Squib - In the Noble House of Black

16- Lots of Birthdays, Apparently

(A/N) Alright, I just updated these next two chapters that I basically completely rewrote. I changed a lot of my initial plans for some of the characters because when I went to write chapter 19, I had no idea where anything was going. I have spent a lot of time trying to plan more things and I think I have a solid grasp of what I am doing. I have never had an update schedule, I just write when I want to, and that won't change. But I do want a solid plan so I don't do re-writes like this.

February 20th, 1976

Maia was wasted. Drunk, pissed, intoxicated to hell. It was seven o'clock in the evening. A lovely birthday.

Her neighbours didn't even know it was her birthday, but there was a party going on. It was small, and Maia needed a drink, or two, or three, or she didn't know how many she had had. Charmaine and Marcus had their lips locked together on the sofa of Deron's apartment. A few people were scattered around with drinks, but Maia herself was too dizzy to stand and had settled on the floor in the corner of the room.

The last two days Maia had been calling the hospital, asking when she could visit, but they said only family. But Maia was her family, other than Louis, she was the only other person close to her. And Louis, Maia had got a trusted babysitter if she wasn't allowed to take him to see Iola, she needed to be alone. And alone she was: drunk, clinging onto the floor.

Today was her eighteenth birthday. Eleven years since she was disowned. A few days ago she felt like everything was perfect, her brothers were entering her life again. But now why was it taking her best friend?

Some point later in the night, Maia had stumbled out onto the balcony, but the night was cold and cloudy. Dull, everything was dull. Luckily her own apartment was just across the hall, so she had stumbled back and collapsed in her bed, falling into a restless sleep.

February 21st, 1976

Maia's head was throbbing after waking up. Her alarm clock on her bedside table was going off at six in the morning. Forcing herself out of bed, she got dressed for work and headed to pick up Louis. She had decided to take him into work since she hadn't been in for the last few days. Iola wanted to pay for a babysitter but Maia knew she was already struggling to pay rent. There was a fairly cheap daycare that was only for drop-ins but it was often full, so it wasn't reliable.

As she pushed the door into the bakery, little bells jingled alerting Mrs. Davies of her presence. Louis let go of Maia's hand and ran up to the pastry case, pressing his nose against the glass in front of the pastries. "You look like shite, Maia." Mrs. Davies said upon seeing her.

Maia made a half-smile in response, "I hope you don't mind. I had to bring him." waving a hand at Louis.

"Of course!" Mrs. Davies looked Maia in the eyes, "If you need any time off, just let us know."

Maia shook her head, "It gets my mind off certain things, so it's nice, but I might be setting Lou up in a chair to draw more often while I'm here."

So that morning Louis drew at a table happily with his legs swinging far from the ground as he sat on the chair. Maia took orders, and chatted with the regulars, keeping Louis in her eyesight to make sure he didn't make any ruckus. Maia had turned her back to him once, and once she turned around, he was gone. She immediately panicked until she spotted him at a different table showing an old lady one of the pictures she had drawn. The lady was on her own and actually seemed interested with the kid. Sighing, she finished an order and then made sure Louis was back in his proper seat.

The day seemed slow, but she was able to keep her head in place and only an hour after she and Louis got back to her flat did her telephone ring.

Maia rushed over and picked up the phone from the wall, "Hello?" Her voice was slightly higher from nerves.

It was Doctor Arnold and after she placed the phone back on the hook, did she finally properly breathe. The doctor spoke about how Iola's surgery had gone, they were able to successfully remove the part of the skull needed and her intracranial pressure lowered, which would allow her more time to live.

The doctor said that Iola would be able to have visitors the next day, they just needed to make sure everything was alright when she was conscious.

April 8th, 1976

It had been well over a month since the emergency surgery, and surprisingly, Iola seemed to be doing well. She was taking care of Louis, while also working at the publishing company. She continued going in for check-ups and each time they would give her reports, 'it's grown' or 'it's still there' were the only things she got. But there was at least no 'you only have a month left'.

Today was Louis' third birthday, so Maia had been shopping the previous day in preparation. There were a couple kids from his daycare, and if she thought one three year old was tough, there was no way she was going to have her own kids. The parents would bring their child and talk with them and the kids drew mostly. Louis had made at least fourteen drawings of aliens and Iola was trying to find places to hang them up, because Louis would not let any of his pieces sit elsewhere. Three year olds could be manipulative. The cake was also decorated as an alien with gummy worms hanging off the sides acting as arms. Louis insisted he could eat all of it, but with a small slice he was stuffed. The cake was passed around for other young children to fill up on sugar and for the parents to break their sugar free habits.

"Aunt Maia!" Louis shouted across the room. "Present time!" Though he pronounced the r more like a w.

"One moment Lou!" She called back. She grabbed the presents from the table and found Louis sitting on the floor waiting next to Iola who had Maia's polaroid in hand.

Louis opened his present from Maia eagerly, It was a new colouring book with vast animals and space designs he would likely scribble over. Iola snapped the camera as he showed it to her, both of them smiling. Next he opened Iola's gift which was a puzzle-like toy that displayed the universe with large blocks and he could change it and build it as he wished. He wrapped his arms around her neck for a hug and Iola gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Not long later, Louis was passed out on the couch slobbering onto the arm rest as Maia and Iola cleaned up from the party. It had seemed to be a pretty good third birthday party. The other infants were just as exhausted and left with their parents.

"You don't have to stay here, go home and rest." Iola said.

"I could say the same to you," Maia responded.

"No, because I actually live here."

"And I used to live here."

Iola muttered something under her breath.

"What was that?" Maia asked stubbornly while wiping up stains.

"You don't always have to help out, you should be out doing cool stuff, stuff that eighteen year olds do!"

"So what? I like being around you two, s'not like I have other friends."

"I'm sorry, I just want you to have fun-"

"I do." Maia cut her off.

The rest of the night, Iola and Maia stayed up late, watching television with Iola making crappy brownies and Maia burning the popcorn. They really should've swapped roles, but it was fun.

April 18th, 1976

What was not fun was an owl flying into her flat when Iola was there, dropping the plate she was holding, it shattering on the floor.