Call Your Girlfriend

Part 43: In Which The Silver Lining Shimmers

***2 Weeks Later***

Max took the kids into work today. He was very adament about letting me sleep in for once without having all three of our angels poking and prodding me to get up. Granted, the days have been flying by and I can hardly complain about this rare event.

So walking into work, I feel strange. Turning around, there's no children following me, playing tag. There's no screaming or arguing and there's no small hands tugging on me to stop and tell the other children to be nice. In fact, there's no noise in here at all today. I turn back and find the whole atrium empty. How strange? What an odd day this will turn into- I'm sure. As I slowly walk towards the elevator- I get close to being under the balcony, when a bunch of sparkly silver confetti comes pouring down over my head and goes all over the place. Looking up, I don't find anyone, but I have quite a good feeling about the culprits.

"Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Helen! Happy Birthday to you!" I turn around and I pretty much all the staff up on the balcony and now all across the atrium, singing and clapping. The kids and Iggy, Lauren and Vijay bring out a huge cake on a cart- it's purple and green. I smile and can't help but laugh and wonder where Max is.

"Aw! Thank you everyone!"

"So how old are you?" Lauren asks and I shake my head."

"A lady never reveals her age, Aunt Lauren!" Elowyn says sticking her tongue out. Lauren pretends to be shocked, but no one is. That's just Low.

"Haha, what she said. This cake looks beautiful!" I walk over and look at it. "How about we get this puppy cut and put it up in the conference room on two so everyone can enjoy it."

Everyone claps and starts to disperse back to work.

"Mummy, you're covered in confetti!" Luna laughs.

"Yes, I sure am. Ooo, give me a big hug a kiss babies." I bend down and they crowd in. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! My sweet darlings."

I give them each a kiss and a squeeze.

"Where's your father?" I look around and am surprised Max isn't here. This reeks of his idea. I honestly forgot it was my birthday.

"He gave us this. It's a puzzle!" Sylas holds up some envelopes with numbers on it.

"Oh, well, who wants to help me?" The kids jump and excitedly wave their hands. Taking the first envelope, I open it up and find a note.

"What a lame tattoo." I smile. "Hmm, Daddy and I would do his radiation treatments in...3? I believe. Come on!"

We head in the direction of the room and the kids all laugh and skip beside me. We go to the elevators and take it up to 5. When the doors open up, we head down the hall towards Radiology, which is just passed my sector and we find the 3rd room. Opening up the door, we walk in and on the table is a note and a present. I open up the present and it's a bock glittery clutch with a pretty sterling silver wristlet chain. Opening up the next note, I take out the paper and read it.

"If I knew punching you would get you alone- I'd have done it a long time ago." I smile at the memory of Max breaking up a fight and taking a nice punch to the eye. He had been a pain in my ass all day by avoiding me. "Your Dad tried to break up a fight in the E.D once and got slugged hard in the eye. So we need to go to the faculty room in the E.D."

As we make our way there, I watch my kids just whisper and chatter amongst themselves. They're definitely up to something. We ride the elevator down, Sylas takes my hand as we walk towards the E.D.

"How are you today?" I ask him.

"I'm happy. Are you?"

"Very happy. This is fun." Getting in the E.D, everyone is working as normal and I go to the staff room. Getting in, there is another present. Opening it up, I find my favorite perfume: Champs Elyssé. Picking up the note, I read it out loud. "Burden me...Always."