Page 18 of One Night with Number Nineteen

But their hearts are the size of freaking jet engines.

Case in point?

The cake they’re carrying out.

It’s Christmas-time and the tables inside are laden with chocolate peanut butter cupcakes and sugar and oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip cookies and all sorts of pies.

We absolutely do not need a cake.

But we also do.

Because Veronica is now officially five years cancer free.

“V,” Luna calls and she turns, covers her face with her hands.

“You didn’t,” she whispers, lifting her head and attempting to glare at Luna and Smitty, who’s carrying the cake out.

But her eyes are glassy, and her expression is so freaking touched, I feel my own eyes tear up.

“You didn’t,” she says again.

“It’s five years, V!” Smitty says, stopping in front of her, holding the cake up. “Now make a wish and blow out your candles.”

“I don’t think people really do that just for cancer remission.”

“First, not just,” Luna says. “Second, they do in this family.” She loops her arm through Kailey’s. “Third, make a freaking wish.”

She pauses and looks at Luna for a long moment. Then at Smitty. At Kailey and Bri and Rip. At me and Leo and Harper, Aiden and Gray. At Faye and Ollie who’s once again in Sawyer’s arms. At…

Ryan.

Then Alex zips over to her side and throws his arms around her waist. “Make a wish, Mom!”

She exhales shakily.

Then closes her eyes, clearly making that wish.

A moment later, she’s blowing the candles out.

Cheers fill the air and Smitty disappears inside with Harper for cake cutting and plating.

But I’m watching Veronica as she wipes a finger under the corner of each eye.

And Ryan.

Who silently comes over and passes Veronica a tissue.

My heart spasms, but then Ollie is running over. “Want to watch me jump off the rock, Mom?”

Another spasm—for a completely different reason this time.

But I tuck away my Mom Fears and let Ollie tow me over to the rock. Sawyer doesn’t follow us. Instead, he disappears and I understand why a moment later as he starts carrying out trays of cookies and cupcakes.

I swear he hasn’t sat down—not even for a minute—tonight.

“Watch me, Mom!”

I turn in time to see Ollie launching himself at me and grunt as I lurch forward and catch him. “Wait for me next time, goofy goober, yeah?”