This takes place in fifteen years, on the date of John's fifteenth birthday.
5:00 AM
Amy woke up and rolled over to face the clock. Five in the morning! She curled in a ball and tried to will herself back to sleep. It wasn't working. She suddenly remembered that it was John's fifteenth birthday. She might as well get up and set the breakfast table.
Amy had left the presents in her closet, where John or Jenny couldn't find them. She recalled a Christmas three years ago, when Jenny had found all her presents and opened them and then resealed them. The truth only came out with Amy discovered a used bandaid stuck to an art set. Amy chuckled. Jenny reminded her of her sister, Ashley. John was more like his father. Reserved, but sweet.
She didn't know what to wear. This isn't a date, it's your son's birthday, Amy reminded herself. She laughed sharply. Everyone was coming later, she should look nice. She finally decided on a simple blouse/skirt combo. She brushed her hair and applied makeup, as she swirled on lipstick, her eyes drifted to a photo on her vanity. It was of her, Ashley and John on the day he was born. She was only fifteen in the photo, the same age John was turning today.
Amy tried to imagine John having a child at his age. She shuddered. A grandma at thirty. Amy smacked her lips in the mirror. She looked fine.
She went over to the closet and grabbed the bag of presents. She had spend all of last Saturday wrapping them. She left her room and walked down the hall. She paused by Jenny's room, and opened the door softly to peek at her sleeping ten year old daughter.
Today was the day for memories. Amy's thoughts drifted back to when she was 19 and married Ben. What a horrible marriage. They had thought having a child would save them. Giving John a brother or sister. Jenny was wonderful, but she couldn't keep them together. Now Amy only saw Ben when she dropped Jenny off at his house every other weekend and every other major holiday. She could remember a time, when John was a baby and the thought of Ricky made her cry. A time when Ben was her savior, the most wonderful man in the world. Now the only thing she was glad for was the fact that he had given her Jenny, her wonderful daughter. She would be turning ten in exactly two months.
Next was John's room. He was a light sleeper, so Amy was quiet as possible peeking in his room. He had his father's hair, but his face reminded him of her mother's. Amy felt a tear rolling down her cheek. It was hard to believe that exactly fifteen years ago, she had been lying in a hospital bed, holding a tiny baby. She had been frightened, more frightened than she had ever been. She didn't know if she would be able to do it. She couldn't even imagine this tiny person growing up and becoming the young man he was today.
"I love you John," Amy whispered. He stirred lightly, but remained asleep. Amy smiled and walked downstairs.