Friend.
2012
My hand slides slowly and carefully, holding the final and most important object, the golden crown, placing it on top of the three-tiered cake - a blue and white striped base, white and blue on top - which takes up its rightful place on the main table adorned with teddy bears, miniature aged golden chests, flowers matching the colors of the cake in blue vases, jars, and some crowns. Crowns are scattered throughout the entire party decoration, including a huge one with Juan's name underneath on the backdrop made of blue and gold balloons. Because my son is the king of my life, and no theme can compare to him. Actually, I never understood why a mother who loves her child so much decides to have such clichéd characters at a first birthday party... My son is unique, and he will always have something incomparable, in the best Penedo style. Oh, and Salazar, of course.
On the tables, I chose white flower-shaped balloons and a helium-filled blue balloon in the center, matching the white and blue colors chosen to decorate the tables that fill the entire garden of my parent's house, the best place to celebrate my son's first birthday.
One year... One year of the best thing that has ever happened in my life. This birthday represents much more than just my son's birthday party. In this one year, many things have happened. My husband's company is expanding; he finally secured a new account with the Portuguese, and this year, another company will surely be opened, now in Lisbon. My son is growing strong and healthy; at nine months old, he was already walking from one side to the other. He doesn't speak like other children, but he is making progress in his treatment. Juan understands everything we say, points to things he wants; he just doesn't speak. But he is a happy child like any other. I know that one day he will say "mommy," even though he already says it when he looks at me. And as for me...
I dropped out of law school after Juan was born. I realized that law definitely wasn't for me, and I decided to dedicate myself to my family, not just them. During this time, I started to devote more of my time to helping others. After Juan came home, I began helping in the hospital's milk bank as a breast milk donor. I also became a volunteer for the association that supports parents with babies admitted to the neonatal unit. I continued with the parents' association at the hospital for six months even after I stopped donating milk.
But I confess that I miss doing something for myself... I still remember the feeling I had in Senegal, being part of something... Sometimes, I catch myself looking at the photos from Senegal, from Lac Rose... and I still find myself thinking about X. I fulfilled Filomena's agreement, even though I still don't know who the father of my child is, and I haven't had any contact with him since. I deactivated my MSN, uninstalled RED, and blocked his email. Still, I wonder where he might be, what he's doing, and if he still thinks of me...
"Darling, here are the party favors," Carlos says, arriving with the party favors that were delivered to our house instead of my parent's house, as planned. He kisses me and steps back with a strange look on his face. "Luckily, they delivered them to the wrong address; otherwise, your friend would be waiting at our door."
"Friend? What friend?" I ask, confused. I take the party favors and start placing them in their designated spots. I don't remember sending any invitations with the address of my house.
"He's greeting your parents out front," Carlos explains, helping me with the favors. "You met him in Senegal. What's his name again...?"
I stopped listening to Carlos and started walking towards the front of the house, feeling nervous. As much as I wanted to avoid it, X's name flickered in my mind. He wouldn't be capable of coming here... would he?
I hear an animated conversation at the front, and it seems that my "friend" managed to impress my parents, as I know X is capable of doing. I approach them, being able to see the three of them talking: my father, my mother, and...
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