State of Grace (Complete)

Getting Even

 By my seventh birthday, it is a tradition, whether Mommy agrees or not. I am having my party with Chris and Ian, and it is just the three of us.

"Can we go horseback riding at the farm for my party?" I ask hopefully at lunch. As much as I play army and pirates with the twins, I am still fascinated by horses.

"Absolutely not," Mommy responds wearily. "We've gone over this. It's unsafe and I don't want to take those boys anywhere they can get into trouble."

"Daddy?" I want confirmation, it's Saturday and he doesn't have to work today.

"What your mother says it what goes, Honey." He rubs the top of his nose underneath his glasses, like the whole conversation is giving him a headache.

"Well, then, what can I do?" I whine.

"How about I take you to the movies?" Daddy suggests. "We can go to the theatre and you three can have your very own snacks, then we can come home and have cake."

I don't really want to do this, but I know this is what Mommy wants and I don't want to make her angry again, so I agree. "Okay, Daddy."

My answer must not be totally right because Mommy gets up from the table and slams her dishes in the sink, "Why can't you agree to a suggestion when I make it? Why does it always have to come from your father for you to agree?"

"I'm sorry, Mommy. We don't have to have a party." Tears are forming, but I carefully don't let them fall, let her see.

"No, you'll have your party. Daddy will take you. End of discussion." She storms out of the room and goes upstairs to lay down.

"I'm sorry, Daddy." I can't hold back any longer, tears stream down.

"It's okay, Sugarbun, go play with your friends." I run outside into the warm August sun, scramble over the ladder and race up into the treehouse, watching Daddy get into the car and drive away.

Chris pops his head in through the plywood opening a little while later. "We're in the forest, Gracie, come and see what we did!" His cheeks are red with exertion, but it's hard to tell over the dark summer tan. He holds his hand out to me, and I take it, letting him pull me over to the exit.

Racing over the beaten dirt path at the back of their yard, we run into the forest, hand in hand. Avoiding the brambles and poison ivy, we come to the clearing, a little meadow, deep in the trees where the sun streams in, breaking up the darkness of the woods. There is a stone wall here from a long ago building, and Ian sits on a portion of it waiting for us. I love the meadow.

"Look Gracie, we made you a birthday surprise, just from us, in your special place." Ian states proudly. Sure enough, in front of the wall, the twins have created a little table from fallen rocks, which they covered in a Toy Story pillowcase, like a placemat. On the table are two scrolls, tied with yarn, and a small plate of cookies.

"We made the cookies with Maggie, and we each drew you a picture!" Chris jumps up and down.

I sit on the soft mossy grass and lean against the wall. Opening the scrolls first, there is a drawing of the three of us holding hands with "Best Friends" scrawled across the bottom on the first paper. The second is a drawing of just me, with my curly ringlets surrounding my face, holding a sword high in the air and wearing a suit of armour, and written in clear blue letters is "Grace the strong."

"They are fantastic!" I exclaim, and we share the chocolate chip cookies, staying out until the shadows of the trees cover the clearing and we have to walk carefully back through the forest. I clutch the pictures, careful not to crush them, following Ian, while Chris carries the makeshift table cloth behind me.