11 Birthdays

Chapter Two

TEN YEARS AGO - MR. MCALLISTER'S
MAGIC CASTLE BIRTHDAY PARTY PLACE

Amanda crawled over to the inflatable white castle that took up half of the room and poked it with her finger. She giggled and poked it again. She liked it here. The air smelled like cake. She looked around for her parents. Her father was lifting her older sister, Kylie, onto a big, stuffed pony. Her mother was talking to the man behind the counter, who wore a funny floppy hat.
        "What do you mean we have to share the birthday room?" Amanda's mother said. "Please check again. I booked my daughter's party months ago."
        The man shook his head. "I'm sorry, ma'am. Mistakes happen. The room is plenty big enough to share. You probably won't even notice the other party."
        Amanda's mother sighed and drummed her manicured nails on the counter. "Fine. Who's the other party."
        The man pointed toward the door, which was swinging open with a jingle of bells. "Here they come now."
        A dark-haired woman in a long skirt strolled through the door. The little boy perched on her hip clutched a purple bear. The boy squirmed, and his mother set him down on the floor while she went up to the counter.
        Amanda's mother's eyebrows arched in surprised. "You?"
"You?" The boy's mother echoed, recognition glimmering in her eyes.
        Then they laughed.
        "Is that Leo?" Amanda's mother asked, pointing at the little boy who was now crawling toward the castle.
        The other woman nodded and then searched the room until she found Amanda. "And that lovely little girl must be Amanda. "
        Amanda's mother nodded. They looked back at each other and laughed again. "I guess we're celebrating their birthday together after all!" Leo's mother said, grinning widely.
        "Sure looks like it," said Amanda's.
        As Leo crawled toward Amanda, he dragged his bear on the ground. Amanda watched, curious. Her mother would never let her bring her teddy out in public. Too many germs. Not that Amanda knew what germs were, only that they were bad to put in your mouth.
        When Leo reached the castle at each other. Amanda was used to being around other babies at the park and during storytime at the library. But she usually stayed far away from them. Leo felt different somehow. She reached out and tugged on one of the boy's curls. He laughed and handed her his bear. As a younger sister, Amanda wasn't used to people simply handing over their toys. She took it, but cautiously. They sat there, watching each other, until their mothers came over and started fussing over them. It wasn't until later, after cake had been eaten and songs sang, that the two were able to escape. They crawled toward each other, and then with some unspoken understanding, both pushed off the floor with their hands and stood. Four parents and many bemused party guests watched as the two babies took their very first steps, crashing into each other, and fell to the floor laughing.
        Outside, a small old woman approached the glass windows. Behind the counter, Mr. McAllister of the Magic Castle Birthday Party Place turned around and winked at her. She gave a quick, satisfied nod and whooshed away. Yes, everything was going exactly according to plan.