Birthday, Party For One. (Solo)

July 3rd, was a day she knew well. Though it felt very much like it had come early this year… With her laptop sitting snugly in her lap, she opened her email and right clicked on her inbox. Among the usual junk that assaulted her eyes, she spotted an email from her mother. How odd… She thought. It had been a while since she had last heard from home. The message had been sent a few days before, on the 27th, which spiked her curiosity even more. She clicked it, and read what little writing there was…

”Dear Andrea,
Hope things are going well over there. Things here are good. Your father is well, as am I. Who is this boy you spoke of? I hope he isn’t a bad influence on you. E-mail me back soon, I am interested in hearing about the school you have chosen, and I need your address. I sent a package to you at your work address.
Happy Birthday, Your mother.”

The Greek blinked, smiling sadly at the screen, and closed the window. Her mother had sent her a package? That was… odd. She shut her laptop down and removed herself from her bed, slipping her shoes on quickly. She wanted to see what had been sent from home, hopefully Alisa had gotten it already. It only took her an hour or so, mostly due to traffic, to get to her work. Alisa was there, and busy. She sent Andrea into her office to pick of the box that had mysteriously shown up, and waved the Greek away before she got too distracted from her work. Andrea rushed back home, eager to open the slightly battered box. Slamming the door to her door on accident, she slipped off her shoes and launched herself back onto her bed. “It’s addressed to Alisa?” She wondered out loud. Her mother must had realized that she didn’t have any ID to pick it up on her own… She ripped off the labels and tape holding the box together, and tossed it over the edge of her bed onto the floor. Miss piggy woke up at that moment and poked her snout out from under the bed to sniff at the tape, before fully revealing herself. A little curly cue tail waggled, and she lifted her feet on to the bed and snorted to be picked up. Andrea giggled, and complied with the pig’s demands.

Piggy turned in place a few times, then flopped over onto her side and snorted contently. Andrea smiled warmly at her pet, and flipped open the flaps of the box, to peer inside. What greeted her eyes was a little homemade cupcake, sealed in a plastic bag. A single rainbow candle poke out the top- unlit. Her sad smile returned, and she lifted the cupcake out. Under it was a small wrapped present. Her eyes lit up for a moment, and she lifted the present out, and unwrapped it quickly. Behind the confetti colored paper, and under all the curling ribbon was a small white leather bound bible. The pages were gold leafed, and the page markers were white satin with small silver crosses hanging from the ends. The front page of the book was embellished with silver decorations in the corners, and in the center sat an elaborate silver emblem, with a cross peppered with small pearls sitting smack dab in the center.

Its beauty took her breath away, and Andrea ran her gloved fingers over the silver bits and pieces. It was funny, in a way, that she would be sent leather anything… Given what her touch could do to it. Still, it was a gift that she appreciated very much. She would have to return the favor- maybe her mother and father would accept a personalized flower arrangement. One her ‘talents’ allowed her to create. She set the book in her lap, and stroked Piggy’s ear affectionately, before turning her attention back to the cupcake. The packaging was disposed of easily, and after scooping up her new bible, she headed down to the kitchen to light her candle and enjoy her cake. Once the flame was lit, she shut off the lights in the kitchen and sat down at the table, her book at her left, and the cupcake dead center in front of her. She could hear the song her father had sang once or twice, bouncing around at the back of her throat as she watched the small flame burn. Another year older...

"Happy birthday to you... Happy birthday to you." Her voice pitched and warbled, her eyes grew wet, and she smiled weakly. "Happy birthday, happy birthday..." She blinked slowly, sending droplets running down her cheeks, and laid a hand gently over her present. Taking a deep breath in, she exhaled... “Happy birthday… to me…” and blew the candle out.