Without A Trace

Fourty-Seven.

The next morning Thomas and I are sitting at the kitchen table, just finishing up our breakfast. Its a beautiful warm sunny morning and I have the windows open. The curtains flutter slightly from the breeze. He sits there peering through his glasses outside at the decorators in the garden. He brings his burning cigarette up to his lips and takes a puff off it, still keeping his gaze outside.

"Its going to look great Thomas," I say taking a sip of my coffee while doing my morning word search. "Keep stressing so hard and you'll give yourself even more grey hair than you already have," I say before circling one of the words.

"I don't want it to look great Cora it needs to look immaculate," he says before putting out his cigarette in the ashtray. He meets my eyes, "She needs to have the best of everything." I roll my eyes and take another sip out of my coffee.

Anna sits at her vanity and brushes her long brown locks humming to herself quietly. She glances down at the time and walks over to the windows and pulls the curtains open, causing the light to shine right onto Lewis's face. He furrows his brows and opens one of his eyes slowly before turning his head to look behind him to his wife.

"You've been sleeping long enough. You'll miss your nieces birthday if you sleep any longer," She says before leaning towards her mirror and touching up her makeup. "I'll meet you downstairs for coffee," she says before leaving the room and heading downstairs.

In Ivy and Michaels room, a very excited Pippin jumps into her parents bed, "ITS MY BIRTHDAYYY!!!" She screams while jumping up and down.

Michael rolls over and rubs his eyes before sitting up, the blanket falling into his lap and exposing his bare chest. He wraps his arms around his daughter, "Is that today? I thought it was tomorrow?" He says cocking his head to the side.

Pippin giggles and puts her hands on her dads cheeks, "Daddy its TODAY. Duh! I'm 5 now!"

Michael smiles and kisses her hands, "5?! Well if you insist!"

Ivy smiles at her husband and daughter and moves Pips hair out of her face, "Happy Birthday lovey!" Pippin jumps into her moms arms and gives her a big hug. "Your first gift is in your closet my love," she says kissing the top of her daughters head. Pippin scrambles out of the bed and begs her parents to follow her. They groggily make their way out of bed and Pippin pulls each of her parents to her room.

Ivy leans against Michael as Pippin opens her closet door to a beautiful pastel pink dress. The tool skirt is embroidered with dark pink flowers and she has matching pink sandals to go with it. Pippin screams of excitement while hugging the dress jumping up and down.

Lewis looks up from his coffee and up to the second floor hallway, "Birthday girl must be awake eh?" He says chuckling before going back to reading the morning paper.

"If any of you need shit for migranes you better take it now. I feel like thats just the beginning of the screechin for today," Aurthur says taking a seat next to his brothers after seating Linda next to Ada and myself.

Pippin runs to her parents and hugs them around their legs, "Thank you so much Mummy and Daddy! I get to wear this today? For my birthday dress?" She asks looking up at them.

"It is your birthday dress," Michael says running his fingers through his daughters hair. "You and Mum get dressed, daddy is going to shower and I will meet you both downstairs eh?" He says before bending down and kissing the top of her head. He kisses Ivys forehead before walking out of her room.

After about a half hour Ivy and Pippin make their way into the kitchen.

"Happy Birthday!!" All of us say to Pippin as she laughs and clasps her hands together in excitement.