Stranger

Lin

The next month or so passed uneventfully, thankfully. Vanessa and I missed having my parents around to help, but luckily Nora was feeling helpful. It finally became time to head back to New York. We'd spent the last couple days packing boxes and getting our lives organized.

Travelling by airplane with two young children was always challenging and involved two car seats and a stroller. Lugging everything through the airport was daunting, and the boys weren't always overly cooperative. We had a morning flight, so we would get home early evening.

The boys were reasonably well behaved on the flight, but by the time we got home, everyone was just done. It was so nice to see the New York skyline again; to be surrounded by the traffic and the buildings and the people. Our house felt like an oasis. I dropped my suitcase in my bedroom and flopped onto the bed. My bed.

Everyone conked out early due to jet lag, and the boys decided to wake up around 4 in the morning. Reluctantly, Vanessa and I dragged ourselves out of bed to supervise them. We didn't have high hopes of accomplishing much during our first day back, so we mostly hung around the house. It was a Saturday, so all of us would be heading back to work or school on Monday.

It was nice to get back into a routine. Nora's fourteenth birthday was next week. I had missed her previous thirteen, so I was excited I was going to get to spend the day with her. She really wanted a new skateboard and some shoes. Nora made an Amazon Wish List to make things easier.

In true Broadway fashion, I woke her on her birthday by singing Happy Birthday loudly. She just laughed as I performed. Her favorite breakfast food was chocolate chip pancakes, so I fixed them right up. Nora was a bit bummed that she had to go to school on her birthday. It was a Wednesday; a hum drum day of the week.

Since it was Wednesday, I wouldn't see her after school so we gave her her presents that morning. We got her the skateboard she wanted along with some books and clothes. She chose a new shirt to wear to school that morning.

The day went on as usual until around 8:00. Nora was at her mother's, but I got a phone call from her. When I picked up, she was a bit tearful.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

"She forgot my birthday," she said, obviously upset. "She's been at work since I got home, and she didn't even leave a note or anything. She probably won't be back until after I go to bed."

"I'm so sorry, Nora," I told her, rubbing my forehead. Her own mother forgot her birthday? "What can I do to cheer you up?"

"Can I just come home?"

"Of course," I told her. She was welcome to go back and forth between our houses when she wanted to. We hung up and she took the subway back to Washington Heights. She walked in, disappointed. I'd told Vanessa she was upset, so she quickly whipped together a little instant pudding birthday cake. She'd have a real cake this weekend during her parties. Vanessa stuck in fourteen candles and we called her out to the kitchen. We sang her happy birthday again and she blew out the candles.

I was glad to see a smile on her face as we dug in, dishing out some pudding for us all. We all sat down and watched a movie, deciding I didn't care to bother asking her about her homework. I knew she'd been heartbroken earlier. When it finished, I followed her to her bedroom so I could read her some Harry Potter. She laid down next to me, her head resting against my side. She was fourteen years old now, but she was still a child. I loved that we had this new tradition.

Saturday I was all in at laser tag. She'd invited about ten friends, and some of them were a little rough around the edges. They were all what you might call "alternative". They didn't wear the fashionable clothing. Mostly jeans and t-shirts. I fit right in. A lot of them seemed surprised that I was joining in the festivities. I was not about to turn down an opportunity to play laser tag. Vanessa rolled her eyes as I boasted about my team's victory.

All her friends seemed like good kids. After the laser tag party, a bunch of them went down to the skateboarding park. Vanessa and I left them to their own devices and headed home, where my parents were watching the boys. The rest of the family would be by later. I told Nora to be home by 5:30.

She was just as excited for her family party as she was for her friend party. It was great to see her interacting with her three cousins, Alejandro, Miguel, and Luisito. They got along famously, and I looked the other way when they caused mischief together. It was important to have cousins to get in trouble with. Even though they'd missed thirteen years together, they were fast friends, and the boys instantly included her.

We'd gone all out on Nora's birthday cake. It was a bit of a monstrosity, honestly, but I figured I needed to make up for 13 years. Mom lit all the candles and then led the family in a loud rendition of Happy Birthday. Nora was grinning from ear to ear, pretending to be embarrassed at all the attention. She closed her eyes to make a wish, and I wondered what it was. Had she made wishes in the past that had now come true?

We cheered, and mom got to work cutting up the cake. I started carving out the ice cream, and Vanessa served the plates to everyone. The house was filled with voices and laughter. We were a happy little family.

Next, it was time for gifts. My family goes all out. She got a variety of clothing, DVDs, gift cards, and skateboard-related items. The kid made out like a bandit. Just wait until her first Christmas.

I felt my heart swell as I saw my kid – my tough kid – hugging and smiling and genuinely laughing. I'd only known her for a few months, but I loved her to the ends of the earth. I hope she knew that.