Conform or Suffer

Chapter 11 Birthday Wishes

Quig's Apartment that Same Night

*

Quig's warm breath extinguished the twenty-five candles on his large piece of birthday cake. He placed two new candles on Betsy's piece. "Each of my guests should receive one wish, but nobody else can attend, so you get them. Why do I care? My wishes won't come true because my birthday isn't until tomorrow." He lifted his fork toward his mouth, but he didn't eat.

Scents of burning wax, vanilla, and mint filled the air.

"Uncle Quig, they count." Betsy stuck her fork in the frosting.

"I wish Grew-Ella was here." He chewed and swallowed.

"Uncle Quig, do you wish to remove your wings?" She asked. "Mine are tiny, but I like them even if I never fly."

"I might remove one, if medically necessary, or if I needed to flee the kingdom, but not to fit in."

"Uncle Quig, my wings will be awesome."

He dug into the frosting. "Share your wishes, or they won't come true. I wished to have a birthday party, but I doubt that will happen."

"Uncle Quig, I'll wish for something better." She blew the tiny flames out, shoved the piece in her mouth, and chewed. "Mommy is gone. I pretend that she is okay for Daddy."

"Ida is living in the workhouse." He forked the last mouthful of cake, trying not to sob.

"They allow phone calls. Mom isn't coming back! She's either dead or abandoned us. Vex refuses to admit it if anyone escapes. I know what you wished for." Betsy hugged him.

"Time for church." He guided her to the living room.

Murals of wild animals covered his teal walls. Karen's signature looped under a fox wearing a top hat. He opened another door.

They walked to a simple home church altar tucked in a corner of the room.

Once a broken end table, but repainted and plastered with fish stickers. He set scriptures, a painting of Jesus, two electric candles, incense, and a lesson book on top.

After they prayed, Quig moved hiking gear off the couch and left it in a closet.

They ate veggie cheese crisps, watched movies, and played video games.

"Time for bed," Quig said.

She opened the door. "Chase's parents surgically removed his wings when they developed. They feared he'd float away, but you can't fly that high with pixie wings."

"Flying is magical. No matter how far you soar." Quig read a story, then set the book next to his typewriter.

Betsy jumped on the California king-sized bed. "Broken wings are better than no wings," she said, finally understanding.

He left her in the bedroom, blew up an inflatable mattress, and lifted the puffed blue sack into the dining room, but he didn't rest.

After washing in the guest bathroom, he played holographic video games alone in his pajamas, edited his novel, and graded papers on his laptop.

Knocking startled him.

"Quig, our calls to you bounced," Dot said from the hall.

He stumbled to the door and opened it.

Ruby stood behind Grew-Ella and Dot. She didn't speak.

"Why isn't Snake Boy here?" Quig asked.

"He is with Ruby's mom." Dot walked closer to her brother. "Please hide Grew-Ella. Ruby and I are staying with Avery-Joy, but Stanton might look for her there."