

Brussels, Belgium
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Mommy! Happy birthday to you!"
Sean Bryson and his young grandson, Duncan, sang to Paloma Sandoval as she sat at the table in front of a birthday cake. She couldn't eat the cake, not like her adopted father and son could. Sean was a human and Duncan was a Lycan. She was a Hybrid and could only enjoy blood for her birthday meal. Still, the idea of celebrating with a birthday cake was still fun. Even if all she could do was blow out the candles and let Sean and Duncan eat it. It was a normal part of a birthday celebration, something she wanted Duncan to experience. Especially, when there was so many things he couldn't experience. Like going to school, having friends...Being with the rest of his family. Thanks to the humans destroying their home and the Immortals having to go into the hiding, there wasn't too many normal things Duncan could do. It made Paloma sad, since until a few years ago, she had been a human herself. There was so many things she had done in her childhood she wished that Duncan could do. Things that he couldn't, just because he was a Lycan. Sean had to be remind her that Duncan was happy, because he didn't know what he was missing. Sean had been a teacher and was homeschooling the little Lycan.
"Make a wish!"
Duncan cheered and Paloma blew out the candles as he and Sean clapped. She closed her eyes and wished for the same thing she wished for every year. For her family to be back together. To be with her sister, Sean's biological daughter, again and to be with her husband, Dipak. It had been four years since the attack on their home, since they had all been separated. She and Sean had escaped with Duncan, who had been a baby. Dipak had went back to find Jacinta...They hadn't seen them since that day. She and Sean held onto the hope that they were both still alive. One more year was when the community had agreed to meet up again. One more year was all they had left to know the fate of their family. Not knowing....that was the hardest part of all.
"What did you wish for?"
Duncan asked innocently and Paloma replied with a smile.
"Silly, I can't tell you that. If I do, it won't come true."
The wish she had made was something she definitely wanted to come true. Duncan nodded his head and Sean whispered to him he should go get his present for his mother. Duncan nodded and ran to his room. Paloma was going to help Sean with the cake, when he told her.
"No, I got it, birthday girl. Here, drink your special birthday drink."
Sean said, offering her a glass of blood. The only nourishment a Hybrid could have. Paloma took the drink as he cut himself and Duncan a piece of cake. Sometimes she envied them both so much, being able to still eat normal food. The cake smelled delicious.
"Thanks, Dad, but what's so special about it?"
She said as she took a drink.
'Well, I think the guy who donated that blood drank like five chocolate lattes before hand. Maybe it'll have a chocolate taste to it."
Sean replied with a smile.
"Maybe."
She replied back with a smile of her own although she doubted it. Sean sat across from her with two small pieces of cake. One for him and Duncan, she looked at it wistfully. Yeah...She did miss eating cake on her birthday. Duncan returned with his hands behind his back.
"Mommy, close eyes."
He told her and she covered her eyes with her hands. After a moment, Duncan told his mother.
"Okay, open."
Paloma opened her eyes and smiled at the picture he held out to her. It was the little four year old boy's drawing of his family.
"Did you make this all by yourself?"
She asked him and he nodded his head.
"Yup. Grandpa only help a little. Do you like it?"
"I do, very much. Thank you, sweetie. It's beautiful."
Paloma said, giving Duncan a hug and kissing the top of his head. Duncan sat down next to Paloma and she saw where Sean had helped Duncan with the picture. Duncan was starting to learn how to write and he wanted the names of the drawing to look perfect, so he had asked Sean to write them. He had drawn himself, Paloma, and Sean, of course. His birth mother, Amira, who had died in childbirth him was an angel in the picture. Paloma had been with her when she died and had promised Amira she would raise Duncan as her own son but also make sure he knew about her. A promise she had always kept. Amira was an angel watching over them. Another angel with Amira was Delilah. She had been Paloma's mother and the love of Sean's life. Their affair had resulted in Jacinta's birth. It had taken time but Paloma had learned to forgive her mother for the affair, her own father had not been a good man. Perhaps, in another life, Delilah and Sean would have been happy together. But it wasn't meant to be in this lifetime. Delilah was too afraid to leave Benito and she had broken up with Sean. Until Jacinta had searched for him, he had no idea he even had a daughter. Thankfully, Sean had been thrilled to learn he had a daughter and become a father to Paloma in the process as well. He and Paloma was certain Delilah would be happy to know her daughters had been as a father in their life.
Duncan had also drawn the two missing members of their family, his father and his aunt Jacinta. He knew of them both, just like he knew of Amira and Delilah. The only difference was the hope that someday they would all be together again. It made Paloma want to cry because she truly hoped that someday that Dipak and Jacinta wouldn't just be stories to Duncan. She hoped her birthday wish would come true and Duncan's picture would be a reality for them next year.