Closer 2

50.

"Okay, we're ready," Eddy grinned at the camera. Ray had pulled out a pink paper crown for Elise while Belle had put the candle on the cake and lit it. Now Belle was behind camera taking pictures on her phone while Brett filmed for YouTube.

"Haaaaappy birthday too you..."
Ray decided he would start the birthday song for the little girl he referred to as his niece, prompting the others to join. Eddy did so, and Elise turned to look at him with a surprised look at first. He smiled back at her, but kept singing.

"Happy birthday to you!"
Belle snapped a photo of Elise with the happiest grin you could ever see. To think that she was actually a year old already!

"Happy birthday dear Li-Liii..."
Brett felt ready to burst with pride, honestly, at how much his little girl had grown. She had grown from being this tiny doll who screamed all the time to this actual tiny human.

"Happy birthday to youu!"

"Brow out the candle!" Eddy told his daughter, but she just looked back at him confused of course. He chuckled softly and pointed at it so she'd look before blowing out the candle for her.

It was impossible not to laugh at the surprised look on Elise's face when the light went out. She turned back to Eddy with a 'what the heck just happened' kind of look.
"Dadaa???" she asked, reaching up to pat his cheek to get his attention. Eddy froze for a bit.

"Yeah, baby?" he answered her, a grin widening on his face. His heart was racing out of his chest, but it seemed Brett was the only one who caught on to the milestone. And they even had it on tape!

Elise babbled on, looking up at Eddy as if she expected him to understand before turning to the cake again with the now blown out candle.

"I know, Li-Li, you blew out the candle," he chuckled, kissing the side of her head. His smile wasn't fading one bit. "Want some cake now?"

The reason Brett had chosen cinnamon cake was because that was the only cake he knew how to make that would be soft and moist enough for her to have a tiny bit of too without much difficulty.

It wasn't long until all five of them were enjoying cake. Or, Eddy was mainly helping Elise eating some of his cake whilw trying not to squeal from joy. His babygirl had said 'dada' for the first time!

"I've got my violin with me," Ray pointed out as he finished his slice of cake and wiped off his fingers with one of the baby wipes they had decided to use as paper towels as they hadn't thought to bring any paper towels for the sweet butter cream. "Wanna hear the Bach I'm working on?"

"What, you mean to tell me you don't just know all music in the world?" Belle joked as he opened his case. There wasn't really that many people around, so he figured it'd be fine.

"Okay, I admit I'm just figuring out the musicality, but I think it's getting good," Ray chuckled, quickly tuning his violin. Elise turned to look at him with a surprised look. She was rather shielded from the sound of actual violin for being a child of two violinists. They always practiced in the basement at home, and usually while she was sleeping or upstairs with the other.

Eddy put the paper plate down on the blanket and shifted Elise in his lap so she could see without straining her neck, grabbing a baby wipe to wipe off the frosting covering her hands.

"Alrighy," Ray chuckled, standing up. "You ready, birthday girl?" he asked smiling down at Elise. Then he began playing the Bach he had been working on:
Violin Partita No. 3 in E major, III. Gavotte en Rondeu.