How many selfies 'till I'm pretty?

13

"Ha-ppy birth-day dear Mel-od-eeee, ha-ppy birth-day to you," Melody stretches and yawns as she heres the familiar song sung only once a year. Her mother stands over her winking. The bedroom is dark besides the gold glow of the candles stuck in the cake.

Melody narrows her eyes to slits to look at the surface of the cake but it was to dark. Esther leads Melody out where it is light so she can have a good look at the cake.

Melody smiles when she sees it. It's a circular cake with smooth whiteish-sea foam greenish frosting. The top part of the cake is decorated with yellow petals into the shape of a large dandelion for the whole top half. Slightly darker shades of sea foam green loop and lattice in lacy dots and flicks.

"It's a dandelion," she smiles running her finger at the bottom of the smooth whipped frosting and giving it a lick. Esther cuts it carefully in strategic peices leaving one peice bigger than the other's. She dishes up her daughter the biggest peice.

She hands her daughter a fork and a cold glass of milk.

Melody digs in with her fork and takes the first bite of chocolate. The consistency of the cake flounces on her tongue like lace and the sweet taste of lemon flicks over her tongue in a smooth ring of colors.

"What do you think Melody?" Esther smiles as she bites into her own cake and sighs.

"Delicious," she smiles scooping more of the whipped frosting into her mouth, and jamming the rest of the moist cake into her mouth.

"Are you ready to open your presents yet?" Esther eagerly glances at Melody. Melody smiles. She slowly unfolds her hand around a small box wrapped in wrapping paper.

"This is your first present, I thought you should open it first . . ." she places it on the table in front of Melody. The wrapping paper is shredded and the box opened. Melody gasps with surprise as she looks at it. Laying on the soft cushion is a lady bug. The lady bug is an irridescent white rather than red, and black domino dots dot it. It is about as big as 2 quarters and it dangles on a thin chain. 

"It's really beautiful mom," Melody smiles slipping the chain around her neck. 

"I have a few more for you," she says putting a slightly bigger present on the table. Wrapping paper flies and Melody gasps as she looks at whats beneath the tissue paper. A pair of yellow flats sit before her. They are a lemon yellow with pink flowers and splotches of color here and there, small silver charms dangle at the the top.

"I love it!" she squeals with delight, trying them on. They fit perfectly. 

"Now listen the next one isn't wrapped, here it is," she hands it to her daughter. 

"A- book," She says observing the leather cover. Esther shakes her head. 

"Look at the inscription-," they turn around to the front cover where neatly written in cursive inscription is Melody Trinket.

"What is it?" she asks. 

"Open it-,"she smiles. Melody flicks thru the pages showing that they are all blank. 

"For your drawings," she laughs. Melody chuckles as she runs her fingers over the inscription. 

"That brings us to the 4th present-," she nods taking another bite of cake as she hands Melody a thin box. Melody lifts the lid and looks at whats inside. She gasps. Inside is Charcoal, graphite, shading pencils, ticonderoga,colored pencils of millions shades, water colors. She nearly is brought to tears.

"Thankyou mom- but I don't draw that much anymore, after the- accident," Melody's corners of her mouth twitch in a smile.

"I was hoping you'd start again," she smiles.

okay- the "Accident" will be explained in the last chapter so don't worry, just go with it. Hahaha lol. XD.

____________________________________________________________________________