Color Outside The Lines || l.t.

Chapter 4 - Surprise

It was the middle of October and Naomi and I were sprawled out on my bedroom carpet, coloring pictures with my box of 64 Crayola crayons.

"How do you like my picture, Tom?" she asked, holding up her drawing. It was a picture of a family outside of a house, and there was a big rainbow overhead.

"It looks real nice Ms. Carter. Who's in the picture?"

"Well it's you, your dad, and... your mom."

"Aw, Mommy didn't have dark hair. She had yellow."

She blushed as she stared down at it. "I'm sorry, I didn't know." She looked at my paper. "What's your picture?"

I pushed it towards her, "It's not done yet."

I watched her as her eyes gazed over my little scene of a little stick figure boy with a triangle on his head, surrounded by a sea of balloons.

"And who's this little guy?" she asked, pointing to the boy.

"That's me!" I said, smiling.

"Oh really? This wouldn't have anything to do with that birthday of your's that's coming up, now would it?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it's something that I've always wanted."

"What?" she questioned, "A lot of balloons?"

I shook my head and took the picture from her. After grabbing the black crayon, I added a few more stick figures as she watched.

"A birthday party," I corrected. I watched her face drop.

"You've never had a birthday party, Tommy?"

"No, but I've always wanted one, ever since I went to Daniel's party and he had a moon bounce."

"Aww," I heard her say in a hushed tone.

We heard the door close downstairs. Naomi bit her lip as she grabbed our pictures.

"You know what Tommy? I think your picture is so great that I'm just gonna go hang it up on the fridge. I'll be right back, okay?"

I nodded and watched her scurry out the bedroom door. She walked down the steps and into the kitchen where she ran into Louis, pouring himself a glass of water.

"Louis." she simply stated when she saw him.

"...Naomi." he said back in the same tone.

"You're home early..."

"And how are you?" he asked after he took a sip.

"Why hasn't Tommy ever have a birthday party?"

Louis' lips tightened and he set his glass on the counter. "I don't know if that's your concern."

She set the drawings on the table and turned sharply toward him. "Fine. Tell me what your plans are for his birthday? It's only a week away!"

"I was going to do what I do every year." he said without even looking at her.

"And that is?"

"Taking him to my parents' house and eating dinner with the family, okay? Satisfied?"

"No Louis. I'm not even close to satisfied. Do you want to know what he told me upstairs just now? He wants a birthday party. He wants a birthday party with balloons, friends and a moon bounce!"

"You know, that's all grand and all, but I think our traditional birthday plans are best."

She let out a frustrated sigh. "Screw the tradition and let the boy live! He's turning 5! That doesn't happen every day!"