She traced one finger over the smooth wax.
“It belongs to me.”
Strangely, that made more sense than almost anything any adult had said that entire day.
—
The moment we walked into the house, Amelia’s younger siblings surrounded her.
“Was the cake huge?”
“Did Dad cry?”
“Was Aunt Lina wearing a crown?”
For the first time all day, Amelia laughed.
“No, idiot. She wasn’t wearing a crown.”
Within ten minutes, Amelia was back in her pajamas, stealing fries from her brother’s plate while he complained that she had her own
