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Teddy’s First Birthday

3/22/2026

“Yum!” That was a word his dad had taught him across many family dinners. Teddy licked his lips as he slapped the tray of his highchair. His mom was bringing him a cupcake with a lit candle. He sat in awe of the crowd gathered on his behalf as they sang the birthday song to him.

His mom held the cupcake, and his dad blew out the candle before plucking it from the icing. Mom finally set the cupcake down where he could get it.

He studied it as if to decide where to start. He looked up at his parents and smiled as he raked his fingers through the icing and grabbed a handful to stuff into his mouth. Most of it got there, and that was good enough for him.

“He eats like you, Matty.” Bonnie laughed. She looked down at the triple stroller containing her own babies. The sight of these tiny, month and a half old treasures brought a smile. She had rejected Harry’s suggestions. Manny, Moe and Jack didn’t make the cut. Neither did Hughie, Louis and Dewey. For one thing, only one of them was a boy. The bonus Brewer was Ned Jr. His sisters, Mary and Martha, lay swaddled beside him.

People marveled at how she had lost the baby weight so quickly. Bonnie was as lean and chiseled as her brothers again and positively glowing in the love of her three progeny. “You try juggling three kids.” She’d retort, but it was Ned’s management of her nutritional needs that helped her return to her original proportions in record time.

Gary and Pam Light watched their grandson demolish the cupcake as they took pictures and videos. “He’s so adorable.” Pam grinned. The diamond on her finger caught the light as she crossed her hands on Gary’s shoulder. They had taken the bouquet toss as a sign from God. Gary proposed, and they had a small service with family and friends at the beginning of February.

Gabe and Jenny stood nearby, taking videos of Teddy’s birthday cupcake. They were delighted to have attended the birth of their three new grandchildren, but they were also thrilled when Fr. Tom and Fr. Dan collaborated on an unofficial pastoral event after Fr. Tom added a marginal notation on Teddy’s baptismal record. Matt and Abby had Teddy’s surname legally changed to Jozsa after the wedding, and the two parish priests held a joint ceremony blessing the new family and the update to Teddy’s name.

Harry, ever the doting uncle, was cheering Teddy on as he reduced the cupcake to morsels and crumbs. Zelda laughed along as she captured it all on her phone. They had accidentally started a minor war among her friends when she sent out Save the Date cards for June twentieth. Apparently, the Murray brothers’ fiancées had also selected June twentieth without notifying each other.

In order to maintain peace, and primarily because she had been the first to announce it officially, they agreed to let her have the June date and worked out a manageable schedule of weddings among themselves.

Abby wiped Teddy’s face clean with a damp washcloth and pulled him free of the highchair. “Go get ‘em, big boy.”

Teddy smiled and pulled himself up with the legs of the kitchen chairs. He kept a hand on the seats of the chairs as he toddled around the perimeter of the table to the waiting arms of his buddy, Sgt. Ken Wilson. “Well done, Teddy.” He gathered the boy up in his arms. “How was your cupcake?”

“Yum.” Teddy said again. He clung to his dad’s colleague like a little monkey.

“I’ve got a surprise for you, buddy. Want to see?”

Teddy smiled and looked around for whatever it might be.

Ken carried him through to the living room, followed by Teddy’s family members. “Everybody ready?”

The tension was palpable as Ken turned to the screen and said, “Isidore, show me Africa.”

His dad’s colleagues appeared on the TV, all waving and smiling.

“Happy Birthday, Teddy-bear!” Joe Scariano waved.

“Hey, Teddy!” Dan Kohn held a balloon and blew a jarring note on a kazoo.

Ted Melrose winced at the noise. “Happy Birthday, Teddy. Are you having a nice day?”

Teddy smiled and waved before saying another word his dad had taught him. “Corps!”

That drew an immediate smile from the chaplain’s office staff. Gunny Kohn replied with an enthusiastic oorah.

Teddy laughed and said, oorah.

“Alright, Sergeant, you keep an eye on that young man for us,” Major Melrose said. “and that’s an order.”

“Yes, sir. Absolutely.” Ken smiled as the call ended. “What do you think about that? You’ve got fans all around the world.”

“Corps!” Teddy kissed Ken’s cheek and reached toward the floor.

Ken put him down to crawl around.

Matt shook his hand. “That was great. Thanks.”

“Sure, sure.” Ken looked around. “Nice place. Very cozy.”

“Yeah, Gary sold us the place after he proposed to Pam.”

“Wow.”

“He felt like it was time to move on, and she gave him an opportunity to downsize. Things really fell into place for all of us.”

“All’s well that ends well, as they say.”

“You could say that, but things are just getting started for us.” Matt looked around the room. “With a place of our own, I’m looking at seriously growing some roots in the community.”

“Making a run for mayor?” Ken smiled at the sight of Teddy tossing colorful balls at a target painted on the wall.

“Not right away.” Matt winked at him. “No, I plan to finish up my four and see about a career with the Postal Service like Gary.”

“Okay, I can see that. Sounds solid. Until then, I’m sticking close.” He nodded.

“You’re welcome anytime. You know that.”

“I appreciate it, Matt. I just feel like some of that luck might rub off.”

“Luck?” Matt smiled. “Who? Me?”

“Yeah, you.” He looked at Teddy, who had moved on to stacking blocks. “You’ve got a pretty wife who’s whip-smart. You’ve got a healthy kid who looks just like you.”

“Kids.”

“Huh?”

“Teddy’s going to have a brother or sister by Veterans Day.”

“Seems like you enjoyed that honeymoon more than you let on.”

“Yeah, we’re doing things right this time around, Ken. Tell you what. If you’re serious about wanting in on this, we should tell Abby. You saw how many girls lined up for that bouquet toss. She’s got plenty of friends, and you just know she’d love nothing more than to make a project of finding the right one for you.”

“I might take you up on that. Thanks. How’s your arm?”

“A lot better than December, but I’ve still got therapy twice a week and stuff to do between visits. By the time Teddy’s brother or sister comes along, I’ll be in good shape to be able to hold them both.”

Abby slid by to pick up Teddy. “Hey, birthday boy, come see your grandpa and grandma. They have to get going.”

“Your folks or mine?”

“Mine.”

“Oh, hey. When you get a minute, start thinking of some girls you can set Ken up with. He’s been admiring the domestic tranquility here.”

Her eyes went wide, and they could see the wheels turning in her mind. “Really?”

“Yes, ma’am. I wouldn’t kid about something like that.”

She clenched a fist and drew it dramatically to her side. “Yes! Oh, I’m going to make a project out of you, Sergeant. What do you think, Teddy?”

“Ken.”

“Your wingman has spoken.” Abby smiled. “I’m so on this.” She danced away to the kitchen to find her dad and Pam. “Hey, guys. Teddy came to say goodbye.”

“There’s my big boy.” Gary smiled and took him for a hug. “Happy birthday, Teddy. We’re going to get going, but we’ll see you for dinner on Tuesday. Give Grandma a hug.” He handed him over to Pam.

“There’s my sweet fella.” She kissed his cheek and bounced him on her hip. “You be a good boy for Mommy and we’ll see you soon. Ooh, you’re so cuddly. I could just hold you all day.” She kissed his forehead before passing him back to Abby.

Abby smiled at Teddy. “Grandma is going to make us something special. Doesn’t that sound fun?”

“Fun.” He smiled and waved.

“Bye, buddy. Love you.” Gary helped Pam with her coat.

She stepped outside with her loving husband in tow. “Oh, look at these flowers.”

“The quince shows early for spring.” He smiled. “Give it a couple of weeks, and there will be twice as many blossoms. Good thing the groundhog didn’t see his shadow this year.”

Pam giggled as she climbed into the Bronco. “You and your groundhog.”

“Hey, Phil knows things. If you can’t trust a rodent on the weather, who can you trust?”

She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I trust you, Mr. Light. You and your silly superstitions.”

“Thanks.” He waited for her to buckle up and backed away from the house.

“De rien.”

“Uh-oh.” He grinned.

“What?” She turned to look at him.

“Look, if you’re going to start speaking French, we might have to change our reservations. We can go straight home and make something spicy.”

“Yeah, yeah, let’s save dessert for dessert, wild man.”

“I’m wild about you.”

“Same. Gary, thank you. I feel so blessed when I visit with your family.”

“Me too. Things worked out so much better than I ever imagined.”

“I could never have imagined any of this when I came to town. It kind of blows my mind.”

“I was stuck in a rut I didn’t realize I had even dug.”

“Hmm?”

“Ever since Abby was born, she has been my sole focus. I had to take care of her. See that she was brought up right. Protect her from danger, but let her have the freedom to make mistakes. The project had an end state, but I was so deep in it that I couldn’t see that it was almost done. I didn’t realize that I hadn’t even considered what would happen when she grew up.”

“You did alright, even if you didn’t have a plan.”

“Thanks to you.”

“Oh, Gary. I’m just me.”

“Thank God for that. You’re just what I needed.”

She smiled and held his hand.

“I wonder what it will be.”

“What?”

“Abby’s baby.”

“My money’s on a girl.”

“Really? Why?”

“Wishful thinking, mostly. I’d enjoy having a granddaughter to dress up and have little tea parties with.”

“I’m sure Teddy would enjoy a good tea party, but I see what you’re getting at.”

“Besides.”

He glanced at her.

“All the honeymoon babies I’m familiar with are girls. I think Teddy will have a sister to look after.”

“Guess we’ll see in God’s good time.”

She smiled and said, “Amen.”