Nadya couldn't believe it- the twins were 4! How the years had flown and how much they had grown. This year had been full of so much change but one thing was sure...they were happy. It was all that mattered to her. Nadya was broken from her trip down memory lane by her son's voice. She turned from the kitchen window with the large bowl of popcorn in hand. "I've got it right here, let's go back outside." She smiled warmly at the boy whose lopsided smile and mop of hair looked more and more like his father's every day. Personality wise though he was a complete opposite, her quiet and loveable mommy's boy. Micah clutched at his mother's shirt as he followed her back into the backyard.

The backyard had been turned into a children's playground for the twin's birthday. Nadya had spared no expense to make this birthday as special as possible. Last year she hadn't been able to have a birthday for them as she had still been dealing with her brother's death...possible death. Those details were still hazy. Shrieks of laughter and chatter filled the air as children from the twin's preschool ran around and the parents congregated about. "Why don't you go watch the puppet show?" Nadya gently nudged her son towards the calm activity she had picked out for him as she set the bowl of popcorn down on the table.

Micah hesitated before leaving his mother's side to situate in front of the puppet show with a few of the other children. Although preschool had helped his confidence a bit, Micah still found it difficult to make friends with his shy personality. His sister though? Nadya's attention drew away from her son, scanning the dress-up area, large castle bouncy house, and lawn games, until she finally found her daughter hanging on the fence of the pony rides adjoining the large petting zoo. Izzy had donned a princess' crown and matching cape from the dress-up area. Nadya stepped up beside her daughter, smiling at the wide and delighted look in her eyes. "Can I go on?" Izzy questioned her mother as she motioned to one of the ponies. "Of course sweetheart, we just have to take turns, ok? Your guests get to have turns and play with the games too." "...It's my birthday." "Yes it is but we still share." Nadya couldn't help but smile and shake her head at her little girl as her attention strayed to the crowd, searching for her mate...unless he had decided to escape the madhouse of a children's party.