"Happy birthday, momma!!" Tris barged into Amy's room and ran to the bed.
"It's my momma's birthday!! She's a big girl today!!" Tris began jumping on the bed, not minding the fact that his mother was still sound asleep.
"What a way to wish you mum a happy birthday, Tris. I couldn't have asked for a better celebration," Amy sleepily groaned with a chuckle as she tried to calm Tris down.
"So how old are you now, momma?" Tris asked Amy.
"Like you said before, I'm a big girl now," she replied.
"But that was what you told me last year and the year before. Why don't you want me to know your age?" Tris folded his arms and pouted.
"Is my baby boy going to get mad at mummy on her birthday?" Amy formed a puppy face.
"No, I'm not mad. But-"
"Good. That's just what I wanted to hear. Now, why don't you go to the living room and tell aunty Kayla to make you some eggs? I'll join you in a bit," she proposed.
"But I want to wait till you're ready to come out, so I can show you off to aunt Kayla," Tris argued.
Amy stared at her son for a moment, wondering how he found it easy to melt one with his words at such a young age.
"Don't worry. I'll meet you downstairs, then you can show me off," she insisted, and Tris reluctantly left the room.
She watched as in muse as he dragged himself off the bed and out of her room, but the smile on her face eventually disappeared when he left, and her mind got occupied with another person.
She switched on her phone and checked her call logs. No calls from him. She checked her messages too. Nothing.
It'd been days since she got a text or a call from him. The last time she saw him was when he dropped Tris after taking him out to play chess.
What was happening?
Why was he so cold suddenly?
Even if he wasn't interested in her anymore, was he not supposed to at least check in on his son?
She didn't remember telling him that it was her birthday today, but she somehow wished he called and wished her a happy birthday.
Or was he alright? It was really unlike him to stay this long without giving her a call.
Why was she caring about him anyway?
Maybe she took it too literally when he said he wanted to be a part of Tris's life. Maybe he just wanted to show up every now and then.
She shrugged and got herself out of bed.
She walked to the living area, but Tris was nowhere to be found. Instead, she saw Kayla on a call, her back turned to Amy.
"Hey, Kayla-"
Kayla suddenly got so startled by Amy's greeting that Amy got shocked too.
"H... Hey! Good morning!!"
"What's wrong?! Why did you jump like that?" Amy questioned, a little bit pissed.
"Sorry, it was... It's nothing. How are you doing? Oh, and before I forget, happy birthday!" Amy saw a nervous smile on her face.
"Thank you. Who were you talking with on the phone?" Amy questioned.
"What - the phone?! The... The call?!! Oh!! It's no one!" Kayla laughed it off as she stylishly put the phone in her back pocket.
"Kayla?"
"Yeah?"
"Is everything alright? Are you okay?" Amy questioned, suspecting something fishy.
"Everything is alright, my best friend. All I want you to do is to sit down and relax, while I go make you some birthday breakfast, hmm?" Kayla grinned.
Amy played cool, but she knew something was going on. She knew Kayla would take any opportunity she could get to change the topic.
"Oh, and one more thing," Kayla said, and Amy halted.
"What's that?"
"Do you have any plans of celebrating your birthday?" Kayla asked.
Amy was surprised by this question.
"Kayla, you of all people should know that I don't celebrate birthdays. There are more important things to do than to celebrate birthdays. I plan to go look for a job today. I don't want reality to hit us bad when the money we have stashed up gets finished," Amy said.
"You want to go job hunting on your birthday?" Kayla asked, shocked.
"Is there anything wrong with it?"
"No, not at all. What time will you leave the house?"
"Later in the day. Maybe one in the afternoon," she said and walked into her room before Kayla could ask her any more questions.
She couldn't tell why everyone was acting weird today.
*****
"Kayla, let me go!!" Amy cried in frustration.
Amy had eaten and gotten ready to hit the road, but her friend was literally blocking her from going through the door.
She'd initially noticed that Kayla was looking for ways to stall her. From engaging her in long conversations about nothing in particular, to asking her questions that didn't even make sense.
Amy was determined to search and find a job, so Kayla could only stall for so long. She'd run out of what to say, and she resorted to blocking her from leaving the house.
"Why today of all days, Amy? Why don't you stay home and enjoy your day with your son?" Kayla protested
"Would he prefer to enjoy it on an empty stomach?"
"But-"
"Kayla, you're getting me pissed. I don't know why you've been acting weird since today, but I'm not in for any of it. Just get out of my way, so I can find myself a job," Amy warned.
"And where the hell is the guy? How long will it take him to get here, for crying out loud?" Kayla cussed under her breath.
"What guy?" Amy questioned.
Kayla was about to reply to her, when they heard the beeping of a car outside.
"Finally," Kayla sighed and left the door.
"Who's that?" Amy questioned.
"Go see for yourself," Kayla replied.
Amy eyed Kayla in anger before going out to check what was going on.
She got out, only to see Cole leaning on his car, a bouquet of rose flowers in his hands.
"Hey, beautiful," he said with a devastating charming smile on his face and Amy's heart somersaulted.