Chapter 35
JASON
“Happy birthday to you,” I sing happy birthday, while I carry the vanilla cupcake I got her yesterday. “Have a sweet happy birthday dear Eileeeeen… happy birthday to you.”
“Now, blow out the candle,” I encourage her, but add, “Don’t forget to make a wish.”
She blows the candle and stares at the cupcake, then smiles at me.
“I didn't forget,” I tell her and grin. “We were just, you know, occupied earlier.”
She rubs her eyes. “Thanks.”
“What?” I ask as I sit down to finish my breakfast.
For a beat I stare at her, scared that I missed something. Maybe I misunderstood and it was yesterday.
Fuck!
She shrugs and looks out the window facing away from me. It’s not quick enough for me to miss that she starts crying. I rush over to take her in my arms, absorbing the sadness emanating out of every pore of her body.
“What’s wrong, baby?” I whisper.
She shakes her head. “It’s no—fuck, I’m just so tired, Jason.”
I think on some level I didn’t expect her to answer with how cagey she was acting. That’s the only explanation for how I react.
“What? I—what?” I stutter.
“I know it’s dumb,” she says, sniffling.
“But you know how long it’s been since my parents gave a fuck about my birthday.
Or me for that matter? They only agreed to go on vacation with me because I begged for years.
Or I guess they didn’t really agree to go with me.
They never even bought their plane tickets.
They just wanted me to stop pestering them so they gave the illusion that we would finally be going away together. ”
I hug her tighter. “What is their problem? Like, for real, what slimy insect crawled up their asses that they treat Charlie like a queen but you they can’t even remember your birthday?”
She hiccups through a sob. “It got worse after I got Charlie kicked out of college.”
“Say what,” I say.