The Presidents Daughter

Birthday Boy

Patrick

Today was my 25th birthday. A pretty cool birthday to celebrate if you ask me. I'm sure I'll end up grabbing the boys and we would go out tonight after the game or something, but for now I'm just answering texts or calls and telling people thank you. This circus trip takes up two weeks and thanksgiving and my birthday always seem to happen during it so we have fun on the road celebrating. Turning 25 is pretty cool but I'm a big kid now, I don't have birthday parties and I don't get a lot of things anymore. It's just cool to talk to people I haven't talked to in a while and catch up on life a little.

But for most of the day I was going to hide in my hotel room. I got the morning off to call friends and family and maybe eat a cupcake. As I sit in my hotel room I see Aaliyah's face pop up on my phone and I smile a lot. I quickly answer it because I honestly couldn't wait to hear what she had to say.

"Hey" I start.

"Happy birthday" she yells into the phone and I laugh a little. "Welcome to Club 25. Took you long enough" she teases.

"Hey now, I can't control when my birthday is" I defend.

"You can't? I thought every family could change when their birthday are for convince" she claims.

"Wait, you guys can do that" I gasp.

"Absolutely not" she giggles and I smile. She had such a silly sense of humor, I loved it.

"Well thanks for thinking of me" I say.

"I'm always thinking about you" she says before the line falls silent. I know she's struggling with this whole just friends thing. In her defense I am too. But she's right, it's what's best for us right now. I mean she's in Washington and I'm here and there and somewhere else, sometimes three days in a row. We can skype and text and call but that's about it. I can't just stare off into her beautiful eyes or touch her soft skin. It's not what we need right now, no matter how much we want it.

"What are you going to do today" I ask trying to save her from going down this road again.

"My dads out of country and my mom is hosting a event to get kids to read more so naturally I'm finding a Buffalo Wild Wings to sneak in and watch you guys play tonight" she explains.

"I did not peg you as a bad girl" I admit.

"I'm not a bad girl. I just need a break from this life. I want to be a 25 year old girl who wants to watch her favorite team and maybe have a drink and yell profanities at the screen. And I'm not allowed to be that girl, so sometimes I become someone else" she explains.

"And who am I taking to right now" I wonder.

"The same girl you met at the White House. Just a normal twenty something year old who wants to do something with her life" she claims.

"What do you want to do" I wonder as I lean against my door.

"What? Are you my therapist now" she asks.

"Nope. Consider you opening up your birthday present to me" I smirk.

"Fine" she sighs. "I don't know what I want to do. I want to mean something to someone but I don't know what I want to mean or to who" she admits.

"You mean something to me" I say softly.

"What do I mean to you" she counters.

"I don't understand it quite yet. You mean something though. You're like a gift and every day is my birthday. Sometimes I wait by my phone for you to text me. Sometimes I wait for my mom to say something to me so I can bring you up. Sometimes I wish things were different, that I was different and that I could be with you. But I never wish for you to be different. Then your eyes wouldn't sparkle like they do and you smile won't shine like it does.

I wish I could give you all the answers you look for. I wish I could be the purpose in your life. But I'm willing to be just a friend until you figure it all out" I assure her.

The line falls silent as my words set in. I wasn't quite sure where that came from, it kinda flew out of me like a air plane. But I meant it, I really did.

"You still there" I ask.

"Yeah. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere, remember" she questions.

"Yeah, I remember" I promise.

"So what are your plans the rest of today? Any fun birthday things" she wonders.

"Not really. My sisters are in town and they're already on my nerves. They really want to meet you by the way" I tell her. I haven't told them the details of who my new very special friend was. Just said that I've met a girl who puts the color into my world and that they would love to meet her. They don't know that she's the presidents daughter, just one of my favorite people in this world.

"I would love to meet them. Anyone who has to deal with you for their whole life must be amazing people" she jokes.

"Ouch" I laugh as she laughs along with me.

"You know I only tease because I care" she promises.

"Thank god" I admit.

After talking for a little while longer she lets me go and I finish getting ready for my day. I find my sisters down stairs and I pull them into a hug. We were out in LA so of course they found their way to me. But I didn't mind because I loved them a lot.

"Where is she" my youngest sister Jaqueline asks.

"Wow. Thanks for the birthday wishes. No.. it's good to see you too. I'm fine thanks for asking" I tease as she rolls her eyes.

"You've been talking about this girl for a month now and you expect me to believe you? I've never see a picture of you two together or any evidence you have any type of a relationship with her. Whoever this girl is" she accuses.

"She doesn't want to be in the spotlight more than she already is. She doesn't want to be criticized for her friends and choice of people she surrounds herself with along with everything else in her life" I defend.

"Well I still want to meet her" my closest sister in age Erica says.

"And I told her that. And she is willing to meet you guys. In fact she's excited to" I say.

"So this relationship is serious" my middle sister Jessica wonders.

"It's not a relationship like that. We're just... friends" I sigh.

"And you don't seem happy about that" Erica admits.

"If you had everything you ever wanted in a girl right in front of you and you couldn't have her because if who you are and who she is how would you feel" I ask.

"Pretty awful" she admits.

"Well then you're all caught up" I promise.