"Happy birthday, sweetie!" Mommy and Daddy burst through my door early Friday morning with my favorite kind of cake. Chocolate on chocolate on chocolate. Mmmm.
"Yay!" I squeal, reaching for my delicious looking cake.
They walk over to my bed with a plate and fork. Mommy cuts a slice and plops it onto the plate then hands it to me. I scarf it down, spilling crumbs all over my pink comforter.
"Baby, please, be neater." Mommy says as she wipes the crumbs into her hand and spills them back onto the plate.
"Phorry, ommy." I choke out through a mouth full of cake. She takes my empty plate and the rest of the cake to the kitchen. Daddy hugs me tightly.
"Happy 8th birthday, Baby Girl." He says in that sweet Daddy voice.
"Thank you, Daddy. I love you."
"Love you too, pumpkin. Now, "he pulls me away from him, "time to get ready for school."
"Aw man." I pout. He holds his arms over my shoulder.
"You didn't think you'd get out of it, did you?" He smiles.
"I was hoping I would."
"Ali, time to get dressed." Mommy walks back in and goes to my closet to pick out my outfit.
Today is gonna be a good day.
.
.
At school, the teacher, Mrs. Sigler, brought cupcakes for my birthday. She puts a cupcake on all the 2nd graders desks and puts an 8 candle in mine.
"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to Ali! Happy birthday to you!" My classmates sing.
I blow out the candle. They clap.
We dig into our cupcakes. Mrs. Sigler passes out napkins that most of us just throw away without bothering to wipe icing off our faces. She then comes around with baby wipes to wipe them for us.
The rest of the school day continues as happy as that moment.
.
.
At home, I'm in my room coloring out of a new coloring book I got.
Wings are blue. Skirt is red. What about green?
My thoughts about choosing my colors are interrupted by yelling coming from the kitchen. I creak open my door and tiptoe through the long hallway to the railing of the stairs where I can listen to the conversation going on downstairs.
"Well, what about Ali? What will happen to her perfect little world when she finds out about this? You prick!" Mommy sounds very very angry.
"This isn't about her! " Daddy's just as angry voice yells back.
"What the hell is it about, then? Money? Women?"
"It's not about anything. I just think it'd be better for everybody if we weren't together anymore."
Tears form in my eyes.
This can't be happening…..
"What..?" Mommy stutters.
"Lissa, I want a divorce." Hot tears escape my eyes now. I stand there silently. Waiting and listening.
All I hear is them breathing heavily. I start to hear a small cry. It's mommy. Then, angry footsteps start marching towards the stairs but I'm stuck in place. As Mommy comes up the stairs, she sees me standing there with tears pouring down my cheeks and onto my summer dress.
"Ali…" She says calmly.
I get angry and take of running towards my room and lock the door.
"Ali, please, just listen to me…" It's Daddy this time.
"Just go away!" I yell at hhim. Then, throwing my new coloring book at the door. It hits it woth a loud thud.
His footsteps disappear down the hallway. I cry into my pillow.
Mommy was right. My little world is falling apart. And on my one and only 8th birthday.
