“Happy Birthday, baby,” Dad whispered, planting a soft kiss on the top of my head. My cake, a pink monstrosity of gargantuan proportions, had eighteen candles. I’d counted them ten times already in my head, still not quite believing that the big day had finally arrived. As with all special days, I was having to share this wonderful experience with my sister, Megan. She sat moodily at the far end of the small, wooden kitchen table with her head in her hands. I was fairly certain from her expression that she probably wasn’t enjoying the prolonged attention I was getting, but to be honest, I didn’t particularly care. It was my birthday! Megan is nineteen and it was partly because of the big deal Dad had made of her eighteenth birthday that had me so excited about my own. If my present was anywhere near as good as Megan’s I’d be a very, very happy girl indeed. Megan huffed audibly as Dad sat in the chair to my right and began enthusiastically lighting the candles with his old silver lighter. I sneered at Megan while Dad was concentrating on the candles and she rolled her eyes sullenly in return. “Do I have to be here, Dad?” Megan whined. “I’ve got loads of uni work to get done.” Dad continued to light the candles, his expression fixed on the task at hand. Candle number eight was currently being brought to life and my excitement was now palpable. I knocked my bare knees together absentmindedly underneath the table and hummed to no-one in particular under my breath. “Megan …” Dad whispered calmly as he lit candle number nine, Escort Acıbadem “Beth didn’t cause this fuss when it was your birthday, now did she? Megan pouted and shook her head. “Please … be a good girl and sit quietly.” I took this opportunity to stick my tongue out at my older sister before breaking into a massive grin. Megan mouthed the word “bitch” at me before folding her arms and looking out of the kitchen window. Candle number twelve was now illuminating the room. The light danced hypnotically in Dad’s eyes as he moved on to number thirteen. “Sorry Dad,” I whispered coyly, “there are a lot of candles!” He laughed and nodded in agreement. “Yes, yes there are.” Megan huffed again and twiddled her index finger through the longer curly ringlets of her dark hair. Even she was caught by the growing hypnotic glow of the birthday cake. I smiled and clenched the muscles in my bottom. “Jesus, Beth you need to relax. Could you BE any more excited?” Megan chipped in sardonically. I frowned and mouthed the word “cunt” at her. She recoiled as if slapped and looked to Dad for support; he’d just lit candle number thirteen. I wasn’t going to let Megan ruin MY day! “Oh … my … god!” It was Mum. I could hear the front door closing out in the hallway, and the sound of her heels clip-clopping across the hardwood floor just outside. “Please tell me I didn’t miss anything?” She said, still unbuttoning her coat as she entered the kitchen. She planted a quick kiss on Dad’s cheek as he lit candle Kaynarca Escort number fifteen before playfully dashing behind my chair. She hugged me tightly and then proceeded to plant eighteen kisses on my cheek (I counted every one). At forty-five my mother was still an exceptionally beautiful woman. She was taller than both me and Megan, and bustier if truth be known. Although, she had always promised us girls that her boobs didn’t really ‘come into their own’ until after Megan was born. Her hair was lighter and straighter than Megan’s, more like mine I suppose. Mum quickly sat to my left and joined us as we collectively gazed into the beacon of light that was my birthday cake. She took my left hand in her right and patted it gently. She held her breath for a moment and looked directly at me with a warm smile on her face. It only took mere seconds for the tears to begin to well up in her eyes. “Oh Mum!” I said, feeling my own eyes beginning to water slightly, “no-one’s dying!” She nodded and patted my hand again. She got like this sometimes. Mum didn’t like the fact that we were all grown-up. I smiled at her and wiped her eyes. Candle number sixteen was now lit. “God,” Megan Mumbled, “how much longer is this going to take?” “Megan!” Mum replied sharply. Megan seemed to momentarily shrink back into her chair. “And … we … are …” Dad struggled with the final candle, “done!” Mum clapped enthusiastically and Dad bowed in an overly dramatic fashion. I wiggled on my bottom excitedly Aydınlı escort bayan and sat up tall in the chair ready for the song to begin. Mum counted us in. “One, two, three, four.” “Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Bethany! Happy birthday to you!” It took me two goes to blow out the candles and even Megan managed to join in on the applause once I had completed my task. Mum wafted the smoke with the back of her hand and wiped her eyes with a tissue that Dad had passed her. “Mother, could you clear the table?” Dad whispered, “It’s time for my girl’s present.” Mum wiped her eyes again smiling, before lifting the birthday cake and placing it on the kitchen surface under the window. She returned in true mum-fashion with a dry cloth. Quickly, she wiped down the table and returned to her chair beside me. Megan yawned. Dad was standing now. He pushed his own chair under the table and moved behind me, placing his firm hands on my bare shoulders. He squeezed me and leaned down to whisper in my ear. “Are you excited?” I nodded enthusiastically. “Stand up Beth.” I did as Dad asked and he effortlessly lifted my chair and moved it against the far wall out of the way. I wiggled my bare feet on the cold tiles and my body shivered slightly with anticipation; my skin was beginning to goose bump. Mum looked up at me and smiled – she was still holding my hand. I didn’t really want to look at Megan. I had no doubt she was still making it very clear to anybody that was interested that she didn’t really want to be here. She could be such a spoilt bitch! I was good-as-gold at her eighteenth birthday! Dad’s right hand was suddenly between my shoulder blades pushing me firmly forward onto the empty kitchen table. I complied of course, my upper body suddenly horizontal on the plain wooden surface.