love sick - conrad fisher

vi. belly's birthday

TODAY WAS BELLY'S 16TH BIRTHDAY.

i had the day off from work, since it was her birthday.

laurel had breakfast on the table ready for belly, and susannah had gotten her baby blue and white balloons.

all of us were downstairs, waiting for belly, and finally, she came downstairs.

"morning, everyone!" belly said with enthusiasm.

"there's the birthday girl!" susannah hugged her. "looking like a vision in floral. happy birthday!

jeremiah leaned down to hug belly. "happy sweet sixteenth bells."

"belly's getting old finally!" steven teased. "happy birthday.

"happy birthday sweetheart." laurel hugged her with a warm smile.

belly laughed. "thanks everyone."

i hugged belly. "happy birthday, belly. mom made your pancakes."

"actually, uh- i'm not really hungry." belly told me and laurel.

"oh." laurel said, but i knew she was disappointed.

"shall we open gifts?" susannah shrugged.

"you're gonna love mine." jeremiah confidently told her.

one thing i did notice though, was conrad hadn't said happy birthday.

we went into the living room, to open gifts, belly had opened her gift from laurel, and it was a book.

"it's the latest edition." laurel spoke up. "i got it from a rare book dealer."

"thanks mom." belly said with no enthusiasm.

laurel rolled her eyes with a smile. "turn to the book marked page."

belly obliged. "oh, yeah i remember susannah telling us to recite this." belly laughed, all of us reciting the sentence.

"open mine now, belly." susannah handed her a gift.

belly opened the gift, and it was a pearl necklace. "oh wow, they're gorgeous, thank you, susannah."

susannah went over to belly, to put the necklace on her. "my mom gave me these pearls for my sweet sixteen."

"they look great on you, belly." i smiled at her.

"oh! i'm next." jeremiah gave a gift to belly.

"it's a good luck charm. to help you pass your drivers test." belly put the charm on her wrist.

"perfect. thank you."

steven threw a shirt at belly. "think fast!"

"wow steven! i can't believe you actually spent money on me." she sarcastically smiled.