Journey

Chapter 29

October 12, 2028

Seven pairs of feet stealthily tiptoe down a hallway. They move slowly and quietly trying not to make a single sound. The person at the front of the human line carefully places their hand on the door knob and twists it. They creep into a bedroom and land at the foot of a California King bed. The clock on the nightstand reads 5:28 AM. Once all fourteen feet have made it inside the room and to the bed they stop and look at each other. They nod in unison.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!"

The hollering startles Jennie awake.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!"

Jennie scans the room with only one eye open and a scrunched up face trying to get her bearings. It takes her more than a second to understand why the hell there's so many people inside her bedroom and why they're all screaming at her. Jennie had resorted to taking sleeping pills a few months back when she kept failing to fall asleep naturally and as a result of the medication, waking up had become a slow and groggy process.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY! (JENNIE!)"

Jennie focuses on the group. Front and center there's a chipper Roa carrying a sizeable paper rectangle in her hands. Behind her a half asleep Rose and Costia hold a cake topped with flaming candles with the expected disposition of tweens who didn't want to wake up forty five minutes earlier than they normally do on school days. At either side of them Jisoo, Echo, and Octavia hold a precariously made banner clearly crafted by the baby of the family that reads "Happy Birthday Mommy". Then there's Lisa. She's standing next to Jisoo with the typical sour face anyone sports when they're forced to do something they don't particularly feel like doing.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!"

The deafening singing ends. The screaming and cheering begins. Roa jumps on the bed and wraps her arms around Jennie while Rose and Costia walk closer to Jennie's bedside with the cake. "Mommy it's your birthday!"

"It is baby. Thank you."

Jennie gets out barely coherent because, to be completely honest, she is still mostly asleep.

"We put candles on the cake!"

Roa screeches excited. Only a seven year old would have this much energy before the sun is properly out. Jennie kisses Roa's forehead then rubs her eyes for a quick second.

"Blow them mommy! Blow them!"

Roa chants and Jennie is quickly reminded that birthdays are Roa's favorite "holiday". It doesn't matter if she knew the person or not, if Roa found out it was someone's birthday she would do her best to make it as special as a little girl could. Costia and Rose bring the cake down to Jennie's sitting eye level and just she's about to blow the candles her alarm clock blares like it does any other weekday.

It's a Thursday and Jennie normally woke up at 5:30 AM during the week to have enough time to get herself ready for work and the kids ready for school. Most nights Lisa wouldn't come to bed until four or five in the morning, if she came to bed at all, which would leave Jennie to deal with the morning routine alone and she needed all the time she could get.

"How does that not wake up everyone in the building?"

Jisoo yells over the bellowing sound the same moment Jennie leans over to turn if off.

"Mommy you have to blow your candles and make a wish!"

Roa insists. Jennie smiles, kisses Roa's head again, and looks directly at Lisa before she closes her eyes and blows the candles.