A Bambina or Bambino of Our Own

First Birthday

It was New Year's Eve and Maya and Carina had basically decided that this day would never be a crazy party day. They had never spent one partying, and now with kids, they probably never would.

Their first New Years was during a pandemic and they spent it together at home, just appreciating being alive and having one another.

The following year, they had plans to party with their friend to celebrate leaving the pandemic behind, but an unfortunate bout of food poisoning for Carina instead kept them home, Maya holding her girlfriend's hair back instead of kissing her at midnight.

The year after, they were on a plane from Italy back to the States.

Then, they started trying for babies and were in the throes of a miscarriage the next year.

Last year, they were in the hospital, trying everything to get Rowan and Nora to make their appearance.

This year, they were home, Carina baking cakes while Maya blew up balloons for the first birthday party they were having for the girls the following day.

They knew that normally, they weren't going to be able to have their party on the actual day of their birth, but for their first birthday, they really wanted to. Luckily, their friends were all pretty free, and because they were having it at 4 pm, even Vic and Travis, who had New Year's Eve plans, agreed they would be there.

"I can't believe a year ago, we were in the hospital waiting for them to come," Maya said.

"That was one of the longest days of my life," Carina said, shaking her head, "I thought they would never come. Turns out, they were just stubborn like their Mommy."

"They just wanted to make their birth extra special," Maya shrugged as she tied a string on another balloon, "And now they are going to be one tomorrow."

"Our little bambinas are growing up," Carina sighed as she put the cakes in the oven, "I never dreamed that I would be making this cake for my own kids. Mamma used to make it every year for Andrea and me, and when they left, she would make it for me at Christmas when we celebrate my birthday."

"Your birthday is in July," Maya said, confused.

"Si," Carina nodded, getting to work on the icing, "But I only was allowed to come at Christmas, so we celebrated my birthday at Christmas. My Zia Sofia would make me a cake for my birthday in the summer, but it was never as good as Mamma's."

"And this is the torta setteveli, right?" Maya said, having had this cake a few times before.

"Good pronunciation Bambina," Carina said, smiling, "Si, but I am making two small ones for the girls."

"And you are picking up the other desserts during the twins' nap tomorrow," Maya nodded.

They had decided to get an array of Italian pastries from their favorite bakery in leu of cake for the rest of the guests, but both of them agreed that the girls should have this special cake for their first birthday, and probably every birthday after that.

Like other holidays, birthdays in the Bishop house were never anything special. Maya and Mason would usually get a new pair of shoes and other running gear. Maya, with her birthday in August, usually got some school supplies. However, the blonde was determined to make their girls' birthday as special as possible.

"Alright," Maya said, finishing up with the balloons while Carina stirred the frosting for the cakes, "I am going to go start building the kitchen."

"I will come help when I am done," Carina promised as Maya went into the living room/playroom.

It had just been Christmas, and the girls had gotten plenty of nice toys, books, and clothes so for their birthday, Maya and Carina had decided to get them only a few bigger presents little kitchen with all the fake food and dishes to go with it, and bikes that were able to be pushed by an adult but would then convert to a proper trike when the girls got bigger. They had a bike trailer for Maya's bike so the blonde could take the twins on bike rides with her, and both babies loved it, so they were pretty sure they were going to love the bikes.