Hidden Away

Thirty: Together We'll Fall

"It's your birthday!" he exclaims, jumping forward and latching his arms around my neck in a hug.

"I know!" I say when he sits back down in front of me. He looks absolutely adorable with his red, car themed pajamas.

"I got you a present!" Niko stuffs his hand into the pocket of his pants and pulls something out in his fist. He turns it over and opens his curled fingers, revealing a small, purple flower that has definitely seen better days. The poor thing is barely hanging on with its crumpled, wilted petals. I accept his gift and hug him, thanking him for the sweet gesture. It might not be much, but when a child goes out of their way to do something like this, it warms my heart.

"I picked it in the garden just for you," he says, full of pride. The smile on his face is as wide as ever. "Isn't it pretty?"

"It is," I agree, nodding. He takes the delicate flower from my hand and my gaze follows him as he climbs off the bed and goes to my nightstand, gently placing the flower on top of it. His little feet carry him back over to the edge of the bed and he reaches over it, grabbing my arm and pulling me.

"Where are we going?" I ask as I let him pull me out of the bed. I slide on my slippers, which are lazily positioned by my bed, and let Niko lead me out the door of my room.

"It's a surprise," he claims, dragging me down the stairs. Technically, he's not dragging me down the stairs. I'm letting him pull me and following him at the same time.

"I like surprises."

Niko manages to lead me all the way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Rowan enters it the same time we do, half asleep, and with Lily on his trail. He's wearing some plain, black sweatpants, and a blue colored t-shirt. He looks like he's fighting the urge to collapse onto the floor and get another hour of sleep right there. His eyes are half closed, his blinks becoming slower and slower. He rubs his eyes as he sways forward, managing to catch himself before he actually falls.

"Come on," Lily urges, slightly pushing him forward. She glances over to me, giving me a large grin. "Good morning," she smiles.

"You're scheming," I accuse, seeing right through her grin. I look down at Niko, who is still holding my hand, and I playfully narrow my eyes at him. "What are you up to?" I ask, messing up his already messy hair.

Niko looks like he's about to spoil the surprise, but I'm not the only one who realizes. Lily sees too and she quickly runs to him, leaving my brother's side. She wraps a gentle hand over his mouth from behind. "Shh!" She panics. "Not yet. They just have to—"

One by one, people start appearing from their hiding places. They all hold party related things. My mother holds a cake, while my father holds two gift bags. A loud, "Surprise!" echoes throughout the house. The rest of the family, along with Carlina and Evan, come out from their hiding spots. I jump back in surprise and glance at Rowan, who is in just as much shock as I am.

We both start walking forward at the same time. I'm not sure what this means for him, but for me, this means everything. This is the first birthday I'm spending with my real family and the first birthday ever that I actually get to celebrate. Birthdays throughout my old life weren't a big deal. We couldn't celebrate due to us not having any money. Most years my birthday would consist of Evan taking me to town and buying me a small cupcake because that was all we could afford. The one time I did have a real cake, Evan ruined it by shoving my face into it.

With a hand over my mouth and tears pricking at my eyes, I approach my mother first as she places the cake down on the counter. I embrace her in a tight hug, muttering a string of thank yous as she rubs my back. She pulls away a little before I'm ready to. "You're so welcome, Sweetheart," she smiles, and I smile back, moving on to my father, who hands me the remaining gift bag.