Ice Cream & Sprinkles (Sacconejolys/ A Cupcake Fairytale)

Happy Birthday

A princess bedroom is nothing like they say in storybooks. And don't get me wrong, I love my room! It's pink and beautiful and there's even a painting of a sky bound castle framed on the wall. No, my problem with my room is that it's impossible for me to sleep in it.

The bed is perfectly soft and comfortable. It looks like a thick wisp of candyfloss that you sink into the second you lay down on it. But... and this is a really big problem for a sleep lover like me. The bed faces my window in a way that no matter how many ways I lie on the bed every morning I'm woken up by the light that slips through the crack in my curtain. And I know what you're thinking now. Why don't I just close the curtains properly? The curtains are held by huge Victorian aged ringlets that cannot cross over each other or pass a certain place on its bar. So, I can't shut them completely.

There are lots of amazing things in my room that overpower this, of course there are. I wouldn't love my room if there wasn't. I have a rug a width away from the walls that's softer than baby's breath, a mirror and wardrobe set that reminds me of the dollhouses I always longed to have and a shelf for all my books that circled the perimeter of my room. Every morning I always spun around on one leg, letting the colours of every binding turn into a kaleidoscope of worlds in words against the pastel pink walls.

The sun beamed its blearing light over my eyes, stirring me out of sleep. I would have gone back to sleep if it wasn't for the sudden realisation that I was being shaken and my name was being whispered beside me. Even after being woken once I still dared to fall asleep again, assuming I was having a weird dream. It wasn't until Amelia jumped onto my bed and nearly shook me off the mattress that I sat up straight.

"Maddie, wake up! You've got to wake up quick!"

"Amelia. What's wrong?"

"Briana and Nivie are fighting again and daddy's busy making the queen laugh and mummy's taking care of Alessandra so you have to help me quickly!"

Amelia rolled off of my bed and tugged at my arm desperately.

"Alright! Alright! I'm getting up Amelia."

I gave in to Amelia's strong grasp and let her guide me through the palace into her family's section. Briana and Nivie were two of her six dogs who always had it out for each other. Each one of her dogs were mad in their own way but those two were relentless. They never gave up the classic Maltese behaviour.

"They're in here! Look Maddie!"

I turned my head towards the sounds of barking behind a play table. Briana and Nivie were a blur of white fur as they played out their hidden brawl. Without hesitation I grabbed the chair and began slamming it against the floor loudly.

"Stop Briana! Stop Nivie!"

Nivie jumped at the sound of the chair and untangled herself from Briana, walking away as if nothing had happened. Briana, still growling, padded across the dark red carpet towards her chew toy and sank her teeth into it.

"Nivie and Briana always fight but they love each other really," Amelia explained, "Daddy said that they're just like real sisters."

"Well they are real sisters. Just like you and Alessandra."

"But me and Alessandra can't fight yet because she's only a baby."

"Yeah, that's right. But when you're both older you should look out for your sister okay? Don't fight with her just because she's not a baby anymore."

"I won't. I promised Daddy I would always take care of Alessandra and if she's bad I'll tell her to stop being bad, but I would never ever hit her."

"Good."

There was a dull ache in my stomach as I perched onto the end of Amelia's bed. It seemed so weird and wrong for me to feel jealous of a child so little, but I couldn't help the underlying though. Daddy said this. Daddy did that. As a fourteen-year-old who grew up without a dad, I always wondered if things would be easier with my dad around. I always dreamt of him coming back to me and my mum. Loving us like he never left.

"Maddie?"

"Yes, Amelia?"

"Where's your daddy?"

I felt my heart sink deep into my chest. I had no idea how to tell a five-year-old girl that broken families existed, let alone tell her that my dad had never been around me. That I had no idea who he was.

"I don't have a daddy."

"Yes, you do. Everyone has a daddy."

"Well... I've never seen my daddy."

"Is he hiding from you? Oh I know! He's under your bed. He's going to give you a surprise."

I laughed, "No Amelia. You're right. He does exist. But we've never met. And he's not under my bed. Trust me, I've looked."

"You can look one more time. Once I lost blankey bear and my daddy found her again. It took him ages but when he did find her, she'd gone on a magical adventure. Maybe you're daddy's on a magical adventure as well."

"Yeah... Maybe he is."

We both turned towards the door as my little sister called from her room.

"Mama? Mama?"

At the exact same moment, Amelia's mum called from the floor below.

"Amelia! Come get your breakfast."

"I'm Coming, Mummy!"

I watched with a smile as Amelia raced out of the room to find her mother. I started to remember the good days in the flat when I was a child. The days when Mum would bake me pancake pies filled with summer berries. The days where we would watch My Little Pony all morning, then bake Rainbow Dash cookies all night. I wondered if things would have been the same if my dad was with us. Would my mum still have baked so much? Would we have had the chance to watch tv shows all morning?

One thing was crystal clear to me in that moment.

I didn't need my dad to be around for me to be happy. Me and my mum are the perfect duo. And my little sister is the sprinkles for the whippy and waffle cone. That was all I needed to smile every morning.

I walked to my sister's room and scooped my sister up out of her cot, wiping the last of her late-night tears from her face.

"It's alright, Olivia. Mummy's busy but Maddie's here now."

"Maddie."

"Yes Sweetie?"

"I two now."

"You are, darling. Happy Birthday!"

Olivia beamed as I picked up a bright pink badge from her desk and put it on her onesie. We laughed and cuddled together and for once in a very, very long time, everything felt right.