Chapter 252: The Birthday Party
The Walter household was buzzing with energy. At least twenty or thirty people had gathered to celebrate the birthday party. Most were neighbors from the area, along with some of Walter's colleagues and teachers from the public school where he worked.
Walter had spent decades teaching at the school, and he was well-respected with a solid reputation. He had always gotten along well with people.
However, Gretchen and Elliott didn't attend. As mentioned before, they hadn't kept in touch for many years, and their relationship had long since faded.
If it hadn't been for Skyler reaching out to Gretchen and Elliott privately to help cover the cost of Walter's cancer treatment, Walter wouldn't have attended Elliott's birthday party in the first place. And even then, after the party ended, Walter declined Elliott's offer and the olive branch he extended.
It wasn't surprising that Gretchen and Elliott didn't show up this time either. They were, after all, the heads of a multi-billion-dollar company. With their busy schedules, attending a small birthday party for the child of a public school teacher wouldn't exactly benefit their business or reputation.
Most of the guests were unfamiliar to Frank. He only recognized two people—Officer Hank and Marie.
"Frank!" Marie exclaimed as her eyes lit up upon seeing him, holding a glass of red wine.
"Hey, Frank! I was just thinking about you. You still haven't come over to check out my collection like you promised," Hank said as he approached and slung an arm over Frank's shoulder with a hearty laugh.
Though Frank and Hank hadn't known each other for long, they shared similar interests and hit it off quickly.
With Hank around, Marie held back from being too enthusiastic, but her gaze was clearly full of heat.
"We're ready—let's get started," said Junior White, holding a camcorder.
"Hi there, sweetie. I'm your Aunt Marie—though by the time you watch this, twenty years from now, you'll already know that. And just so you know, I'll still look exactly the same then, so don't even think about mocking me in your head!"
"Anyway, welcome to your birthday party—well, the one before you're even born! You're about to arrive in this world, Meralda. Yes, Meralda—that's your name! And look, there's your handsome big brother."
"Turn it around, let her see her brother's face," Marie said.
Junior White swiveled the camera to himself and made a silly face.
"Look over there—that's your mommy. Say hi to Mom! Wasn't she beautiful when she was young? Of course, not as pretty as me," Marie joked.
The camera turned to Skyler, who gave a slightly shy smile from the couch.
"Look here—this is you, Meralda," Marie said, pointing at Skyler's belly.
"Don't be ridiculous, Marie," Skyler said to the camera. "Whether you believe it or not, Meralda—after today, your name will actually be changed to Holly. So when you grow up, you might not even know you were ever called Meralda."
"No way—I'm calling her Meralda forever. It's such a beautiful name," Marie insisted.
"Now, this is your dad. Say something, Dad! Talk to your daughter!" Marie said as the camera turned to Walter.
"Uh… alright. Holly, I'm proud of you. I think about you every single moment. No matter where life takes you or how things turn out, always remember—you have a family behind you. And each one of us loves you very, very much," Walter said sincerely.
"Meralda, your dad's a little shy. And look—here are your Uncle Hank and Uncle Frank. They're talking about drinks. Remember, you are not allowed to date any future boyfriends who act like drunkards!" Marie said playfully.
Marie and Junior White filmed the entire party, introducing everyone. This recording would be kept safe until Walter's youngest daughter was all grown up. Watching a video like this years later would surely be a deeply emotional experience.
Halfway through the party, it was time to open the presents.
Everyone brought a gift. Since most were just everyday folks, the gifts weren't anything extravagant—mostly baby items like tiny clothes or accessories.
Frank had brought a baby care package filled with essentials—diapers, baby lotion, and so on.
"It's my turn! Open it quickly!" Marie said excitedly when her gift came up.
"Is this… a headpiece?" Skyler unwrapped the box and found a small jeweled crown. Under the lights, it sparkled brilliantly. She looked surprised.
Everyone else had brought simple gifts, none worth more than a few dollars. But this tiny crown clearly wasn't cheap.
"Platinum inlaid with several carats of moissanite. Beautiful, isn't it?" Marie said with a grin.
"Marie, this is way too much. There's no need for something so expensive, really," Skyler said, flustered.
Everyone at the party was from modest means. And since Skyler and Marie were sisters, something simple would've sufficed. It wasn't like this was some grand political gala. The crown was far too lavish.
"It's fine. I just know it'll look stunning on my niece," Marie said cheerfully.
"Thank you. It really is dazzling," Skyler said sincerely.
"Hey, how about stepping outside for something stronger than beer?" Hank suggested, seeing that the women were all gathered around watching Skyler open gifts.
Frank, Hank, and Walter stepped outside to the backyard near the pool. Hank pulled out a bottle of strong liquor.
"After all those baby gifts, this is just what we need. Try this—it's the good stuff," Hank said, pouring drinks.
"And I've got something perfect to go with it," he added with a mischievous grin, pulling a box of cigars from his coat.
"Give it a try. Authentic Cuban," he said, handing one to Frank.
"Uh… sorry," Hank paused awkwardly when he noticed Walter standing nearby.
Walter had lung cancer. Lighting up a cigar in front of him was like eating candy in front of a diabetic.
"It's fine. Can I have one too?" Walter asked.
"Are you sure?" Frank said, concerned.
"I already have cancer. How much worse can it get?" Walter replied calmly.
Hank looked at Frank, who shrugged. Walter had said it himself—what could they say? So they handed him a cigar.
"I used to smoke cigars. This really is good stuff," Walter said, taking a whiff.
"I pulled some strings with an FBI guy I helped out. Obviously, they're not exactly legal. I couldn't afford this kind of high-end stuff on my salary. But hey, sometimes the forbidden fruit really is the sweetest, don't you think?" Hank said, lighting up.
"Yeah… rules, laws—they get blurry sometimes. What's legal, what's not," Frank said, blowing out a puff of smoke.
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