Pepper, of course, knew exactly what day it was, and was equally uncertain as to what they ought to do about it. Had this been another year, she might have already planned his party and surprised him with it when he finally asked her. Maybe she should have done that - business as usual - but every time she thought of it, the idea made her queasy, and Pepper put it off for another time.
Now the day was here, and it was likely too late to throw something together last minute (although there was a possibility that people would still come. His appearance wasn't entirely a surprise - he lived there, although she'd expected him to remain in the lab for much longer. His suggestion, however, made her blink.
There were many questions in her head, but the one she found herself asking was: "Why California?"