T h e F o r g o t t e n

C h a p t e r T w e n t y O n e

Robin’s birth mother had been sick with what she later learned to be schizophrenia. It wasn’t something she could help but something that definitely affected every aspect Robin’s young life. Birthdays were no exception. Her mom had said that if the bad people found out it was Robin’s special day that would take her away. It was a delusion that Robin’s mom had often, that people would take them away from each other.

So Robin just forgot when her birthday even was after a while but Grace had somehow found out when it was. Robin went into a panic and tore down all the decorations, threw the cake onto the floor and was about to smash her presents when Jessup grabbed her. He tried to calm her down and only succeeded when he held her close and started singing to her.

Afterwards Robin had felt awful and was sure that Grace would kick her out. She stayed in her room, not even coming down for dinner afraid of what would happen if she did. Later it was her dad who came in and calmed her fears like he always did. In a whirlwind of tears she admitted that she liked it with them and didn’t want the bad people to take her from them.

That was when her dad told her the truth about her mom and Robin began to see the world differently. Grace had waited three years after the incident before attempting another party. Despite knowing the reason behind not celebrating Robin still can’t allow herself to excited about it. A residual fear left from the years with her mom. One of many things left to fester in Robin’s mind over the years.

“Robin!”

Flinching back at the sound of her name being shouted she feels Luke’s arm tighten around her shoulders. She noticed everyone around the room staring at her, including the newly arrived Richie and Casey. Annoyed, Robin scowls at the group as she speaks.

“What are ya’ll shouting at me for?”

“We’ve been calling your name for five minutes.” Faith says with a frown. “You were thinking so hard we could practically hear the gears turning in your head.”

“Oh.” Robin replies, surprised. “Sorry. What did you want?”

“My gift.” Faith says nodding towards the silver gift bag suddenly sitting in front of Robin. “Open it.”

“You didn’t have to get me anything.” Robin grumbles.

“Shut up and open the darn thing.” Faith orders with an eye roll.

With an eye roll of her own Robin moves the tissue paper aside in the bag only to see something hard wrapped up in some of it. Pulling it out Robin unwraps the fairly large box to find what looks to be a jewelry box made of wood. Its clearly hand made with carvings on the lid of a tree branches and a tire swing hanging down just like the one on the backyard.

“Faith.” Robin says thinly as she open it to see the real gift. “Oh my god.”

“I made the box myself in shop class. Got an ace grade on it too.”

Reaching into the box she pulls out the necklace placed inside with teary eyes. It’s the size of a fifty-cent piece and made of glass with a purple thistle flower pressed in the glass. It looks like nothing to anyone who doesn’t know them but to Robin it means everything. The flower trapped forever in the necklace is the same as the first flower Faith ever gave Robin.

Robin was eleven and was having a rough day. Some kids at school teased her because she called Grace by her name instead of mom. They had called her a freak so after school Robin went into her room and hid. It was a common thing for her to do growing up and most people left her alone like she wanted when she did it.

Then a four-year-old Faith came into the room. Robin can remember how she looked even now with her auburn colored pigtails and yellow sundress on. Robin had told Faith to go away and go play but Faith just came over and gave her a flower, the purple thistle. It was something in the backyard that grew all over the place but it was meant to make Robin happy. It did make Robin happy and even now Robin has the flower pressed in a box under her bed at home.