Page 72 of Heartfelt Pain
“Sailor, that’s rude to ask,” Russ chides.
“A drum set,” I tell her. Russ’s face falls. “You remember all the heavy metal music I played for you?”
She nods, sticking her tongue out in excitement.
Russ shoves another mini cupcake in her mouth. And then tries to swallow it fast when her husband appears.
“They want to do the cake soon.” He leans in behind Russ and presses a kiss to the top of her head. “Not that either of you need any more sugar.”
“The sparkly candles!” Sailor exclaims. She wiggles out of my arms and throws herself on her mother’s lap, climbing up the barstool.
“Have you had any actual food in the past few hours?” Russ asks.
“I ate some grapes,” Sailor replies. She reaches for a cookie but her mom grabs her hand.
“Not if we’re about to sing ‘Happy Birthday’,” she says.
“Grandma Lana got blue sparkly candles.” Sailor picks up a tiny plastic ring. There are all kinds of toys, treats, and balloons everywhere. Everything is in various shades of blue. I’ve never seen it so. . . childlike.
Yes, Mom still hired caterers and staff. But theatmosphere is a lot more down to earth than any party I’ve ever attended here.
Sailor turns in her mother’s lap still messing with the little trinket. “And she got fairy cake. So I’m going to be the blue fairy and it will sparkle when we turn off the lights and everyone sings.”
“Fairy cake?” Russ stares down at her daughter.
Sailor nods. “I’m the blue sparkly fairy.”
“It’s the show she watches,” Max mutters.
Russ remains still in her chair and thoughtful as she considers her daughter. “Sailor did you watch the fairy show when you came over here last?”
She nods her head. “Grandma Lana can sing the song in Russian. She taught me how.”
The kid starts humming a few words. We already speak to her in Russian, ensuring she picks up the language. But Max and Russ continue to stare at their daughter.
Max and Russ limit their time over here. I know it’s directly related to Mom. After he found out Mom slapped Russet, he took a step back from his parents. Russ is perfectly happy not to be around her mother-in-law and I can’t blame her. How can I defend my own mother from slapping someone around?
Maybe it’s the child-like innocence but I’m struck with how Sailor speaks about Grandma Lana. One because I didn’t realize that’s what she called her. And two because since when did Mom start watching cartoons?
I heard some of Russet’s rants. She didn’t like the idea of Mom hosting a party. I remained quiet because Mom's overstepping isn’t unusual. Max, ever the strategist, decided to go along with it. To placate Mom.
As Sailor chats, though, I’m wondering if we’re all suddenly realizing the birthday girl is having the time of her life.
Russ pushes Sailor’s hair off her face. “Did you ask Grandma for a fairy party?”
Sailor nods, blinking up directly into her mother’s face. “I wanted a blue party just like the blue fairy has. Look at my wings.”
Russ is almost whacked in the face by the material.
Max lifts her and Sailor attaches herself to his hip. He’ll be covered in glitter for the rest of the day. He and his wife share a look but remain silent.
Especially when there’s noise on the stairs.
Sailor scrambles down. “Grandma!”
Mom pauses, blinking at the crowd. She’s, unsurprisingly, wearing blue. “The caterers set up the cake. I can tell them to wait if now is not a good time.”
Sailor grabs her grandmother’s hand and tries to drag her up the stairs. She remains, waiting for a response from Max and Russet.
