Tons of kisses and cuddles with his mate wasn't the only tradition Ryan had going for his birthday. As it turned out, not only were his parents ready to spend his seventeenth birthday with him, but they had decided that his temporary homecoming called for more than just a little family reunion. 

When Evan and Ryan reappeared in the kitchen, they found Natalie there with Angie, preparing snacks. 

"What's all this?" Ryan asked, sweeping his eyes over the various bowls and plates. 

"I hope you didn't think we'd forgotten your birthday party." His mum brought a mini sandwich to his lips, which he immediately took and bit into, holding it between his fingers. Judging by the look on his face, he definitely had no qualms about the snack she'd prepared. As well as the mini-sandwiches, there were tortilla chips with various dips, chicken nuggets, pigs in a blanket and cupcakes. There was also a bowl of popcorn and a platter of fruit for a healthy option. "We invited your friends over. I'm sure they'd love to see you." 

"Thanks, Mum." Judging by Ryan's surprised smile, he hadn't expected anything like that, but he certainly wasn't going to protest. And neither was Evan. Although he was used to not getting along with wolves his age in his own pack, he couldn't wait to meet Ryan's friends. After all, his mate had good taste. 

"I've already managed to find out if Tommy's coming too," Angie revealed as she popped a piece of apple into her mouth. She was in the process of placing the fruit on the plate and letting her creativity work its magic. 

"It would be a great coincidence if Angie's mate was in our pack." Natalie seemed to welcome the possibility. 

"That would be cool." Evan agreed, although he had his doubts. After all, until recently his best friend's words had suggested that she thought her mate belonged to their own pack. 

"I think so too." Encouraged by his mum's sandwich, Ryan took a cupcake from the counter that wasn't prepared on a decorative tray. "Where are Dad and Michael?" 

"They're outside setting up the tables and decorations," came the reply. Evan was surprised that they hadn't heard any of this, but since they were engrossed in each other's presence, it wasn't too shocking. 

Ryan held out his hand with a treat and Evan didn't hesitate to take a bite. His mother wasn't big on baking, and even though he'd had cake yesterday, cupcakes were one of the things he never refused. 

One bite was all it took and, carried away by the delicious taste of the frosting, he declared with his mouth full, "These are really good."

Instead of reprimanding him, Natalie laughed at his reaction. "Thank you. I'd like to say it's a family recipe, but I actually found it on the internet." 

"The internet is the best cookbook in the world," Angie declared. "Especially video recipes." 

"I agree." Natalie nodded. "Even though I'm 41, I'm still learning new things from social media. It's how I learned to make perfectly round cookies." 

"With a glass?" Angie seemed to know exactly what Natalie meant. 

"Exactly." 

Evan gave Ryan a quick look, but he just shrugged, having no idea what they were talking about either. The important thing was that the two of them seemed to get along and have fun together. 

"Who's all comin'?" Ryan asked, bringing up the previous topic. 

"It's a surprise," his mum replied with a smile. "Everyone important that you want Evan to meet," she added as he kept his eyes on her, waiting to see if she would reveal more.

It looked like that was enough of an answer for him. "Should I change into something more presentable?" Ryan lowered his head to his outfit, which consisted of a simple sweatshirt and jeans. 

"Anything you like," came the reply from Natalie. "It's your party after all." Another response Evan could only hope for in vain from his parents. 

"What about me?" Evan turned to his mate with the question, then lowered his gaze, looking down at the all-black outfit. "Enough to make a good first impression?" 

"You always look good," Ryan assured him without hesitation. 

"Ryan's opinion is biased," Angie pointed out. 

Evan turned to her with a raised eyebrow. "Do you have any objections?" 

Brown eyes scanned him from head to toe and her expression was pensive for a moment. Then she rolled her eyes and said, "You look the same as you always do. They'll see you as we see you every day." 

"Handsome," Ryan added. 

"I meant dressed all in black, but sure, that works too," Angie chuckled. 

"You don't need a fancy shirt, honey," Natalie assured him. "They'll all see how Ryan lights up around you and they won't care what you wear." 

This time it was the ink-haired boy whose cheeks had turned crimson. 

"We're going to have to tear them apart to get anyone a chance to talk to them," Angie interjected, putting another piece of fruit on the plate and one in her mouth. 

"Now you're making it sound like we have separation anxiety." Evan gave her a look that suggested her claim was an exaggeration. Judging by the expression on his mate's face, he thought otherwise. 

"Ah, young love. Not that love between mates fades so easily, but when you're 20 years younger and still getting to know each other, there's something so exciting about it," Natalie chimed in. 

"I can't wait to feel it myself." Angie sounded hopeful. Natalie moved closer and squeezed her arm reassuringly. "It won't be long now, you'll see. Someone great is waiting for you." 

Angie put her hand on hers and smiled. "Hopefully someone as great as your son." Then she laughed. "If you have a secret son, now would be a good time to come clean." 

Natalie was more than amused at her suggestion and began to laugh. "Believe me, there was no secret pregnancy. When I was pregnant with Ryan, I put on 26 pounds. Nothing to hide." She patted her flat stomach. 

"I feel like this is my chance to ask what Ryan was like when he was little." Evan immediately seized on her words. 

Judging by the smile on Natalie's face after his question, he had chosen the right time to ask. "My favourite subject," she confirmed verbally for him as well. 

"Nothing embarrassing, Mum," her son warned her. 

"As if I have any embarrassing stories about you." She waved her hand at him. 

"Michael's already managed to tell me something about his phases," Evan admitted, revealing part of where Ryan's fears were coming from. 

"Ah." Natalie's smile became more tender and nostalgic. "My little dinosaur." 

Evan pressed a kiss to Ryan's blushing cheek and pulled him closer by his waist, running his thumb down Ryan's back to reassure him that he had nothing to be ashamed of. There was nothing about him that Evan could find embarrassing, only adorable. His sweet Pachycephalosaurus. 

"It was so sweet. He was convinced that dinosaurs were good—except for the T-Rex." Natalie moved closer to her son and stroked his hair, running her hand softly down his cheek to his chin, which she gently squeezed between her fingers. "Then I made the mistake of playing him a seemingly innocent cartoon about little dinosaurs." She turned to the others.

"The Land Before Time," Ryan revealed as Evan turned to him, a question in his eyes. 

It took Evan exactly three seconds to associate the title with a mental image that transported him more than a decade back in time—to the exact moment he saw Littlefoot's mom die on the screen. Although it was an old cartoon, definitely older than Evan himself, he knew it by heart thanks to Riley.

"I cried like a baby when Littlefoot's mom died," he admitted aloud.

"If we could've shared a sight back then, you'd have had a double experience," Ryan assured him immediately.

"And I have no idea what you're talking about," Angie chimed in.

"Be glad for that," Natalie said right away. "For a cartoon meant for kids, it's pretty traumatic—especially when you then have to explain the circle of life to a child."

"My cousin did it for me," Evan revealed. "He was 11 and babysat me since my parents weren't home. He forgot about that scene, and when I started crying and asking him to call my mom to make sure she was okay, he had to save the situation somehow."

"Your cousin sounds like a great young man." Natalie gave him a warm smile, unaware she had just nearly stumbled upon a Bludd family secret.

"He is," Evan nodded with a smile, not revealing more. Today was about Ryan and his birthday—not anything that might spoil the mood. "I'm sure Ryan knows what I'm talking about since he has Michael."

From the way Natalie's eyes lit up, he'd picked the right topic. "You should have seen them when they were kids. You said Michael told you about Ryan's phases? Did he also tell you it took Ryan exactly five minutes and some puppy dog eyes to convince him to join in?"

Angie reacted first, leaning sideways against the counter with a chuckle to get a better view of Natalie. "Tell me more."

"The first was the astronaut phase. Ryan liked to run away as a toddler, so we tried to convince him to stay in the stroller in crowded places where he could easily get lost. It was an impossible task—until Oscar invented the astronaut game. The stroller became a spaceship, and if little Ryan didn’t want to get lost in space with aliens, he had to stay seated in it," Natalie began, and though Ryan looked embarrassed, Evan's hand on his back, stroking gently, reassured him he had no reason to feel ashamed.

"The problem came when Ryan wanted to play this game at home too. He’d sit in the stroller, and Michael had to push him. They both got space helmets for Christmas that year," Natalie finished with a nostalgic smile.

"That sounds adorable," Angie commented.

"Do you have any pictures?" Evan immediately seized the opportunity to ask.

"Of course," Natalie replied enthusiastically. "A whole photo album."

"Mom." Ryan spoke up, and his tone made it clear he wasn’t thrilled with the idea. His mom quickly adjusted her response, adding, "Ryan will show it to you when he wants to."

"Maybe later," the black-haired boy offered in reply. Evan decided to show him that he wasn't going to push it and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "No rush, love."

"Of course," his mom chimed in. "First, you have a whole party to attend." Then she picked up the tray of decorated cupcakes. "Help me take all this out?"

Even though all three of them took some plates and bowls, they still couldn't carry everything Natalie and Angie had prepared. So they decided to take what they could for now and come back for the rest when they were empty-handed.