KAYDEN
The silver spoon chased the last of the Lucky Charm’s marshmallows around and around Kayden’s blue breakfast bowl. The milk swirled along the walls of the bowl, carrying the marshmallows in a constant current. Kayden suddenly switched directions of her spoon and the marshmallows crashed into it. She smiled to herself as she scooped them up and ate the last of her breakfast.
She slurped the milk in the bowl and then got up from the cheap old dinette table, pushing her chair in and grabbing her now empty bowl to wash in the sink. As she pushed the pink and yellow sponge around in the bowl she heard the door open and the clicking of boots. She did not turn to see who it was, she continued to wash the bowl.
“Hey, kiddo,” Claire said as she opened the fridge door and gazed inside to see what was good.
“Hi Mommy,” Kayden smiled to her mother as she turned off the faucet. She stepped away from the sink and waited for Claire to close the fridge so she could give her a hug. When the embrace was over Claire smiled at Kayden, crouching so that they were at eye level.
Claire and Kayden looked very alike; Claire had black hair that she let fall around her shoulders. She was tan and tall with a slim figure. Kayden was only nine but still tall for her age, with black hair she had hang around her shoulders with a mini pony-tail in the back. Kayden was also tan, and had a pointed noise like her mother.
But they had differences. Claire had green eyes, while Kayden had blue. And Kayden was much tanner. Kayden was also a little chubbier in the face, but Claire had always told her that it would go away when she got older. Stella, Kayden’s grandmother, says that Kayden is tanner and has blue eyes because of her father, Tyson Davidson.
This always fascinated Kayden. She had never met her father, and had no idea what he looked like, but she always pictured what he looked like. Big and strong, with black hair and blue eyes. He would be very tan, like Kayden, and would work all day and come home at six o’clock in his blue business suit. He would greet Kayden and Claire with a kiss and Claire would smile and go off and cook dinner while he helped Kayden with her homework or played with her. And they lived happily ever after. The end.
Returning to reality, Kayden realized Claire had said something to her. Claire was still smiling, the toothpaste smell coming from the small gaps between her teeth.
Oh, she had said “happy birthday.” Kayden thought.
“Thank you, Mommy. But it’s just a normal Monday.”
Claire raised a dark eyebrow and shook her head. “It is not! It’s my baby girl’s ninth birthday!”
Claire began tickling Kayden and Kayden pulled away as she shook with laughter, but could not escape her mother’s fingers. Claire scooped Kayden up like a baby doll and carried her out of the kitchen and into the living room, tossing her onto the couch and tickling her daughter again. Kayden giggled and giggled, trying to push her Mother’s hands away so she could breath. When she was successful, she took in a big breath and sat up.
Claire was sitting Indian style on the floor now. “You grandmother and I got you something.”
“Really?” Kayden’s excitement showed in her words and on her face. Normally, birthdays meant a change in beds/bed sheets, maybe something that could help with skills, but Kayden didn’t have any special skills, unlike her mother and grandmother. They were both artistically talented, Stella more than Claire, but Claire could also talk to a crowd with ease.
“It’s sitting outside now,” Claire gestured to the old white door that was installed in Stella’s youth. Kayden jumped off the brown couch and rushed toward the door, turning the knob and pulling it open with all of her might to run out onto the small front yard.
