They Adopted Me

Sweet Sixteen

It was the day. The day. Now you might be wondering what the day is. The day is when the Alex turned sixteen. Sixteen years of life. Four years of living with Thomas. Two years of middle school. And one year of high school. It was a bright and sunny, a usual day in Florida. July 23. Alex woke up to the sun seeping through her curtains. For a moment she forgot what day it was. She believe it was another regular day. She checked her alarm clock. 8:15 it read.

She set her head back down on her pillow and closed her eyes, hoping to have a few more minutes of sleep. Yet as she closed her eyes, a voice broke through the silence.

"Happy Birthday."

It was a monotone tone to it, but you could hear a slight grin to it. Soon, the words registered through her head and realized what day it was. She bolted up, all traces of sleep, gone. She looked o her left and saw Laila on the side of her bed, reading what seemed to be Harry Potter.

"Holy shit. I sixteen," she breathed out, running a hand through her bed hair. She flopped down and smiled, while looking at the ceiling. She let out a squeal and threw her legs up and down. "I'M SIXTEEN," she screamed.

She looked over to her door, expecting to see Thomas and the Sides running into her room, singing happy birthday, with cake. Yet nothing happened. She frowned and got out of bed, slipping her bunny slippers on. Now you might be thinking, bunny slippers, really. Well you are never too old for bunny slippers. Alex laughed at her own, dumb thoughts. The door creaked as she opened, going though it, making her way downstairs. As her foot hit the final step, the Sides and Thomas jumped up from behind the couch. They screamed "SURPISE", while popping poppers. Alex smiled, while looking around.

She realized that Penny and Paton were missing. As if on cue, they came out of the kitchen, a cake in hand and the candles lit. Someone turned off the lights, making the candles seem brighter. Virgil put a party over her head, and the cake stood in front of her. "Make a wish," whispered Thomas. Alex closed her eyes and thought of her wish. I wish Travis was here.

Sadly Travis left for a foreign exchange program, and was in Australia. They decided to take a brake while he was away. But they would wait for each other. Once she opened her eyes, the candles were off and the lights were on. They all went to the kitchen and cut the cake. It was red velvet and home made. Like every other year. Alex didn't complain, she loved the small traditions they did on her birthday, but it would always end in a surprise. She wondered what the surprise was this year. She brushed it off, not wanting to think about it to much. A surprise is a surprise for a reason she thought, while munching on her fourth serving of cake. Yes you read correctly, fourth serving. It was her birthday, she could do whatever she wanted to do, as longs as it was legal.

Once they finished eating, they set their plates in the sink. "Like usual Patton, it was delicious," Alex complimented.

"Anything for my little girl," he said, while giving her forehead a kiss. That nick name might have been old, but she loved it. Paton gave her hug and set his chin on her head. "Golly, it feels like yesterday you where turning fourteen," he mumbled into her hair. Alex nodded, it did feel like that. They broke the hug and Alex remembered that she had to pick up her dress at 10:30. She checked her phone and realized if was 10:16.

"Hey, Roman time to pick up the dress," she announced. Roman came running in, jumping from excitement. He grabbed the keys from the counter and ran outside to the car. Alex stood in he kitchen waiting for Roman to realize Alex didn't follow him. "Three, two one," the door opened and Roman came in rather sheepishly. Alex laughed, before running to the car. Roman ran after to her and got into the car, jabbing the key into the ignition. The engine roared to life, and they backed out of the drive way.