all too well , jeremiah fisher

chapter eight

today was belly's birthday. she celebrated her birthday the same every year, it was tradition.

laurel would make her mickey mouse pancakes. everyone gives her presents. it's the one day belly's included in everything.

running across the hall, amelia burst through belly's door to make sure she was awake.

"belly!" she giggled jumping on the girl in a huge hug. "it's your birthday. it's your birthday." she sung, moving the girls around around as she danced.

belly laughed, "mel, mel. chill." she calmed her down. "i need help." amelia nodded, sitting on her bed. "okay. this one? or.. this one?" the youngest conklin held up two outfits to her body for amelia to decide. one was a floral orange and green dress and the other was a black overall dress.

"hmm. i like that one, but whichever one you prefer. it is your birthday after all." amelia shrugged pointing to the floral dress with a smile. she loved birthdays.

"i like this one too. okay go downstairs while i change." amelia nodded, " aye, aye, captain." she saluted and left the birthday girls room.

when amelia went downstairs everyone was hard at work trying to make belly the perfect breakfast, the same one she's been having as long as she could remember.

not too long after, belly came downstairs. "morning, everyone."

"happy birthday!" everyone cheered. everyone but conrad. amelia figured they must have gotten in an argument last night after she went upstairs.

"there's the birthday girl, looking like a vision in floral." susannah gushed, hugging the 16 year old.

now it was jeremiah's turn to hug her, "happy sweet 16, bells."

"belly button's getting old finally. happy birthday." steven said, eating a piece of bacon. amelia patted the cheerful girls back, "catching up to the big boys."

"thanks, everyone."

but if there's one thing amelia hated about belly's birthday, it's when it ended and the next day began. because the day after was amelia's mothers death anniversary. only laurel and jeremiah knew of this, however. she didn't know why it upset her so much, but it did. so she just wished belly's birthday would last forever, but it never did of course. if anything it went by super quick.

amelia always felt selfish when she'd sulk, because it was belly's birthday, she didn't have the right the mourn a women she hardly knew. so she only ever told jeremiah with the exception of laurel who already knew.

"your mickey mouse pancakes are ready." laurel announced to her daughter. "actually, i'm not really, uh, hungry."

"oh." she masked her disappointment with a smile. this has never happened before. "shall we open gifts?" susannah asked, changing the subject away from the very awkward silence.

"oh, you're gonna love mine." jeremiah expressed, holding up a small green box. "not as much as you're gonna love mine though." amelia smiled as did belly before she looked down at conrad who still hadn't said a word to the girl and was just eating his cereal.

the first gift belly opened was her mothers, who'd gotten her a book. belly didn't look too impressed until she turned to the bookmark page and saw a poem susannah used to teach them to recite.

"okay, open mine now, belly." the blonde woman handed her a small wrapped box.

opening it, she saw a pearl necklace. "my mom gave me these pearls for my sweet 16." susannah always saw the daughter she didn't have in belly and amelia. mostly belly though, considering amelia wasn't around as long.