Chapter 24 - The Second Birthday
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Two weeks later, the studio closed early on a Friday afternoon for the most important event of the year: Maya’s second birthday party. I hosted the celebration in the massive, sunlit backyard of my new home. The pool sparkled in the afternoon light, and the patio was adorned with hundreds of pastel balloons and a massive, elaborate cake shaped like a storybook castle.
The guest list was small but fiercely loyal. Sarah was there with her husband, Luke arrived with his new fiancée, and Mark was currently in the shallow end of the pool, gently tossing a giggling Maya into the air while she splashed wildly.
I stood on the patio, holding a glass of iced tea, watching the beautiful, chaotic joy unfolding in front of me.
"She is the happiest little girl I have ever seen," Luke noted, walking up beside me and resting his elbows on the stone railing.
"She is," I agreed, my heart swelling with an immense, uncontainable love. "She has absolutely no idea what fear feels like. She doesn't know what it’s like to tiptoe around a house to avoid waking a monster. Her entire world is filled with light, art, and people who adore her."
"You did that, Clara," Luke said softly, looking at me with deep, brotherly affection. "You took the absolute worst hand a person could be dealt, and you played it into a masterpiece."
Mark waded out of the pool, carrying a completely soaked and endlessly laughing Maya. He walked over and handed her to me. I wrapped her in a thick, fluffy pink towel, kissing her wet cheeks repeatedly while she squealed with delight.
"Mommy! Cake!" Maya demanded, pointing a chubby finger toward the dessert table.
May you like
"Your wish is my command, little queen," I laughed, carrying her toward the castle cake.
I looked around the yard, taking in the smiling faces of the family I had chosen and built from the ground up. There was no fear here. There were no secrets. There was only absolute, unshatterable peace.
