"Happy birthday!" Rider calls as he enters the living room to the Travis' home.
I giggle from my seat on the couch as Rider runs over to sit between Clyde and I.
"Thanks," Clyde laughs as Rider bear hugs him.
"Your present," Rider presents a small bag to Clyde.
"Presents go on the table by the door, " I instruct.
Madison had invited me to help set up the party, so I had shown up an hour ago.
"Thank you," Rider nods and gets up off the couch.
"Ashley says they're getting close," Clyde says, reding messages on his phone, "Parker's driving."

Just after Clyde blows out his candles, Rider leans over towards me.
"When's your birthday Lana?" He asks.
"June 6th," I respond, "when's yours?"
"August 12th," Rider rolls his eyes, "It'll be a while."
Clarrisa begins slicing the cake and passes it to Clyde to give to the adults in the room.
Once the cake is passed out, Clyde takes the first bite.
Clyde practically inhales his cake slice and heads to the living room to open presents while the rest of us eat our cake on the couch and floor.
He starts with presents from friends, Riders specifically is first.
He opens the card first, accidentally allowing cash fall out as he opens it.
"Fifty dollars!?" Clyde games, staring at Rider.
Rider shrugs, "I know it's not much-"
"Thanks dude!" Clyde cuts him off.
Rider nods, "no problem."
He takes a moment and reads the words on the card before slipping it back into the envelope and pocketing the cash.
He opens the boxes lid and I see his smile grow as he pulls two bright white planes out.
"Model planes!" Clyde exclaims.
I glance over to Rider, a smirk plastered on his face, "your welcome," he says.
Next up is the gift from Tristan, which is just a bulky looking envelope. Clyde opens the envelope carefully and reveals a new game for his switch along with a fifteen dollar card for the local game shop.
He opens the gift from me next and I sit on a little straighter as he glances my way between tossing tissue paper.
"Bouncey balls!" Clyde exclaims as he lifts the plastic container out of the bag.
"And?" I ask expectantly.
Clyde twists and turns the box and eventually finds it, "are those tiny plane and rocket ship erasers!?"
I giggle, "yup!"

"This last present is from Aunt Diane and Aunt Kelsy," Clydes father passes Clyde a brown mail package.
"A plane blanket!" Clyde exclaims, "awesome!"
"You'll have to call them later to say thank you," his father instructs.
Clyde nods and pets the blanket.
After he places the last present back into its box, his mother hands him an envelope, "from grandma Mary and grandpa John."
They must be her parents, I glance around. The only grandparents of Clyde's I had met were his fathers parents. I wasn't sure if I'd ever met anyone from his moms side of the family.
Clyde carefully opens the envelope and his jaw drops as he reads the size of the bill enclosed; one hundred dollars.

After he had opened everything and piled it neatly in his room, I look over the pile. He had put all of the cards to the side, pocketing any money in them and telling himself to remember to come back for the gift cards that Parker, Tristan, and Max had given him. As I looked over the pile I could hear him arranging a day for him and Tristan to go to the game store together.
He had set the new switch games he had gotten from Parker and Tristan beside his switch charger. All other items were piled on his bed; the Candy and Plane book from Ashley, the Candy and we'll built cardboard plane gifted to him by Jasper- who I learned is an aspiring artist- the twins, Kaitlin and Kevin, had given him fourty dollars and some candy, Max also got him candy, along with the twenty dollar gift card for the game store- Clyde's going to go into a sugar Coma- the expensive kit to build a remote control plane that his sisters had gotten him was placed slightly off to the side, keeping it safe, and the large Lego plane kit from his grandparents was sitting beside the small Lego helicopter kit from his aunt and uncle.
Each of Clyde's family members had given him money except the pair of aunts whos blanket was already open and draped over Clydes bed under the pile of presents- Clyde was going to bed two hundred and fifty dollars richer tonight. Plus, with the addition of the thirty five dollars worth of game store gift cards, he would be able to buy all sorts of things.
I noticed that next to his bed was a separate pile- no doubt the presents he had received from his parents this morning- that consisted of various snack foods, what looked to be a rolled up poster, and a bottle rocket kit.
"I should get going," I pull my attention away from the gift piles and say to Clyde.
"Aw," Clyde gives a half smile, "thanks for coming!" He opens his arms for a hug, which, I accept.
I can almost feel how surprised Clyde is as his muscles relax around me. After a moment, I pull away and start to head out.
"Bye everyone!" I call.
"Leaving so soon?" Madison asks as I enter the living room.
Clyde's dad glances between his wife and I, "you can stay longer if you'd like."
"My mom won't be off work until ten and my dad leaves for work in fifteen minutes," I shrug, "plus the twins and I have a TV show we want to watch. Thanks for the offer though!"
Clyde's parents both nod, Madison looking more defeated than her husband, though I know she understands.
"Bye," I wave as I walk out the door.