The Birthday Wish

The sudden glare of rays of sunshine on my face woke me up. I turned to see my little sister at the bedside window tugging at the curtains till they bent away from the glass allowing sunlight fill the room.

"Wake up, sleepyhead."
I groaned.
"I'm gonna get you for that". I slowly got up from bed but she ran to the door, safely out of my reach.
"I'd like to see you try" she said with a giggle before leaving the room.

"We'll see about that" I muttered under my breath before grabbing a towel and heading to the bathroom. I was done in a few minutes and felt ready to face the day challenges with a smile.

I felt bored in my room wondering why I hadn't seen anyone apart from my littlest sister. I opened my door and peered into the hallway.
Something smelled really good.

I walked out shutting my door behind me. They might be in the living room I said to myself.
Everything was so still and quiet that I even began to think no one was really at home.

But as I stepped into the living room, my heart skipped a beat as I was immediately enveloped in a bear hug.

Being as tall as I was, I sensed the smell of roses as strands of my mother's hair tickled my nose while my dad hugged us both.

"Happy Birthday" my mom said while my dad began to utter a prayer for me. I looked across the room at the calander

September Twenty-first.

My eyes began to water. Once again I'd forgotten my birthday but they hadn't. How old was I? I did the mathematics in my head.

Eighteen.

As I looked around the room, I realized I was the only one not dressed for the occasion. Sure, I didn't need to look...