Leah Stone (reapinghavok) wrote in immune_ic, @ 2012-12-08 21:27:00 |
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Entry tags: | # 2012 [12] december, leah |
WHO: Leah
WHEN: December 9, 2019; between 11AM and 3PM
WHERE: Admin building, first floor office
WHAT: Marigold's 5th birthday.
RATING: Low. Also W for Wordy. O_O
CHALLENGE: STFU
Birthday parties had been difficult to put together before the pandemic. They were even more of a challenge now, but Leah had managed. Marigold was worth every ounce of that extra effort. Half the reason Leah had been so willing to go out scavenging was because she wanted to make her daughter’s fifth birthday — the first one they’d be celebrating together — memorable. Not everything she’d found had been in the right color, but enough of the party supplies were pink that she didn’t think it would be too noticeable or that Marigold would be too disappointed. It was girly and princessy and Leah hoped that was all that mattered. She didn’t want Marigold to have a meltdown just because the napkins were yellow or the cups had purple elephants on them. It was probably for the best that everything wasn’t pink, though, considering the majority of the five-year-old’s friends were boys. Then again, while Marigold’s favorite color was pink, she didn’t generally throw a fit if something she had wasn’t her favorite color. Leah half suspected it was her own perfectionism at work. After all, she’d missed her daughter’s first four birthdays. Marigold had explained (in her own vague, childlike way) that she’d celebrated birthdays before. Naturally, she wouldn’t be able to remember all four of them, but the fact that those birthdays hadn’t been neglected made Leah feel both relieved and resentful. Relieved because Marigold hadn’t been ignored in that way, and resentful because those government fuckers had celebrated her daughter’s birthday. Presents were another thing she’d been after. Leah had essentially grabbed any age-appropriate toy she could find and carry, which was a considerable amount, though she hadn’t even begun to think about Christmas presents yet. With the amount of things she’d found, she knew she was spoiling Marigold. That was the point, though. To make Marigold feel special on her birthday. Later, she could worry about Christmas presents. With some help from her siblings, Leah managed to turn one of the lower larger offices of the admin building into a party atmosphere fit for a little princess (with an occasional dose of machoness for the boys). She’d even prepared the snacks and refreshments herself, because what mother didn’t want to go all-out for her child? It was exhausting work, but Leah didn't want to ask for help beyond what her family offered. It was afternoon. The party had been in progress for nearly three hours. It was a small gathering, given the number of people who lived in Sing Sing, but Leah didn’t trust that many people (especially people without kids) around her daughter. She’d invited Marigold’s friends from daycare, as well as Leah’s own friends and family, and the gathering was as large as the office could comfortably manage. Cupcakes and the rest of the snacks had been served during the first hour. Leah had been especially proud of this, considering how humble her talents were in the kitchen. She’d been reading a lot of magazines lately, some of which had baking themes, and she’d managed to create, not a cake, but a batch of easy-to-serve and easy-to-eat cupcakes with flower designs on them, including an extra special cupcake for Marigold, which was topped with, what else, a marigold design. The second hour or so was dedicated to presents. Leah’s pile of gifts to Marigold had been… a tad bit excessive, but no one seemed surprised. Among the list of notable things given to her daughter was a stuffed purple elephant, princess pajamas, and a tricycle. Party games were introduced next, but by that time, Leah was feeling more and more drained. She was determined to keep herself going, though. To enjoy every moment of Marigold’s fifth birthday. Her initial plan was to participate or at least help out with the games, but people kept insisting she take it easy. Instead, she introduced the games instead, and opted to sit and watch. It was still enjoyable for her, and Marigold didn’t seem disappointed at all that her mom wasn’t playing with her. Such was the attention span of a five-year-old. Five years old. It was so hard to believe that it had been five years since that little girl had been born. The memory of it was forever tainted, though. Leah glanced down, lightly tracing the contours of the bite scar that started it all. Her mood was vastly improved this year as opposed to the previous four, but there was still some sadness there. Sadness she’d been trying to avoid all day so that it wouldn’t ruin the mood of the party. This time last year, she’d been seeking solace in a room at the Americana Inn, back in the city. Screaming her lungs out because the feeling of loss had been so great. That’s where Evan had found her. They’d still been rivals then. Reluctant partners. But it hadn’t stopped him from offering her companionship that day. He could’ve easily used her grief as ammunition to torment her. But he hadn’t. She scanned the room, seeking him out, smiling slightly when she saw him. He was the reason for all of this; the reason she was able to celebrate Marigold’s birthday today. Without his help, without his love, she’d still be the same person she’d been. Coldhearted, empty. Certainly not the proud mother she was today. Leah sank back in her chair with a sigh, turning her attention back to Marigold and the other children, chuckling when she heard the little girl insisting that she automatically won every game because she was the birthday girl. So far, they’d managed to get through the party without any major meltdowns, but as the afternoon progressed, Leah expected crankiness to set in. Marigold’s naptime was usually around two o’clock. As much as Leah was enjoying the party, she was starting to look forward to the idea of joining her daughter for a nap. That little girl with butterfly pins holding her pigtails in place was all hers. The years they’d spent apart couldn’t be undone, no, but that didn’t mean Leah wouldn’t put every ounce of effort into making that time seem inconsequential. The government had taken so many things away, including the past few years with Marigold, but no more. Leah would die before she let that happen again. She blinked back a few tears and self-consciously glanced around to make sure no one had noticed. Her hand found the growing bump that was her tummy. Leah had grown a lot stronger as a person in the past five years. The woman she’d been, the innocent twenty-five year old, was long gone. This newer, stronger Leah would die before she let anything happen to her kids. A piñata had been filled with small toys; party favors for the kids. Marigold was swinging her plastic bat at that now, laughing even when her swings missed and playfully threatening to hit the person making the piñata swing back and forth in the air. Leah’s grin grew with each passing second. The little blonde was something special. Lively and sweet, Marigold made this dreary world a whole lot easier to live in. |