Chapter 26 - Gigi’s fifth birthday
Three months before the third anniversary of Charles’s party, Gigi turned five.
She wanted:
Yellow balloons.
Of course.
I almost said no.
Then realized I was giving balloons power they had not earned.
Yellow balloons.
White cake.
Gold ribbon around the stand.
No symbolism planned.
It simply looked pretty.
We held the party at a children’s art studio.
Twelve kids.
Paint everywhere.
No formal dresses.
No photographer hired by grandparents.
Victoria and Charles came.
No Arthur.
Not because he was permanently banned from every room I entered.
Because Gigi had never asked for him.
Her birthday was not rehabilitation theater.
At cake time, she reached for the gold ribbon.
My entire body remembered before my mind did.
The room.
Arthur.
The sound.
Victoria saw my face.
She went still too.
Gigi pulled the ribbon loose.
The bow collapsed.
She laughed.
“Oops.”
I walked over.
“You broke the decoration.”
She looked worried.
“For trouble?”
“No.”
“You told me not to touch.”
“I did.”
She put the ribbon down.
“Sorry.”
“Thank you.”
That was it.
A boundary.
A mistake.
An apology.
No fear.
Charles was watching.
His eyes filled.
I pretended not to notice.
Later, Victoria whispered:
“I wanted to tell her to listen the first time.”
“I know.”
“I didn’t.”
“I noticed.”
“I’m learning.”
“So am I.”
At the end of the party, Gigi handed Victoria a piece of ribbon.
“For Grandma.”
Victoria took it.
“Thank you.”
Nothing shattered.
That was the reclamation.
May you like
Not defeating Arthur.
Making a gold ribbon ordinary again.
