Doll (MikaYuu)

♦55♦ - Here For You

When I woke up two days later, I was no longer twenty. Nor was I no longer hated as much as I used to be by Terminator, because perched beside me, purring quietly in her curled habitual stature, was her. Not hissing at me.

I guess that was the first birthday present.

I pet her gently, still wary just in case she decided to change her judgment about me and snap.

Then again, I was probably only getting the sudden attention because Mika wasn't here and she needed someone to claim.

I appreciated the serene three minutes while she liked me before I left her be.

Three text messages: One from grandparents sent by grandpa (because grandma can't work a phone to save her life), one birthday alert from my email account, and one from an old high school friend.

As dreadful as it was to recognize, my life did kinda feel like it was slipping past me. The particular day didn't make it any better, either. Aging and friendless.

Mom made it slightly better with a sudden death-gripping hug and a smother of kisses.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!" she had cheered while I was still gasping for breath. I hunched over, my lungs reflating. "Oh, be a man. Come on you slug, I know Mikaela isn't here but I'm still just as cool, right? Come on! We can have some son and mommy time!"

I gave her a dreadful look.

"Please? I made you some breakfast... Waffles. With all your favorite kind of syrups to choose from. And all that healthy fruit shit. I hope Mika doesn't kill me for taking some."

I nodded after a moment of contemplation, actually acknowledging I was going to be seeing him again today. "Mika is too shy to even do anything."

"Yeah, that's true. And, not to completely bore you on your special day, but I'm gonna go to church for a bit. Call a friend or something to hang out with instead. Unless you wanna come with..."

As if I had friends... Well... Yeah, as if I had friends. "Sure," I yawned.

Church was painful. There were so many old people congratulating me, telling me how nicely I was dressed, and little kids staring at me oddly. I thought we were here to worship that big dude in the sky, not me. But I was grateful. I mean, I kinda had to be.

Some dude told me to "drink responsibly." I completely forgot about that. Now I could finally stop sneaking those occasions. Kidding. It wasn't common. My mom would just give me a sip of wine or two occasionally, and not to mention the champagne in Paris, although that didn't really seem to count. Not to mention beers with dad.

"So," my mom began as we escaped back to the car, "you want a stripper or something?"

I looked at her in utter disbelief. She just casually started up the car, having no regard for what she even just said.

"Really?" I laughed, "we're not even out of the church parking lot and you bring up something so unholy. And I have Mika, thank you very much."

"Well, shit," she muttered, pulling out of the lot. "A mother can't offer, huh."

Luckily my phone rang to pull me out of the horror of the conversation that almost carried on.

"Hello?" I sighed, buckling up my seatbelt.

I recognized that sleepy, sweet voice anywhere. "Happy birthday, my love..."

I smiled, "Thank you, love of my life... Ah, you're the only voice I want to hear today."