speaking, "Does that make of me a queen?"

Jules turned her head at me, blinking as if she was taken aback but recovering soon, "Yes, but I have no crown for you." She answered and shrugged nonchalantly, killing me a little. 
Seb shot me a look as he smirked, "You can't be a queen without a crown."

"What did you do exactly to my brother?" Natalie asked, cutting into the little conversation that was going on between us, her expression a mix of amused and shocked. Seb looked like he might groan, but Jules chose that exact moment to stuff his mouth with a bite of cake.

"She made him happy," Jeff answered instead, he wasn't a man that talked much, but when he did...well, he always went straight to the point.

I nodded with a smile on my face, knowing how hard I tried to make Seb happy and having a satisfied feeling hearing the confirmation out loud. "Your husbands a smart man," I told Nat, grinning wider when Jeff got a gloating look on his face.

"I tell her that all the time and she never agrees," He added as his wifes mouth dropped open.

"Hey!"

"She was the same way as a kid," Kathleen added and wrinkled her nose. "Once a know it all, always a know it all!"

Nat crossed her arms over her chest, "Can't we go back to teasing Seb instead?"

"No way," He shook his head. "I'm the birthday king and what I say goes."

Jules grinned so big at him that I was sure I literally felt my heart melting. "No being mean to Uncle Sebby, mom!"

"Oh, I'm not picking on him baby," She told her daughter with a sweet smile before looking at Seb more serious. "I'm really happy for you instead. I've never seen you so.... happy."

"Happy!!" Haylie clapped her hands together, chunks of cake that she'd been eating by hand dropping onto her lap.

"Happy happy," She smiled at her youngest daughter before looking at the two of us once more. "Are you going to have a wedding reception here at least? Even if it's just our two families?"

I parted my lips and looked at Seb, "We hadn't discussed it.. or even thought about it."

Helen's face lit up and she held a hand to her heart, "That's a great idea! You can do something small... maybe even here. I would love to meet Aria's family!"

Silence fell over the table while everyones eyes were once again on us, Seb looking like he was counting to 100 to keep himself sane. "Isn't it weird that we never met anyone of your family Ar?" Kath asked nonchalantly, never being able to keep her mouth shut and didn't have a filter between her her thoughts and her mouth either.

"We saw her sister on tv, does that count?" She added while my man eyed me carefully, knowing how the subject was a touchy one.

"I say let's make it count," I answered instead, using a teasing tone even though I honestly couldn't remember the last time I had seen my sister and it made me sad.

"What do you think Sebastian?" His mom cut into the conversation once again, making it very clear that she wanted to know his opinion and he couldn't escape that. 

"Ask my wife, I'll be fine with whatever she decides," He said instead of giving an actual answer, shrugging nonchalantly even though he had to be hating the idea.

Everyone shifted their eyes to me, Helen's face a hopeful one that made my decision for me. "We'd love that," I said with a smile, already imagining the event being a disaster. I'd need to talk to my parents before... which meant really soon. The thought alone made me breath uneasy. I grabbed onto Seb's arm for support, linking my arm with his and tilting my hear back to smile at him, wanting him to know I only made the decision because I had to. Then again, he'd do the same. We really did owe it to our families.

Jules was the first to speak, sitting up a little straighter on Seb's lap, "Will you wear your pretty dress Aunt Aria?"

Everyone laughed and the tension seemed to ease up a little, even Seb had cracked the smallest of smiles. "Maybe if you make me a crown so I can feel like a princess," I smiled more genuinely at her. 

"I will!" She said then looked up at Seb who still had his crown on, a giggle escaping her lips. 

"What's so funny?" He asked her with an amused expression.

"Nothing," She said in a little voice, hiding her face against his chest to laugh. 

"It's a shame that neither of you want kids," Natalie shook her head with a sigh, getting a semi-glare from Seb in return. "What? You two would make beautiful children!! It's a compliment!"

"We'll borrow yours for now," I grinned at her then made a silly face at Haylie who was smiling at me. 

"For now," Natalie said with emphasis and paused to smirk "You still have time to change your mind."

He glanced at her and shot her a blank stare, "Drop it Nat."

"Uncle Sebby I want a cousin," Jules said as she tugged at his shirt to get his attention. It was true what they said, girls were smarter than boys at any age.

He looked down at her and smirked, leaning back in his chair, "Aunt Kath will make you a ton." 

"Don't plant silly thoughts into her head," Came quick her response and a glare was shot in my husbands direction. 

Jeff glanced at his watch and got up from his chair, "It's late girls, time to go to bed." 

"NO!" Jules said loudly, making her dad cringe as she held onto Seb, "I want to stay with Uncle Sebby and Aunt Aria instead!"
Now, that was the exact situation I couldn't handle. Kids were stubborn, random and delicate too. No matter how much of a good parent you were, you had no control over them and that sounded really scary to me. "We're going home too now," I said softly before looking down at her and smiling, "But I promise you that next week Uncle Sebby and I will take you to Disneyland."

She seemed to process my words as she stared at me, "Really? Do you promise?" She asked and when I nodded, she looked at Seb too, "Promise!"

"I promise," He said and got up himself, placing a kiss on her cheek before setting her back on her feet. "We're going too," He announced to his family.

Everyone stood up and started making their way over to us, taking turns with hugs. "Which day would work for you two?" Helen asked, already planning our wedding reception in her head. "I'm open this weekend and the one after. Well, any day would work really."

"Don't forget that you're taking my kids to Disneyland," Natalie grinned at Seb, using both hands to mess up his hair and making him grumble. 

"Maybe we'll take the kids to Disneyland during the week and then have the party on Saturday?" I looked at her then glanced at Seb, wanting him to have a say in this since we were a team. Plus I still wasn't sure how long we were staying in LA. He kept avoiding the questions about where we'd live when really, I wasn't asking to fight. I was already his, we were married now and I just wanted us to start our life together as a married couple. 

"Perfect," She smiled at us, pulling me into a hug. "I can't wait to meet your family!"

I was glad I missed the look on Seb's face, knowing that he'd want to be anywhere in the world than stuck at a party with not only my dad, but my mom and sister too. Honestly, I wasn't even sure if my mom would fly in from New York or even where my sister was living. Erin had been keeping tabs on her and her career was at a low, Gavin's too. I only wanted happiness for the two of them, even if I had a odd way of showing it. "It'll be fun," I smiled at her, taking a step back as we broke the hug, my hand finding Seb's.

We said a general bye to everyone before walking out of the house and heading to Seb's car. With his free hand, he reached for the paper crown he was still wearing and handed it to me, "Can you keep it in your bag please?"

I nodded as I let go of his hand, both of us climbing into the car and a second later we were already speeding through the city. "It didn't go too bad, did it?" I asked, trying to ignore his new mood and save the moment.

"It could have been worse," He shrugged as he drove, his eyes on the road.

I kept quiet for a few moments, lost in my own thoughts about the party. I dropped my hand on my husbands eventually and offered a smile, "Don't let that thought ruin your birthday." 

He glanced at me briefly then took a deep breath, "It's easier said than done." He paused, weighing out his words. "We got married in the middle of the ocean to avoid all this nonsense. And now I feel trapped. I have to go through this stupid reception that will be hell on earth even if I don't want to, and you know how much I hate doing things against my will."

I tried not to groan, wanting to say that everything wasn't about him and what he wanted to do. Sometimes you had to make sacrifices for the people you loved and Seb seemed to ignore that little fact every now and then. "No ones making you do anything against your will," I said seriously, knowing that the party wouldn't be ideal - but it wasn't the end of the world either. I was still excited about our marriage and honestly, celebrating that with our family? It sounded like a good idea to me.

"Right," He snorted and I wrinkled my nose as I looked out the window, biting my tongue.

"Well I'm excited," I said after a moment, genuinely getting more and more excited as I thought about it.

He didn't look at me or even move his eyes from the road, "Because our families will get along so well?"

I ignored his comment since I knew that their wouldn't be any fights or arguments between our families. We were all adults and whether my parents took the news well or not, they were going to put on their best smiles and at least pretend to be happy for me. That's the way families worked. "I didn't marry you in the middle of the ocean to avoid anything. I married you because I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you and I couldn't wait another day without being your wife," I said quietly, his words still stinging and not sitting well with me.

"Why do you think I married you instead?" He said back immediately and I kept my mouth closed, not wanting to fight with him. I wasn't even mad at him, hurt, but not mad. "I think I said the wrong thing."

"No I think you said exactly what you think instead," I said quietly. 

He turned his head just so slightly to glance at me while I kept my eyes on the road, feeling him stare and wondering what he saw. "It came out wrong," He said eventually, still stubbornly but wanting to explain himself. I didn't say anything back and didn't look at him, so he kept driving but used one hand to caress my leg. "I married you because I love you Ar and I'm very proud of that decision...when I asked you I also let you decide when and how to get married and I honestly think it couldn't have been a better wedding, but I'd be an hypocrite if I said that your choice wasn't a convenient one for me too. I loved it being just us because when I'm with you I can be myself without worrying about anyone's judgement." 

I tilted my head in his direction and saw that he genuinely cared, that he didn't want to hurt me and he was trying his hardest to make it right. Smiling, I nodded my head, "I wish that everyone else could see you the way I do. You're an amazing man, but you're so hard on yourself." 

"I only care about your opinion," He told me and squeezed my leg before returning his hand to the wheel.

I kept my eyes on his profile, knowing that he was his toughest critic but he still cared what others thought of him. I bit my tongue though, not wanting to ruin one more minute of his birthday. "I can't believe my wise old man is thirty..." I trailed off with a grin as he groaned. Thirty was truly the new twenty and it wasn't old by any means. "Have you ever gotten road head?" 

He lifted an eyebrow but kept staring at the road, only giving me a glance when my hands found his zipper. "Ar," He groaned again. "You're going to make me crash."

"Pull over," I said with a mischievous smile, pulling my hands away from the erection that was growing in his pants. His words and his penis currently weren't agreeing with each other. 

He pulled into a parking lot and gave me another raised eyebrow when I unbuckled my seatbelt and started feeling around on the floor of the backseat, returning to my seat with two boxes in my hands. He stared at the wrapping paper and then looked at me, "What's this?"

"A present... It's what you give to people -"

"Such a smartass my wife is," He cut me off and smirked, taking the smaller of the boxes from me and ripping into the paper. 

"It's for when you go running or hiking without me," I told him as he eyed the iPod. "I already loaded it with your songs and there's even an armband for it to wear while working out." 

He smiled and gave me a kiss, "Can I wear it when you're with me instead?"

I laughed and captured his bottom lip, sucking on it and then giving it a tug. "You like listening to me talk instead," I said after pulling back.

"Thank you," He said and sat there staring at me.

"There's another present!"

He grinned and opened it, this time finding a larger Apple product because what do you buy the man who has literally everything? New technologies with a few personal touches. "The new Macbook Pro?"

I nodded, "And I've already synced it with your computer so it's all ready for you. I even added a few naked pictures of me, so that'll be a nice surprise when you find them," I added with a smirk. 

"Technology and you naked, you really know what I love babe," He grinned and leaned into me, his hand lifting and his fingers tangling in my hair to pull me closer and press a kiss on my lips. I set my hand on his chest, it clutching at his shirt when the kiss got deeper then letting go when we broke it regretfully. "Thank you Ar," He added softly against my lips as he smiled, his eyes not leaving mine. 

"You're welcome," I said back and my smile was matching his, my eyes still on him even when he pulled away from me regretfully and started driving again. "What do I get for getting you such awesome presents?"

"Nothing until I see the pictures of you. What if I don't like them?" He joked, because that was impossible. I rolled my eyes, but was still smirking. "It was a nice birthday," He added casually, as if he admitted things that easily everyday.

I knew my man well enough not to give him a witty remark, instead I kept looking at him, "Should we do it every year?" 

"And have a habit like a real couple?" He said as he kept a serious face and faked a gasp, allowing himself to be silly and joke. "I don't know if I can do that."

I poked his side, "We are a real couple!" I protested but I was chuckling, loving when he was silly with me. 

He kept driving as a satisfied grin curved his lips, his right hand reaching for my left one and our fingers tangling together, "One with a very happy husband."