Happy Birthday, Sweetie
Chapter One
"Anthony. Anthony, get up." My eyes flutter open to see a guy in boxers and an oversized University of Michigan t-shirt on.
"What do you want, Luke?" I ask my roommate, sleepily.
He pulls out a small kazoo and blows it in my face. "Happy Birthday, man!" he yelled and proceeded to squealing on the kazoo.
"It's a Saturday," I moan, using my pillow to cover my ears.
"Oh, get up, I told Katie to come over with some cupcakes. She'll be here in ten minutes."I sigh and get dressed, pulling on a baby blue shirt and tucking it into my white bellbottoms. As a made my bed I heard a small knock on my door. Luke opened it, now wearing blue jeans and a blazer over the UOM shirt. As he pulls open the plate of cheap wood to see a pretty blonde girl in a pink dress with purple flower designs holding a blue box with a stack of mail on top.
"Hey, Kate." I sigh as she walks in.
"Happy Birthday!" She cried cheerily.
"Eh, don't try it," Luke said rolling his eyes, "He's being especially grumpy today."
"Why?" Katie asks sincerely. She sets the blue box down on the table and picks up the mail. "I mean it's the only day you can eat cupcakes for breakfast."
"True that!" Luke says grabbing a cupcake with green frosting and white sprinkles from the box.
"Hey, I got your mail for you," Katie says holding up the stack of letters.
"Yeah, I can see that," I say sourly.
Katie rolls her eyes and pics through the letters. "Luke, your sister sent you another letter about how much she misses you. Oh look, a letter from Sam, that'll be nice fuel for my hate fire, ahh and three letters from your parents." Katie tossed Luke and I pristine white envelopes with our names all written in my Mom's neat handwriting. Katie opened hers and started to read aloud.
"'Dear Katie,'" She read, "'Say hello to Anthony for me! It's his special day, though you probably know that. I included some money for the three of you to go to the movies together. And don't say this was unnecessary, I know my son and he'll try to turn it down. But you have to show him who's boss. A lady has to be there to remind him what the right thing to do is. I really liked meeting you over Thanksgiving Break and I hope to see you again, soon. Love, Amelia Williams.' Ah, that's sweet."
"Yeah, mine says nearly the same," Luke said, holding up a few dollars. Money for a quote-unquote 'Birthday Treat'. You're Mom is the best."
I opened mine inside a found a small picture if my mom holding me, her pretty red hair pushed behind her ears and her mouth stretched into a wide smile. On the bottom was a small note written in tiny block letters- my Dad's handwriting. Mommy and Anthony, it said, 1946.
I smile forms on my own lips as a stare down at the picture taken nineteen years ago, on the day of my adoption. Included in the envelope was a letter from both my parents filled with lots of I love yous, I miss yous and Have so much fun on your special days! I looked back at the picture. My mother had been so beautiful. She was an author living in New York with my dad, Rory, who was a nurse. She always said that she used to be a model, back when she and my dad lived in England, though I always just assumed she was kidding. I missed them. I missed them a lot more than I cared to admit. I loved their weird quirks and funny stories about-"
There was a firm knock on the door. I turned to Luke, "Did you invite anyone else?" I ask. He shook his head. Nervously I stand up and open the door.
On the other side was an older woman with frizzy hair in a big ball around her head. She wore a small tan dress with a purplish black jacket and black leggings with tall, slick boots.
"Who are you," I ask.
"Names River," She said, "Happy Birthday, Sweetie.