Page 117 of Three Not-So-Little Words
As I went back to bed, there was a voice in my head that worried if she would be okay or not. But as soon as my head hit the pillow, exhaustion took over, and I fell asleep.
That was all she wrote.
When I finally open my eyes again, I see that it’s already dark outside. Although I still feel like shit, I think the medicine is starting to kick in, I don’t feel quite as bad as I did this morning. I listen for anything I can hear coming out of the living room. I hear the TV on, but that’s about it.
I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not.
Should I be worried?
I decide to sneak out and try to get a glimpse of what’s going on. As quietly as I can, I leave the bedroom and head toward the living room. A noise in the kitchen grabs my attention.
Standing around the corner, I peek around to get a look at what’s going on.
Ronnie stands at the center island counter with Colton next to her, standing on a chair to be tall enough to reach. There’s something in front of her, but I can't make out what it is.
“Alright Colton, are we ready to decorate our cupcakes?”
Cupcakes?
He smiles and nods.
“What color do you want to make this one?” She asks.
“Uhm…” He thinks.
“What was your mom’s favorite color?”
“Red, I think.”
“Red, it is.”
Now, I am even more confused, but I decide to keep watching to try to figure out what’s going on.
They start icing one of the cupcakes. She lets Colton do the majority of the work, just guiding him along the way.
She asks, “Do you think your mom would like these cupcakes?”
“Yeah,” he replies without losing his concentration on the job at hand.
“Me too. I think she would love that you’re the one making them for her.”
I still am confused as to what Natalie has to do with any of this, but it quickly becomes clear when she asks, “What did you and Daddy normally do for Mommy’s birthday?”
Fuck!
I completely forgot that her birthday was today. He must have seen the sticker on the calendar. This is the first birthday of hers that we have had since she passed. I told myself we would do something special, and I get fucking sick.
Great.
Colton shrugs his shoulders. “We would get her flowers and a cake.”
“That sounds nice. I would’ve loved that for my birthday, so I’m sure she loved it too.”
He asks, “When is your birthday?”
“My birthday is in the middle of summer. So, we are still a little ways away. It’s in June.”
“Me too!” He exclaims.
