Chapter Eighteen

‘ C ongratulations on a job well done. Very well done.' Elsie placed her hand on Erin's forearm on the way back from taking platters of treats to the party table. ‘The decorations, the games, everything. You've really pulled it off.'

‘Oh, thanks.' Erin looked around. Sixteen children and as many parents filled the bakery, blue and red balloons and birthday banners decorated the walls, a bright multicoloured tablecloth sat beneath Elsie's party food on a table pushed to the back of the large room and presents were piled up on a table by the door.

She stopped the music and watched as another child tore off a sheet of paper from the Parcel Parcel prize, a bag of sweets falling to their lap as Erin began the music again and the parcel was passed on. She looked across to Diane who waved at her from her position by the counter, an array of face paints laid out on the table in front of her and a child, with a freshly painted superhero face, skipped back to the circle of children sitting on the floor.

Diane waved and gave a thumbs-up.

Erin grinned back as she stopped the music again. ‘Ooh, now after this one we're down to the final layer, so the next person the parcel lands on will get the big prize.'

A chorus of cheers rang out from the group.

‘After this one?' Pippa, Teresa's daughter, called across.

‘Yes, that's right, Pippa. I'll begin the music again, so just keep passing it around the group as before.' Erin tapped the music back on, the cheerful tune filling the bakery once more.

‘Keep passing it around.' Pippa jumped up from her position and ran across the circle to a small boy who was hugging it to his chest. ‘That's it. Give it to your friend. It might come back to you anyway if you keep passing it on.'

The boy nodded and did as he was told.

‘Well done, Mikey. Good boy for letting your friends have a turn.' Twisting, Pippa shoehorned herself into the circle next to the boy.

‘She's such a Mother Hen.' Teresa laughed as she stood next to Erin and sipped orange juice.

‘Aw, she's great with all the kids.' Erin smiled.

‘Haha, yes, although if truth be told, I think she just likes the opportunity to unleash her bossy side. Her brothers don't listen to her at all at home.'

Erin laughed. Whatever the reason for Pippa's enthusiasm for rallying the little ones, she was grateful. Placing her hands over her eyes, she clicked the stop button, and the music halted. Hearing a screech ofexcitement, she opened her eyes again and smiled as the little girl sitting next to Hudson unwrapped the parcel in a frenzy, pieces of paper being flung in all directions, to reveal a colouring book and pencils.

‘Mummy, look!' Holding them above her head, the girl ran across to her mum, who was chatting to Wendy. The prize may well have been the most sought-after toy ever if her shrieks of delight were anything to go by.

‘What now? What now?' One boy called out, whilst the near perfect circle was quickly replaced by a gaggle of excited children running towards her.

Leaning down, Erin placed her finger on her lips and indicated them to sit back down. When she had all of them sitting by her feet, their faces turned up towards her, waiting expectantly, she cupped her ear and whispered, ‘Do you hear that?'

‘What is it?'

‘I can't hear anything.'

Placing her finger on her lips again, Erin tilted her head, the children copying this time as a noise sounded from the kitchen. ‘Do you hear it now? I wonder who it can be?'

‘It's probably Nana Elsie bringing Hudson's cake in,' Pippa spoke, her voice loud in the silence of the room.

Erin shook her head slowly and pointed to Elsie, who was standing arranging the table for the tea party.

‘I'm here, loves. It's not me.' Elsie held her arms out and shrugged, pulling a face of exaggerated confusion.

‘Ah, so if it's not Elsie and if all your mums and dads, or aunts and uncles are in here, then who could it be?' Erin stifled a grin as the children in front of her knelt up on their knees and looked around, checking their adults were still in the room.

‘I don't know. You don't think a dog has got into the kitchen and is eating everything, do you? Or a bird. We had a robin fly into our living room last year, didn't we, Mummy?' Pippa looked at her mum, who nodded in confirmation.

‘I don't think it's a dog. Or a bird.‘ Erin picked up a small bell from the table next to her. ‘Shall we see if our birthday boy, Hudson, can come up here and ring this bell? See if someone comes through the door when we do?'

Hudson blinked.

‘Go on, Hudson. Go and ring the bell.' Pippa pointed to the bell.

‘That's it, come up here, Hudson.' Erin held her hand out, waiting until Hudson had stood up and put his small hand in hers, before leading him to the front of the group. ‘Here, ring the bell and let's see what happens.'

Taking the bell from her, Hudson gently waved it from side to side.

‘Do you want to try to make it tinkle a little louder?' Erin demonstrated, pretending she was holding one too.

Holding the handle of the bell with both hands, Hudson jumped up and down, shaking it as hard as he could.

‘Perfect. I think they may have heard us.' Erin looked out across the group of children and grinned. They were all up on their knees, their necks craning to watch the door. She kept her eyes on them and watched their eyes widen as she heard the kitchen door open behind her and Tim entering the room.

Loud gasps of wonder filled the bakery, as Tim, dressed as Spiderman , made his grand entrance.

‘Hello, children! I had a little message that someone special has a birthday today,' Tim spoke, his voice a little muffled through the Spiderman mask he was wearing.

Erin waited, expecting someone to call out, but they were all so captivated by Tim's appearance that they kept quiet. ‘It is, isn't it? Who's the special birthday boy?'

‘Hudson!' Pippa was the first to regain her voice and she pointed at Hudson, who was still standing next to Erin, his eyes fixated on Tim.

‘Hudson is the birthday boy! Hudson!' This time more and more children joined in the chant.

‘Oh, is it your birthday, Hudson?' Tim lowered himself to his knee and held out his hand towards Hudson, who nodded. ‘In that case, I have a very special gift for you, Hudson. I have a web shooter.'

Erin quickly passed Tim a shiny red bag.

Pulling the web shooter from the bag, Tim held it towards the small boy. ‘Would you like to be my helper?'

Hudson nodded again, a large smile spreading across his face.

Tim helped Hudson strap the web shooter to his hand.

‘What do you say, Huddy?' Wendy called softly from the side.

‘Thank you,' Hudson whispered as he looked down at his new toy.

‘You're very welcome.' Tim high-fived him.

‘Wow, aren't we lucky to have a such a special visitor?' Erin hovered her finger over the music. ‘Who would like to play Musical Statues with Spiderman ?'

A chorus of ‘yeses' filled the room as the children found their voices and jumped up, rushing towards Spiderman .

‘Okay. Let's go!' As the music filled the room again, the children danced around Spiderman , all still entranced by having their hero at the party.