Quilts, Tacos & Tattoos

The Berry Happy Birthday

On March 5th, the morning sunlight woke me to another beautiful spring day. But on this spring day, I was eighteen. I was a grown up, kind of, today.

I could hear Mom in the kitchen already. I looked to the window and saw shadows dancing across the blinds. I thought, Maybe things will be okay, just for today. I was not looking for great, just okay - no yelling or fighting or dads appearing out of nowhere scaring me to death.

An unfamiliar crackling sound permeated my room. I looked up at the ceiling at lollipops tied and hanging from the ceiling fan, spinning in circles above me.

I heard Mom coming down the hall. I closed my eyes and pretended I was asleep. This was her favorite part. She cracked the door with her elbow and came in singing, "Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday my sweet Cricket. Happy eighteenth birthday to you!"

I opened my eyes and saw the beautiful cake in her hands on a flowered tray with candles aglow. I smiled, sat up in bed and flattened the covers over my lap.

"It's beautiful, Mom!" I said, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "You must have gotten up really early."

"You know that I love birthdays. I am so happy for you, Honey. I can't believe you are eighteen today."

"Okay, easy tiger. No big tears, yet. The day has just begun, and you get so sappy on all of my birthdays, Mom."

"I know, Sweetie," she said with a smile. "It is just that I want them to be special. It is really important to me that you have a good day."

"Happy Birthday," a strong voice from the hallway interrupted the moment. "Can I take you two out to breakfast for your birthday, Cricket?"

It was Bud. He was standing in the hallway in a t-shirt and shorts with a towel, drying his hair.

"Umm. That would be great," I said as I glared at Mom.

She shrugged her shoulders and said, "How about the Bluebonnet Café?

"Perfect! A Blueberry Birthday Breakfast!" I said, and giggled as I got out of bed and headed to the shower. "Can I invite Tyler?" I yelled from the hallway.

"I already did," Mom yelled back.

I got into the bathroom and smiled. "Wow. Um, Thanks." While I was in the shower I could tell there were more voices in the house. I assumed my grandparents had arrived to wish me a happy birthday. In my family, birthdays start at 6:00 AM and last until the following weekend. If a birthday falls on a Monday, it is celebrated all week long.

I put on a pretty flowered sundress that Mom picked out for me at the mall with Aunt Julia. I pulled my hair back in a ponytail and went out to see who was there.

Tyler was standing in the living room and he had a huge bouquet of flowers in his hands. "Happy Birthday, Cricket!" My heart leapt. I smiled broadly and went over to him. "I love them. They are so pretty!" I stood on my tiptoes and gave him a kiss on the lips.

He grabbed me around the waist and pulled me closer and whispered in my ear, "I am so glad you are in my life."

"Me, too." I whispered back. I pulled away from him, amazed at how perfect the day was going, and it was only seven o'clock in the morning. "Let's go get some pancakes. I am starving." I ran to my room, put on some lip-gloss and grabbed my backpack.

"I'll drive," Bud said, as we headed out the door. Tyler and I looked at each other, and said at the same time, "To school?"

Bud laughed, "Absolutely!"

"Awesome!"

We all climbed into his candy apple red Maserati and left for breakfast. When we arrived, I realized than Mom had been planning this day for a while.