Everyone gathered around the table, their voices raised in cheerful unison.
"Happy birthday to you… Happy birthday to you… Happy birthday dear Ava… Happy birthday to you!"
Svetlana held Ava gently near the small cake, her arm wrapped securely around her daughter's waist as Damon stood beside them with a proud grin.
The cake was topped with a soft pink "1" candle flickering in the center, surrounded by a small ring of white icing and cartoon animal decorations.
Ava blinked at the flame, wide-eyed, her mouth open with wonder. Damon leaned in close and whispered, "Go on, baby. Blow it out."
She giggled, then gave a small puff, more of a spit than anything, but the candle flickered. She did it again, and with Damon's subtle help behind her, the little flame finally vanished.
Everyone clapped, laughing and whistling, while Theo jumped and shouted, "She did it! She blowed it!"
Ava let out a high-pitched giggle, clearly amused by the reaction, her little hands clapping in excitement even though she didn't fully know why.
Macey scooped her up with a beaming smile and kissed her cheek.
Damon leaned in and kissed the other, while Svetlana gently brushed her daughter's hair back and whispered, "Good job, my girl."
Victor raised his beer in the back. "To the little queen!"
"To Ava!" the others echoed.
As they cut the cake and passed slices around, Ava sat in her high chair with a smudge of frosting already on her cheek, kicking her feet happily while everyone around her smiled. It was simple. It was perfect.
A first birthday full of love.
The rest of the party carried on smoothly. Everyone gathered around the long table, plates full, drinks poured, and laughter bouncing off the walls.
The food was great, but it was the company that made it whole.
Little moments passed, Joey teasing Ashley about her cake-cutting skills, Victor grumbling lightheartedly about the beer selection, and Ty talking with Macey about Olympic qualifiers.
It felt like a full, warm family dinner.
One name was missing, though.
Damon had invited him a week earlier, even sent a reminder the night before.
But there'd been no reply, and he hadn't shown up. Damon didn't bring it up aloud, but the thought lingered in the back of his mind.
Their relationship had always been a strange one.
Technically, they were friends. They'd fought once in the early days, before Damon ever made it into the professional scene.
After that, they went their separate ways, until Victor brought Edward into the same gym, years later.
Since then, they had trained under the same roof, shared spars, meals, even jokes.
But it never grew into what Damon had with Joey or Ty. There wasn't that same ease, that same sense of trust.
They got along, respected each other. They clicked in the gym. But something about it always felt slightly… formal. Almost like they were more colleagues than brothers-in-arms.
Still, Damon didn't take the absence personally. Edward probably had his hands full.
Last Damon heard, Edward was taking care of his little sister and their father, and with how rocky his career had been lately, it was understandable.
He was a fighter, but he was also someone barely holding things together.
With the food mostly finished and plates scattered across the table, the party settled into that calm stage where everyone leaned back, full and relaxed.
Conversations drifted from topic to topic, plans for the week, fight predictions, old stories.
Damon stood by the back door at one point, sipping water and watching the kids play again on the grass under the dim backyard lights. It was a good night.
Eventually, Ash and Ty stood up, stretching and exchanging nods. Ash glanced at the time on his phone.
"We should head out," he said. "Got early sessions tomorrow."
Ash adjusted his jacket, smirking. "Yeah, and I promised someone I'd show up for once."
Svetlana helped gather the leftover meat into containers, and Damon stepped in to hand them over.
"Appreciate you both coming," Damon said, shaking Ty's hand firmly.
"Wouldn't miss it," Ty replied. "Tell Ava I expect an invite every year."
Ash gave his sister a quick hug and ruffled Theo's hair as he passed by. "Later, gremlin," he said with a grin, earning a giggle from the boy.
They said their goodbyes to everyone else, packed the food into Ash's car, and drove off down the quiet road, waving once more before disappearing into the night.
Damon walked into the kitchen, where his mother Aoife and Macey were finishing the dishes despite being told that he and Svetlana would handle it.
He stepped in beside them. "Thank you for coming."
Aoife looked at him, drying her hands. "You don't have to thank us. It's beautiful watching that little girl grow. How's it feel, being a father for a whole year?"
"Want to run away already?" Macey teased with a smirk.
Damon chuckled. "Best thing ever. Speaking of her, have you seen Ava?"
"Check the couch," Aoife said. "She was dozing off last I saw."
Damon nodded and made his way to the living room. There she was, Ava curled up on the sofa, thumb in her mouth, eyelids drooping slowly.
She wasn't fully asleep, but she looked like she could knock out at any moment.
He knelt down beside her. "Hey baby… tired?"
Ava leaned toward him with a soft murmur, her arms raised for a lift.
Damon smiled and scooped her up gently, her head resting on his chest. She let out a tiny breath, calm and safe in his arms.
He carried her upstairs, moving quietly into the bedroom. There, he carefully changed her into softer clothes for sleeping, then tucked her into the crib. She barely stirred as he pulled the blanket over her.
He stood for a moment, watching her settle, her small breaths rising and falling.
Then, with a quiet smile, he turned and stepped out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.
Damon stepped outside, letting the screen door click shut behind him. The night was quiet, cooler now, with the faint scent of smoke still lingering from the grill.
He scanned the yard, eyes narrowing when he spotted Joey sitting alone in the dark near the far corner of the fence.
No drink in his hand. Just elbows resting on his knees, head tilted slightly down like he was lost in thought.
Damon frowned and walked toward him.
"You good?" he asked as he got closer.
Joey looked up slowly, then offered a faint smile, just enough to pass as normal, but not enough to convince anyone who knew him well.
"Yeah," he said. "Just needed some air."
Damon didn't press. He dropped into the chair beside him, letting the silence sit for a moment.
"You sure?" he asked again, softer now.
Joey sighed through his nose, shoulders rising and falling. "Yeah… just thinking."
Damon leaned back. "Thinking about what?"