Me and Anni-Frid

Just Like That

"Happy Birthday to you," I heard Benny and Frida sing as they entered my room my birthday morning. "Happy Birthday to you," they kept singing. They were standing beside my bed as I woke up and sat up. They finished the song and Frida was quick to give me a hug. "Happy Birthday babygirl," She said squeezing me tight.

"Thank you Frida," I said smiling and hugging her back. Then she let go of me and Benny came over and hugged me.

"Happy Birthday sweetie." He always had the warmest hugs and cuddles. Us three really got to know each other over the last two weeks we had been together.

"Thank you Benny."

"How did my favorite girl sleep last night?" Benny asked.

"I slept fine," Frida said from behind him, smiling.

I laughed as Benny said, "The other one."

"I slept well," I said smiling. It was like a party in my room, all three of us sitting on my bed talking.

After a few minutes Frida said, "Let's go down and eat breakfast. Blueberry pancakes sound good?"

"Yes!" I said.

"My favorite," Benny smiled.

"Me too!" I said. "I'm gonna get dressed and then I'll be down." I said as they left my room. I put on a coral colored top with a pair of jean shorts. I brushed my hair and teeth, and washed my face. I then walked downstairs to the kitchen to find Benny and Frida mixing pancake batter and putting some on the hot pan.

"Hello again," Frida said flipping a pancake.

"Hello," I laughed as I sat down at the table. "Is there anything you need me to do?" I asked.

"No, it's your birthday," Benny said. They made breakfast and we sat down to eat.

"These are amazing, thank you!" I said gratefully. It felt amazing to not only have a home, but to have food, and people to care for me. I wasn't used to this attention. Even when my mother was alive, she couldn't care for me and my father was busy caring for my mother. I was always on my own. After my mother passed my father lost the heart to care for anything or anyone. I breathed in deeply realizing I almost started to cry. I looked up and continued eating like nothing had happened.

Frida looked at me and I smiled. "Sweetie, are you okay?"

"Yeah," I managed to say. I swallowed and breathed deeply. "I'm okay, really."

"Are you sure, dear?" Benny asked noticing too.

"I'm okay," I said smiling holding back the slight frustration from all of the awkward attention.

"Okay, you know we're always here to talk to you," Frida said smiling deeply into my eyes. Just then I realized how lucky I am and how much I can depend on her.

"Okay," I said and smiled after a while.

After breakfast was over Frida said, "If you want, Roxanne, you can go to the living room with Benny and watch television while I clean up the kitchen. It is your birthday," She said smiling. It seemed to me that this house was a house of smiles, which I liked.

"Sure," I said. "Thanks." Frida usually makes me help clean up the kitchen with her. I walked to the living room and Benny was sitting on the loveseat. "Are you going to make room for me?" I asked jokingly. I was going to go sit in the recliner chair but then Benny moved his feet and said, "Of course I will, Birthday girl!" He smiled and opened his arms.

"I was joking, but cool!" I said sitting down and cuddling up to him. Benny had the news on and his feet on the coffee table. I could understand why Frida always cuddled with him on this couch-- he is comfy and warm. We watched the weather and news until Frida came in wiping off her hands on her pants. She looked at us and her face relaxed and she smiled. She looked quite tense, actually. I was surprised at house jumpy she was.

"Aweeeeee," Frida said smiling. "My two favorite people cuddling on the couch," Benny laughed and I blushed. Two favorite people, the words repeated through my head. I smiled widely.

"Frida," Benny said.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" She said running up to their bedroom. I was quite confused, I was wondering if I missed something or they were really communicating through phrases I didn't understand. She came back down with a small box wrapped in pretty purple wrapping paper with a white bow. "Benny and I got you a little something. I'm sorry it's not much, but we weren't sure what all you liked, you're a little shy," She said sitting down next to Benny and I. We both sat up and she gave me the present.

"Thank you, both," I said, my eyes glowing. "You really didn't have to do this. You gave me a place to live, food to eat, and clothes to wear, I couldn't have asked for more!"

"Oh, sweetie, this is just something we thought you would like," Frida said smiling and rubbing my back.

"Go ahead, open it," Benny said looking down at the present and smiling at Frida. I carefully tugged on the bow of the present and pulled it off. I opened the purple wrapping paper to reveal a small jewelry box. I smiled as I flipped it open to reveal a pretty necklace in the shape of a heart, with rhinestones on half of it. It was simple but elegant.

"Thank you so much," I said hugging Frida, and then Benny. "I really love it," I said smiling down at it.

"Do you want me to put it on for you?" Frida asked softly. I was quick to say yes as I turned and she lifted up my hair and hooked it in the back. "It's beautiful," Frida said. Her eyes lit up.

Frida, Benny and I hung out all day, playing board games and coloring. We talked and ate my favorite lunch. Around 3:30 Frida took me out for ice cream, and we had some good bonding time together. We returned to the house around 4:00 pm and I walked in and turned on the lights, and a whole bunch of people shouted, "Surprise!" I jumped and screamed when this happened, I was expecting to see only Benny in the house, reading the newspaper or watching television. I could feel Frida jump a little behind me. There were two people who looked familiar, and a few that looked like Frida, and some that looked like Benny. I laughed hard because I was frightened. Frida laughed along with everyone else and she stood next to me with her arm around my shoulders.

A blonde woman that looked about Frida's age or younger came up to us first, along with a man that slightly looked like Benny, but thinner. I smiled blankly at them, they look familiar but I couldn't sketch out where I saw them before.

"Roxanne, this is Agnetha, and Bjorn." She said pointing to them. "They are the other half of ABBA." She said explaining to me. That's where I knew them from! I thought.

"Hello, Roxanne!" Agnetha hugged me and said, "Happy Birthday!"

"Thank you," I said smiling.

"Happy birthday," Bjorn said shaking my hand.

"Thank you," I said. Frida put her arm around me again and brought me over to a dark haired woman.

"Aunt Olive, this is Roxanne, I was telling you about," she smiled and bit her lip nervously. She looked tense and unsettled. Her aunt Olive stood up and Frida dropped her arm from my side. Aunt Olive put her hands on my face and looked at me and then Frida.

"You two are the most beautiful girls I've seen," she smiled. Frida relaxed and Aunt Olive gave me a hug. "Happy birthday little girl," she then smiled at me.

"Thank you," I said thinking about all the questions I was going to have to ask Frida later.

Frida led me over next to the coffee table and said to me, "Aunt Olive is the best. When I was young and no one paid attention to me, she gave me the most attention. We are very close." I cut her off before she could say anything else.

"So it's kind of like our relationship?" I asked trying to understand.

She smiled at me and put her hands on my shoulders. "Yes," she hugged me. "Just like that."