A Birthday Uncelebrated

Nobody came to my birthday party. I turned twelve that day. My mom woke me up

early to help her hang streamers in the living room. We decorated the cake and blew up

cheap balloons until we were dizzy. I invited my whole class. The party started

at 3. At 3:15, my mom said, “They’re just running late.”

At 4, she turned the music down and stopped checking the window. I kept refreshing

my phone. “Sorry, can’t make it.” “My mom said no.” Most of them didn’t

say anything at all. By 5, it was just me, a half-melted cake,

and thirty untouched paper plates. My mom stuck a candle in one slice, sat across from