There once was a time where a day off from work meant a day of relaxation, peace, and maybe some light reading. Those days didn’t really exist for mothers. If there ever was time to relax, time for peace and maybe some time to read, it was rarely done alone. One of the girls had a problem that needed to be dealt with, or the baby was screaming, or the girls were screaming at each other. Motherhood changed things, but that sort of exhaustion was a welcomed change for Andy. She loved the responsibility of raising her collected family of six teenage girls and one two-month-old baby boy. Today, though, had a little more busy than usual, but that was alright too. It was Tuesday, which meant Claire was off at work and Andy stayed home from the shop to take care of Wyatt. It wasn’t the only thing she had to take care of though. Not at all. You see, Sunday was Claire’s birthday, and Andy things to attend to.
“Finally,” she mumbled to herself when she got Wyatt down for a nap. He had been up all afternoon and Andy needed a moment to get this card written. The girls would be home from school soon, and even though they had plans to all get dressed up nice and go to the mall to get a family portrait of all the Stoddard-Barclay children—something they could frame for Claire as a birthday present—their arrival always blew through the house like a hurricane. Andy needed to capture this moment, this briefest respite, and make the most of it before it passed her by. Of course, however, the moment she sat down at her desk, clicked her pen, and opened the blank birthday card in front of her, her mind was completely empty and she couldn’t think of a thing to say.
The words, well-wishes and love and sentiments, this was meant to be the easy part. The gifts were always a struggle for Andy but she was pretty sure she nailed that part. The girls had their photograph but Andy went out of her way to get a few things that would just be from her. It was hard to imagine that this was only their first birthday they ever shared with one another. She wanted it to be special and that special started with the necklace. Andy had Claire’s relative Fillip track down an old heirloom, something that belonged to Claire’s ancestor Elizabeth and he came back with the most beautiful necklace—three golden swirls clustered together at the bottom of a chain. It was a symbol for Claire’s pack, the Northern Lights, and the perfect gift for the new Alpha. While Andy had her mother polish the necklace, she custom ordered a shield for Claire. Fillip tried to convince her to gift Claire with Elizabeth’s old battle axe too but Andy thought a shield had a better message than a weapon. It was a symbol of strength but defense, a symbol of peace. She had the same markings—the three golden swirls— placed on the front of the shield too. Andy never expected Claire to use the shield in combat, though she could, but it would be a nice piece to hang on the wall, a symbol of who Claire was and what she had become in the short time they knew each other. The gifts, the gifts were taken care of, but the words…
“F***,” Andy said, rubbing her temple. She told Claire how much she loved her, how special she was, how perfect she was, every single day. Why was it so hard to put it down in black ink? The whole concept was f***ed. Words never did it justice. They never fully articulated how Andy felt about Claire on any given day. But words were important, too. So Andy stopped thinking. She put the pen to the card and just wrote. She let her feelings guide her.
Claire,
It’s hard to believe that this is only the first of your birthdays that we’re celebrating together. Our life is so full and special and utterly perfect, it almost feels like it’s always been this way. I remember the time before you, but I don’t ever remember cherishing a moment before we met. Now, I hold every moment close to my heart. Now, every day with you is a blessing I’m grateful for.
This may be the first of our birthdays that we celebrate together, but it’s the first of many. You don’t want to make a big deal out of it—I can respect that—just a fun family day in on a Sunday. That doesn’t mean the day isn’t special. Our family is special, being together, that’s the most special thing you could want to do on your birthday.
You are the greatest thing to have ever happened to me, Legs. October 13th will always be a National holiday for me from here on out. I look forward to endless October 13ths from now until the end of time. Always and always.
Happy Birthday, Claire.
Your adoring and loving wife,
Andy
She closed the card and made a content sigh as she heard the garage door open. Footsteps stampeded in. The girls were home. She ran her hand over the drawing of a sun on the front of the card, a nod to a sneeze, to how they met, and she put the card in an envelope, sealed it, and wrote Claire’s name on the front.
Relaxation and peace were not found directly anymore, they hid in the quiet moments, the gentle moments where thoughts lingered on loved ones, where family celebrated each other. Andy got up and washed back into the noise of life, putting the card away until Sunday when she could give it to the love of her life. She carried the peace Claire gave her into the day, and had no problem keeping a smile on her face.
