Child of Five

Chapter 1: Birthday

Today was Zoe's 18th birthday. Any farmer's daughter knows that your 18th birthday is special, as you finally get your own tractor and plot of land to call your own. To say Zoe was excited was an understatement. Today, she could finally try out new farming techniques that her father was just not willing to try. 'That'll teach him,' Zoe thought with a smile as she imagined how much product she was going to yield this year.

"Happy Birthday Zoe!!!!" Her mom and brother yelled as they barged into her room, both carrying trays filled with cake, an assortment of flowers, and milk. Her room was small but comfy. Half her room was filled by her small bed that held multiple different colored handmade quilts and blankets. The other half held a large window with a small desk underneath the window, a small closet to the right, and a large wall filled with various book clippings from Farmer's Almacks, newspapers, and pictures of her family interspersed.

Zoe looked down at the two cakes her mom and brother held and laughed. Her mom's cake was a messy not quite circular lump of cake with uneven purple icing spread as if her mom got frustrated and just threw it on. Scribbled in pink were the beginnings of the words "happy birthday" but instead it read "happ birth". Her brother's, on the other hand, deserved to be in a bakery shop window. It was simple but beautiful. A simple blueberry Bundt cake lay on top of edible flower fondant and a thin glaze of white icing dripped over the cake. Her mom sheepishly smiled and shrugged.

"What can I say, my kid is gifted!" Her mom tousled her son's hair and smiled, while her brother, Finn, grinned proudly.

"Will you try it Zoe!! I think I made it just like you like it. Blueberry with a hint of lemon!" Finn was almost bouncing up and down at this point. Zoe laughed and obliged, putting the cakes on her desk and took a bite of the cake, closing her eyes in bliss.

"You like it Zoe??"

"Stop pestering your sister. It's clear she loves it Finn."

"Yes, but it doesn't hurt to hear those words Mom."

"Who raised you?"

"You did!"

"You rascal," Zoe's mom said while laughing and tackled Finn onto the bed, tickling him as they went. Finn started howling and admitted defeat. Zoe laughed and tried her mom's cake, which tasted better than it looked. It tasted like a mother's love and for that reason she preferred her mom's cake, but she would never admit that out loud.

"Zoe! I almost forgot!" Finn broke free of his mother's tickling fingers and grabbed the flowers on the tray. Zoe looked closer and saw that it was actually a flower crown. She laughed again and bowed her head as Finn placed the crown on her mossy double braided hair.

"You look beautiful, honey," her mother gushed.

"Yeah, like a goddess of the field!" Finn excitedly agreed.

Zoe shook her head, knowing that she still looked as plain as she always did, but her smile remained on her face.

"ZOE!!" A booming voice came from the stairs. Zoe knew immediately what that meant and ran downstairs. Below, she found her father grinning and dangling keys from between his thumb and forefinger. "Want to take a ride on your birthday gift?" her dad asked.

"Hell yeah!" Zoe nearly screamed, jumping up and grabbing the keys from his hand.  She raced outside, with her father's booming laugh, Finn's excited whoops, and her mother's yells to be careful following her. She stopped and breathed in the fresh air, feeling the slightest vibrations of the air and the ground around and beneath her that she felt whenever she stepped outside. Zoe ignored the Earth's response to her presence as her eyes landed on her tractor. It was yellow and it was all hers. She climbed on top and revved the engine. 

"You like it?" Her family asked. Finn looked up expectantly with giant eyes. Her mother stood within the giant arm of her father and her father just stood there with a gentle smile on his face.

Zoe laughed and nearly shouted, "Are you kidding me?? This is amazing! Thank you, Mom and Dad!"

She turned off the engine, jumped down, and engulfed her family in a giant group hug. Her family all laughed and returned her hug.

"Let's go inside and eat! I am starving!" Finn exclaimed within the tangle of arms and warm bodies. They all laughed and began to walk inside, together. 

The rest of the day was spent in pure contentment as Zoe enjoyed her time with family. She smiled the whole day and fell asleep with a smile on her face, not knowing that was one of the last days she would be able to bask in that contentment for a while.