"Happy birthday dear B'E and To-om," sang Julie. "Happy Birthday to you!"
She blew out the four candles on the two small cakes. B'Elanna and Tom in their high chairs clapped enthusiatically.
"Didja make a wish?" she asked them.
"Mmmcake!" Tom said, trying to reach for it.
"I see you've been listening to your father's music," Julie replied with a giggle, as she removed the candles and cut pieces for the now two-year old twins.
"Cake!" B'E shouted gleefully.
"Yes, here is your cake. Now, what do you say?"
"T'ank oo."
"T'ank oo."
"You're welcome."
Annika entered the kitchen at that moment:
"Hey Jules... oh, I'm sorry, am I interupting?"
"Sorta. it's B'E and Tom's birthday today. Two years. Of course, if it weren't you, it would probably be one of their brothers or sisters," Julie replied.
"Ahh. Well, happy birthday, B'Elanna. Happy birthday Tom."
"Mmmcake!" Tom repeated, grabbing a handful and stuffing it into his mouth.
"I think he's been listening to Middle of Nowhere," Julie grinned. "Of course, how he managed to fish it out of my CD rack and stick it in the player, I'm not sure, but they are clever little things, so who knows, hmm?"
Annika chuckled.
"Well, you know how we created all those subscription packages?"
"Yeah."
"We've sold out. We need to make more."
"What? We sold out already?" Julie asked, surprised.
"Yep. I went to prepare another one and discovered we were up to the last one. I thought we had another boxful left, but I was wrong."
"Wow. How'd we manage that?"
"Guess you had a lot more users joining and willing to subscribe than you thought."
"I... I guess so."
"Here's something else," Annika said grinning, as she passed over a piece of paper. "The top figure is how much we stand to make per month in total from all susbscriptions. The second is how much we've made since our last meeting a month ago, minus tax, and the other usual expenses, and including the profits from merchandise. Which has done up, by the way."
Silence.
"Cake!" B'Elanna squealed.
Julie swallowed and looked back up at Annika.
"You're kidding right?"
"I went over the figures four times. I'm not kidding."
"My games are that popular?"
"Yep. Tell me Jules, have you been to any gaming review sites recently?"
Julie shook her head.
"Too busy."
"Hmm. Well, I'll send you some links. Most of your games - especially the ones that Binar and Cliff were in on - are rated highly."
"I knew we got a lot of traffic. I just didn't realise that much traffic translated into this much money."
"Well, there you go. It does."
"Does this include what we give Binar and Cliff?"
"Nope. It's what's left over after expense, tax and our salaries."
Julie thrust the paper back at Annika.
"Take this away before my mind explodes and I go crazy from being suddenly rich."
Annika chuckled.
"We're not millionaires yet."
"No, but that's looking pretty good," Julie shook her head. "Well, at least I now we'll have no problems paying for the additional servers I wanted to deal with all the traffic."
Annika grinned.
"And now that they're done on Frankie's movie they'll have more time for programming more games."
"Unless they just decide to play more World of Warcraft."
"True."
The girls looked at each other.
"I thought this was B'E and Tom's birthday, not mine," Julie giggled.
"H'ppy birfday," B'Elanna said.
"Mmmcake!" Tom beamed, reaching for more.
Bobby
Bobby unlocked the front door, carefully juggling the two large packages he was holding. He set one down, walked inside, then picked it up again, and kicked the door closed with his foot.
"Did I miss cake?" he called out.
Julie and Annika
"Mmmcake!" Tom shouted again.
"He's found a new work to shout over and over, hasn't he?" said Annika.
"It would appear so," Julie agreed, then raised her voice to call back to Bobby. "Nope, still plenty of cake."
She leaned over to cut some more slices for herself, Annika and Bobby.
Bobby
Two large boxes with hands around them appeared in the doorway, Bobby's head peering over them as he navigated into the room.
"Ah, happy birthday, you oldies," he said to the kids.
He set the presents down on the ground and leant over to kiss the twins, then kissed Julie on the forehead.
"Hey Neeki!"
Julie and Annika
"Hi Bobby," Annika replied.
"Hi sweetie," Julie said. "How was class?"
"Bubby!" the twins exclaimed together, not quite able to get their little tongues around 'Bobby' just yet.
"Ooh, look, Bobby got presents for you," Julie said. "Let's see what you got?"
"Mmmcake!" Tom declared.
"I don't think it's more cake, Tom," Julie replied as she opened up one of the presents. "Oooh, look, it's a little tricycle."
Tom clapped his hands.
"And you have one too, B'E, won't that be fun?"
B'Elanna reached out with her chubby hand and got cake crumbs on the box.
Bobby
"Ah, same old, same old. Boring tutorial, then major study sesh in the library with the gang."
Bobby plonked himself down on a chair.
"My little girlies up and about?"
Julie and Annika
Julie nodded.
"They're playing with dangling things," she grinned, and pointed into the next room.
She was glad the kitchen didn't have proper doors so she could get away with doing that.
"So, do you want to tell him the news, or will I?" Annika asked.
"Huh? Oh!"
"Forgotten already?"
"No, distracted. Guess what Bobby: we're loaded."
Bobby
"That, my dear, is awesome news, considering I will be paying off this university debt forever. Actually, I won't, partly due to scholarships and partly due to my parents, but it's always nice to have some dosh."
And with that, Bobby took a bite of cake, before standing up and heading in to greet his daughters.
"Hello my little pretties."
Julie
Julie chuckled.
"Dada!"
"Dada!"
The two eleven-month olds couldn't manage many words, but that one was their favourite. Dangling things forgotten, Cindy and Dax crawled over to their beloved father.
Bobby
Bobby bent down and sat down on the floor, first lifting Cindy up and planting a kiss on her forehead. He then set her on his lap while he repeated the process with Dax.
"I know I don't need to ask if you've been behaving yourselves, because naturally, with me being your dad, you've been angels."
He was faintly aware that he must sound insane carrying on a conversation with two girls who didn't really understand what he was saying.
"So, do you gorgeous girls come here often? Because, if you do, I might have to make more trips here."
Bobby hoisted Cindy and Dax up with both his arms and carried them out into the other room where the party was taking place.
"Look at these beautiful creatures I found wandering around out there."
Annika and Julie
Annika grinned. She wasn't used to fathers being fathery.
"Aww," Julie said. "Want some cake?"
She had cut smaller slices for Cindy, Dax, and of course Tinga and Josh as well.
Bobby
"How about it, girls, sacrifice the diet for a day and have some cake?"
Bobby sat them down on his lap and he brought the plates closer to him, ready to feed his two daughters.
Julie and Annika
"Cream, anyone?" asked Annika, holding up a small bowl of whipped cream.
"Oh, thanks," Julie said. "I completely forgot."
Annika chuckled.
"Best not give any to the kids though," she said, as she cut a slice for her own son, Brett.
"Yeah, cake's messy enough," Julie agreed, putting a dolop of cream on her cake before offering the bowl to Bobby.
Bobby
"Mmm," Bobby said, spooning some cream onto his cake. He took a mouthful, then fed a little to Dax, then to Cindy.
"How's that? Your mumma really knows how to make a cake, doesn't she?"
Julie and Annika
Julie smiled.
"Aww, thanks," she said.
"You're so cute," Annika said, watching Bobby feed his daughters.
Bobby
Bobby laughed. "Thanks, Neeki."
He fed a little bit more to his daughters, then gently wiped away the crumbs from their cheeks.
"I'm no better than the average iceman/accountant/father."
Julie and Annika
"You are the average iceman/accoutant/father," Julie grinned.
"Most of the fathers I met are the 'love you and leave you, right up until I get hit for child maintenance payments' variety," Annika said. "I never met my Dad, and I don't think any of my siblings know theirs either."
Bobby
Bobby frowned a bit.
"Yeah, some guys are di... not nice," he said, cleaning up his language in front of the kids.
"Personally, I never used to be one for kids, but that changed when I realised I had these two beautiful kidlets. Not to mention the other wonderful kids I help to raise."
Julie and Annika
"Yeah, they are adorable, aren't they?" Julie said.
"Must get that from their mother," Annika said with a wink.
"Obviously. More cake?
"Mmmcake!" Tom shouted.
"No, no more for you. I don't want you getting sick stuffing yourself on cake," Julie said firmly.
Bobby
Bobby finished his cake, and feeding Dax and Cindy, then looked at Julie.
"Want me to change these two and put them down for a nap?"
Julie and Annika
"Oh, that would be a big help," Julie said, looking relieved. "Thank you."
"Y'know," Annika said. "We're earning enough money now, you guys could hire a nanny if you want."
Bobby
"Maybe someone a few days a week would work out," Bobby said, looking at Julie as he lifted his daughters up.
"Especially on those days when I have a full load of classes and then work, and I don't make it home until late."
Julie and Annika
"I think that's a great idea," Julie said. "I think I'll contact Meg and Will at the school and see if they know anyone."
"Sounds like a plan. In the mean time, want a hand getting the rest of them a bed."
"What I would do without you two I don't know," Julie said to both Annika and Bobby appreciatively.
Bobby
"Sleep alone and work alone?" Bobby chuckled.
He headed into the nursery to set his daughters down to bed.
Julie and Annika
Julie grinned.
Soon the kids were all in bed asleep. Annika took her leave and Julie made a note to call Meg in the morning.