Chapter 26 - Another superhero cake
Three years after the original birthday, Noah turned ten.
He surprised me.
“Can I get a superhero cake again?”
I stared.
“I thought superheroes were for babies.”
“They’re not.”
“According to whom?”
“Me.”
Fine.
Not three tiers.
He wanted one tall chocolate cake with a simple red-and-blue city design.
Emma was twelve.
She came early.
Asked:
“Do you want me near the cake?”
Noah looked at her.
“You’re not funny.”
“I’m serious.”
He thought.
“Yeah. You can help.”
She placed candles.
Ten.
Mom arrived.
Dad arrived separately.
Ashley brought pizza.
No huge party.
Fourteen people.
At candle time, Emma held her hands up theatrically.
“Nothing in them.”
Noah laughed.
Available joke.
His choice.
He leaned forward.
Blew out all ten.
Applause.
Emma cut him the first piece.
It leaned sideways.
Noah said:
“You suck at cake.”
Emma said:
“At least I didn’t use a doll.”
Everyone froze for half a second.
Then Noah laughed.
Hard.
Ashley looked at me.
I looked at him.
He was fine.
So I laughed too.
May you like
History had become humor only after the harmed child made it safe.
That distinction mattered.
