Save Me #1

03| Birthday

It's already 10am when I open my eyes the next morning. I sit up, yawn loudly and stretch myself. A few delicate rays of sunshine are shaft through my window and tickle my nose. For a moment, I just enjoy the warmth of my bed and smile.

Today is going to be a good day. It will be nice to see my friends in the evening. After last week, I'm so down for a night out and simply switching off for some time.

I get up and walk over to the kitchen unit to cook some coffee. With the steamy cup in my hands, I walk over to the window and open it. Sitting down on the windowsill, I take a sip of my hot coffee and hum with relish. My gaze wanders to the opposite side of the street and last night comes back into my mind.

It was weird seeing Zachary standing in front of my window. This mystery which surrounds him won't let me go, and I still wonder what he was doing out there.

My ringing phone pulls me out of my thoughts. A look at the display tells me it's my mother.

"Hey, Mum!"

The voice of my mum echoes in my ear, "Hey, darling. Happy birthday! We wish you all the best for your special day. How are you?"

"Thanks, Ma. I'm fine. How're you? And how's Jude?" I ask her with a big smile on my face.

Jude is my younger brother. He's sixteen, a proper teenager at the moment, and lives in Vancouver with my parents. Well, with my mom and my stepfather, to be exact. They moved to Vancouver three years ago, when my mom married my stepdad Logan since it's his hometown and he wasn't willing to move to Calgary.

In a nutshell, my mom packed all her belongings, including Jude much to my sorrow, and moved to Vancouver. Since then, I hardly ever get to see my family, and I really miss them.

As a waitress, my salary is simply not enough to visit them regularly and my mom is always busy with her work. She's a musician and mainly plays gigs on weddings or in bars. I always thought having a mother who is a singer is super hip, but now that I'm a grown-up myself, I see how much she's struggling to get enough bookings to pay for her life. She's still waiting for her big breakthrough, I think.

"Oh, we're fine, honey. Jude had a sleepover at a friend's and is not back home yet, but he wishes you all the best as well and sends lots of love and a very tight hug!" my mom replies cheerfully.

A wistful smile plays on my lips at the thought of my brother. We used to be inseparable when we were younger and every now and then, I catch myself missing those times a lot. Especially when I'm feeling lonely which is quite often the case lately. Hearing from my family and that they're doing fine always makes me happy. They supported me ever since I was a little child and never pushed me into something I wouldn't want to do. Which was always an issue, by the way. Knowing what to start with my life has never been my greatest strength. Just look at me now, twenty-five years old and still no clue what to do with my life.

I chat with my mum for a whole while and rant about my boring job at the Diner and she's talking about how stubborn Jude has been lately. I can't help smiling broadly as I imagine her sitting cross-legged at the kitchen window of her small townhouse, gesturing wildly, while telling me from her life and all the recent gigs she's had.

After about thirty minutes, I say my goodbye, "Thanks for calling, Mom. I love you so much and I miss you immensely. Hope to see you soon, and please give Jude and Logan a hug for me!"

My mum wishes me a nice birthday celebration with my friends before we hang up.

The rest of the day, I spend with answering loads of calls and messages full of sweet birthday wishes while hanging around on my beloved sofa. I am particularly happy about Jude's text.