Artem

After dinner was over it was time to get to the rest of the party. I offered her my hand again and heard that choir of angels once more as she accepted it. I helped her to her feet and walked her into the other room.

I heard her gasp when she saw the way the sitting room had been transformed. It looked nothing like it did when I had brought her in here to talk last week. I was so glad that things were better now than they had been that night.

In the sitting room now there were presents and all the decorations that we had set up earlier. It looked like a birthday bomb had exploded, but in a good way.

The smile that was lighting up Star's face was more than worth all the effort we all put into this party tonight. And while I was staring at her face mesmerized Toby walked over and turned on the stereo that we had prepared with music.

The kids, excited as they were, wanted to give Star her presents first. They all ran to the table where the gifts were sitting and grabbed theirs, then they ran to her side, all clamoring to be first.

"Open my present."

"No, mine first."

"Here, here, this one is from me."

All their voices started blending into one as they all spoke and yelled at the same time. Star wasn't sure what to do with the attention and looked a little shocked. With wide, uncertain eyes she looked at me pleadingly.

"You have birthday presents Star, whose would you like to open first?"

"I have presents?" She just didn't seem to think that it was possible that anyone had gotten her anything. "I really didn't need anything. You already bought me everything I needed, Artem."

"Far from it." I smiled at her gently. "I only got you started. There are a lot more things in this world than those few measly things that I bought you. You will soon find out when you open these and the other gifts we get you in the future."

"But-." She tried to object again but little Cohen piped up then.

"Please open my present Star, please, please please." He was jumping up and down with joy as he begged her to take his gift.

I watched as the apprehension in Star's eyes melted away as it was replaced with bright shining joy.

"Yes, Cohen, I will open yours first. Thank you so much." She took his gift and bent to give him a quick hug. The joy on Cohen's face was bright and radiant for all to see. Star was no match for the kids and their excitement.

Everything the kids had to give Star was all hand made over the last week. Ever since they met her and got to know her they had been working on them in their art lessons. Cohen had wrapped his gift himself, just like the others had, so it wasn't the neatest it could have been. But that gave it its own sense of charm too.

Inside Cohen's gift was a picture that the boy had painted himself. It was better than you would have expected for someone so young, but he must have had a natural talent for it. There was a dark blue background, obviously painted onto white canvas. There was a big, brightly painted moon with a very big, equally bright star. On the ground below the two celestial objects were a man and a woman in silhouette holding hands. It was very well done indeed.

"It's you and uncle Artem. You two are the star and the moon. That's what uncle Kent told us." Cohen was smiling so carefree and happily as he said this. "Do you like it?" I could see the happiness at getting the lovely gift on Star's face as she turned to the boy again.

"I love it Cohen, I really do." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "You did a wonderful job. Thank you so much."

The others came up then and gave her their gifts one by one. Dalton, who was less than a year younger than Cohen, had painted a night skyline with trees below the beautiful stars. It wasn't as masterful as Cohen's had been but it was still really beautiful and well done. Flint had made a dreamcatcher in the shape of a star with different shades of blue. Leslie had made homemade jewelry with a necklace, bracelet and earrings, all blue like Star's eyes and complete with little handmade stars. He told her that there was a star for everyone that was in the house. Benton and Julian had both worked together to make their project. They had designed, cut, and painted a stained glass windchime for Star to put next to her window. The level of detail they put into it was perfect, and it too had stars adorning it.

Once the boys were done with their gifts it was time to move onto the others. Kent was standing to the side with Toby and Morgan. They had gone in together to get her gift.

"Will you open ours next. Please, please, please." Morgan mimicked the kids causing Star to laugh sweetly.

"Yes, Morgan, I will open yours next." She was still giggling when she took the gift from Kent.

"The three of us got you one gift between us. We weren't certain what to get you, so we got you something that you will definitely need."

Star pulled their gift out of the small bag that it was in. There was a box inside there but the actual gift was already out of it. They had gotten her a cell phone. It was a Samsung, the latest model, and it had a midnight blue case with small silver stars on the back.

"It already has everyone's numbers programmed into it, and all of us will show you how to use it anytime you need." Toby smiled sweetly at her. "This way if you need something, or if you're feeling lonely you can call anyone you want to."

"This is wonderful." She was smiling happily as she looked at it. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome." They each gave her a quick hug before they walked away, she looked a little uncomfortable as she accepted them, but I think she was getting more used to being physical with people because her smile never faltered.