Zookeepers have better luck keeping their animals quiet than Olympia and Demitra had in keeping their brood from snickering at the amount of candles Fable was placing on the cake. The first ones lit were already burning down to the middle before Fable ever got the last few lighted.

  “We don’t want to make her cry,” Seth commented. “Just put a candle in the middle. She knows she’s old.”

  “Hey!” snapped Demitra. “She’s only three years older than I am.”

  “Yeah, well, you’re old too,” Seth teased.

  “Ssshh. She’s coming!” Olympia cautioned.

  Artemis came down the stairs, ready to begin her daily routine of breakfast for her family when everyone screamed, “Surprise!!!!” She was startled at first, then deeply touched. Her family were all gathered in the kitchen with an enormous cake which appeared to be lit by way more candles than years she’d lived.

  “I don’t believe it!” she exclaimed. “This is so sweet. But my birthday isn’t even until the 14th. Leave it to you all to surprise me early.”

  “Arty,” bellowed a tardy Zelda now coming through the back door. “It’s the 14th!”

  “Well, I guess it is,” Artemis grinned. “I should have known something was up when I didn’t hear Fable and Yasmine fighting over the bathroom. Oh everyone, thank you so much!”

  Yasmine gave her aunt a big hug and a kiss. “Happy Birthday, Aunt Artemis! And guess what? I made breakfast.”

  “Oh,” Artemis smiled. “That should be quite…bad for our health.”

  “Come on,” Yasmine cried. “I think I did pretty well.”

  “Don’t listen to her,” Seth laughed. “She whisked up the shells with the eggs and burned all the toast.”

  “Laugh if you want,” Beryl advised, “but remember you’re marrying that girl. I guess you’ll stop making fun of her when she’s cooking your breakfast every morning.”

  “Who says I’m cooking that fool breakfast after we get married?” Yasmine guffawed. “I work. He doesn’t. He will be making me breakfast.”

  “I go to school,” Seth retorted. “I have college classes all day.”

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  “You do?” Yasmine laughed. “When do you go to them?”

  “I don’t have to go to them.” Seth said. “I have online classes. Besides, Aunt Artemis will still be here to make us breakfast.”

  Demitra beamed. She had been waiting for this moment. The moment of surprise to pay her sister back for all the love and generosity she had shown them all over the years.

  “That is where you are wrong, Seth Blanchard!” she cried. “My sister will not be making our breakfasts, or our lunches, or our dinners anymore after today!”

  “Are ya’ll throwing me out on my birthday or something?” Artemis asked.

  “In a way,” Demitra smiled. “Happy Birthday, Sis!”

  Demitra handed an envelope to her sister. Artemis opened it hesitantly. Her eyes scanned the pages of the document, her mouth dropping open as she read. She couldn’t believe what she held in her hands.

  “What is it?” Fable asked. “Grandmother, what have you and Mother done?”

  “I am just as ignorant of this as the rest of you,” Olympia admitted. “Demitra, what is that?”

  Artemis’ eyes welled up in tears and gratitude. “Dee, you didn’t? I can’t believe this. Is this for real?” Artemis looked at the document again.

  Suddenly all of her childhood dreams rushed back to her. Years she had spent concocting recipes from scratch in the kitchen and forcing her sisters to sit at the kitchen table as her guinea pigs. So many awful failures mixed with a lot of triumphant successes. Artemis knew she’d wanted to be a chef from age twelve and not becoming one was one of the bigger disappointments of her life. Now her sister had handed her the opportunity in a cluster of paperwork. Artemis owned a restaurant. She looked from the document back to her sister, her eyes swelling with humble gratitude.

  Demitra walked over to her sister and held out her arms. The two women hugged for a long time, Artemis crying happy tears on Demitra’s shoulder. The rest of the family waited, wondering. What had Demitra given her that brought about this much joy?

  “It’s too extravagant,” Artemis said. “I can’t accept this.”

  “The hell you can’t!” Demitra cried. “You’ve taken care of us so many years, given up on your dreams or a life of your own. It’s your turn now. I only ask that I eat free.”

  “What are you two talking about?” Beryl demanded.

  “The Cobblestone,” Artemis said, showing them the paperwork. “Your mother has bought me The Cobblestone!”

  “You’re kidding!” Yasmine cried.

  “What a terrific idea!” Fable exclaimed. “Aunt Artemis you are the best cook I know!”

  “Might have to start going out to eat myself now,” Zelda added.

  “Tomorrow Artemis starts getting to know her new staff, planning new menus, ordering food and liquor. Your Aunt is going to be a terribly busy lady from now on,” Demitra informed the group. “Obviously, I’ll help you get started in any way you need, but once you’re up and running, this is solely your baby.”

  Artemis fell into her sister’s arms again. “This is just too much. This is the happiest day of my life. Thank you, Dee, thank you!”

  Seth stood expressionless for a moment. Then he reached over to the table and lifted a brightly wrapped package and handed over in Artemis’ general direction. “Mine’s just a blouse.”

  “Mine’s a scarf,” Beryl said meekly, following suit.

  “Shoes,” Fable said.

  “Book of the Month Club,” Yasmine shrugged.

  Demitra laughed. “I guess I really should have gone last.”