Phoenix

Jonathan's Party

Gabe, Skylar and a few other kids laughed and played in the living room while music filled the house. The house was filled with life and buzzing with excitement. I was rushing around the kitchen trying to keep all the food on the stove from burning. Even though I was constantly running around the kitchen, I didn't feel stressed or pressured. Cooking had always been something I would do to get rid of all my stress and pain. Even though some of the recipes I made were a little complex, I still enjoyed making them.

It was the next day when I got the offer to join an anti-terrorist organization, and I still haven't responded to the message. I wasn't planning on answering the message anytime soon. I focused my attention back to my cooking. I was making one of Jonathan's favorite meals since we were having a pretty late birthday party for him. Jonathan was in the living room laughing with a few of his friends. I didn't mind Jonathan having friends over for his party, but they could get a little loud, especially since they've had a few drinks.

Gabe ran into the kitchen and looked at me. I looked down at him and smiled. The boy looked breathless and excited. "Hi mommy!" Gabe shouted with a grin on his face.

"Hi Gabe. What have you been up to?" I said as I continued to cook.

"I've been playing with William and Lucas." He paused and walked over to me. "What are you cooking?" He stood on his tiptoes to see the pots on the stove.

"I'm making some pasta for you and your friends, and I'm making something else for your father and his friends."

Gabe looked away from the stove and looked up at me. "When will the food be done?" He asked.

"In a few minutes. I'll call you and your friends when it's time to eat."

The boy nodded and ran back to his room. Gabe was always a little angel. He had always tried his best to make people happy even when he wasn't in the best of moods. Even though Gabe was only five he had big dreams and plans for the future. I admired the little boy's hard work and dedication to get what he wanted.

I placed a few plates down on the now children filled table. They all laughed and talked about their favorite books, movies, and toys. A small smile formed on my face as I listened to the children talk. I glanced over at the other side of the table where Sky and her friend sat. They whispered to each other and giggled every now and again and kept their eyes on their phones. Sky had known her friend Jesse since kindergarten and now they were in high school together. I had always liked the pair of friends, but I sometimes wondered how the two could always be around each other. I never tried to figure out why their relationship worked so well, since I didn't want to control my daughter's life.

Skylar looked up at me with a small smile as I walked over to their side of the table. "Hey mom."

"Hi Sky," I looked over at Jesse and smiled. "Jesse, how are you?"

Jesse smiled, revealing her pearl white teeth. "I'm doing just fine Mrs. Grant." She looked at me with her rich brown eyes and moved her short chocolate brown hair out of her face.

"Well that's good to hear. Are you two excited for your FFA competition tomorrow?" I glanced at both girls as I spoke.

Sky started to look a little nervous. She put her phone down and looked up at me. "Uh yeah I think I'm ready." Her voice was a little shaky and weak as she spoke.

I looked into Sky's bright hazel eyes and gently grabbed her hand. "Hey you're going to do fine okay. And if you need any support you can just call me."

Sky squeezed my hand and smiled. I tightly hugged the girl and kissed her forehead. Sky let go of me and I did the same.

"Thank you mom."

"You're welcome sweetie. You know that I will always have your back." I paused and glanced back at the kitchen. "Do you want anything to eat girls?"

Both of them shook their heads.

"Okay, let me know if you want anything."

I made my way back into the kitchen and quietly sighed. I was worn out and wanted to fall asleep. I glanced down at my phone that was laying on the flour covered countertop. It was around 7:45 p.m., but it felt like it was around 9:30. There was a lot I still had to do: Finish decorating the cake, cleaning up after the kids, and clean up the kitchen. I started with the first thing on my list which was the cake.

I walked over to where the cake sat on a small glass cake stand. The cake was all frosted with a snow white frosting and chocolate drizzled around the side of the cake. The words Happy Birthday were neatly written in a rich, black colored icing on top of the cake. I grabbed the black icing bag and started to finish icing the cake. It took me a few minutes to write out Jonathan's name but the cake almost looked complete. The back part of the cake looked empty and was begging for some attention. A few ideas popped into my head and I got to work.

The first thing I did was chop up a few strawberries and place them around the bottom of the cake. A small smile formed on my face as I looked at it, but there was still something missing. I stared at the cake for a few seconds and got back to work. Tons of ideas flew through my mind as I worked. The thoughts consumed me but I didn't mind. I was working with some light blue fondant but stopped and looked back at the cake. Another idea came into my head and I knew that it would be perfect. Without hesitating I took some leftover white icing and started to split it up into smaller parts. There were five bowls filled with snow white icing. I started to dye the icing different colors of blues and purples. Once I was satisfied with all the colors I started to ice the cake. I made little swirls and patterns to fill the empty spaces.

After a few minutes I had finally finished icing the cake. A smile formed on my face as I looked at the beautiful cake I had just finished icing. I was happy with how it looked but I knew that the whole thing would probably be gone very soon. That didn't really bother me though. I was ready for the party to finish even though everyone seemed to be having a good time. I picked up the cake and walked over to the kitchen table and set it down neatly in the center.

"Hey, cake's ready! Everyone get your butts over here." I said while looking into the living room filled with friends and family.