Barbara the Belonging

A Day not to Remember

It was four in the morning and Barbara suddenly woke up when she heard something on the roof.

At first she thought it was just a racoon or a squirrel.

However, it sounded like something much larger and not an ordinary animal.

Barbara grew a bit weary and got up from bed to check up on Jim.

In his bedroom he was fast asleep, like the random noise didn't wake him up.

That is when she noticed his alarm clock, it was four twenty, and a sudden feeling came to her, a feeling of anxiety.

She heads back to her bedroom and checks the date.

Her stomach dropped when she now remembered that Jim's birthday is tomorrow, but not just his birthday, it was the day his father, her husband, left them.

Sad memories of that day came rushing in again.

 Remembering Jim when he was five years old being confused as to why his father left him parts of a bike without even bothering to help him put the pieces together, or how she had a big argument with him and it ended with him leaving her in tears.

A sigh left her lips as she sat on her bed, feeling her eyes watery but she wipes them away and furrows her brows.

Now is not the time to mope, it's been eleven years now and time to get over it.

The red-haired woman went back to bed, though she kept thinking of the perfect birthday gift for Jim.

After Jim went to school, Barbara got herself ready for work, though she needed to make a quick stop at the store to buy the gift.

That is when Lucas knocked on the front door, and she opened the doors.

"Oh, good morning Luke." She greeted her stepbrother.

"Morning, sis. Are you heading to work already?" He asked.

"Not right now. I need to head to the store to buy a birthday present for Jim." Barbara replied.

"Oh, right! It's his birthday tomorrow, isn't it?"

"Uh, huh."

And the two siblings headed to town in search of the perfect present.

As they went shopping, Lucas spoke up.

"Barbara? I know that tomorrow is Jim's birthday but, isn't it... well the same day..." He pauses as he feels awkward talking or mentioning about James.

"Yes, I know. But that is all in the past now, and I am trying not to think about it anymore. Besides, this is about Jim, he's already turning sixteen, and soon a young adult. I want him to have a good birthday, not one that reminds him of the day his dead-beat father left him." Barbara responds with a bit of an annoyed tone.

Lucas remains quiet and nods his head, understanding that she is trying to be there for her son, unlike the boy's father.

Though in the tone of her voice, he could tell she still hates James after all these years. And he can't blame her, in fact he kind of disliked the man for what he did.

Soon Barbara managed to find a gift, though Lucas wasn't too sure about it.

The next morning, Barbara woke up from the sound on the roof again.

She thought how unusual it was, but still brushes it off and gets up from bed with a tired sigh, knowing exactly what day it is.