My bare feet on the coffee table. I remember how cold it was. I remember how the fabric of my pink birthday dress would swipe my skin when I would twirl. My mom with the blonde corkscrew curls and a Canon camera in her hands. Seeing the flash every time I changed my pose.

It’s April 16th, my birthday. One year older! my mom says. It’s a rainy spring day. the perfect day that waters all the lilies. The ones I had danced in only hours before the rain came.

My bare feet still prancing on the cold table. My mom capturing my youth. Wait mama look at this pose! I yell as I sit down criss cross applesauce style, my dress surrounding me. My hands folded and  placed on the side of my right hip. My head tilted to the right, a huge smile, and my natural curls in my face. A fake plastic crown on my tiny head. I was a princess.

Kayla, get your hair out of your face! You little peanut! I shake my head to push back the curls. I go right back to smiling with big bright blue eyes. My grey cat jumps onto the table with me. Her fur rubs against my arm. Mommy, why didn’t daddy stay longer? He was at his apartment drinking beer. Pissed about his youth leaving him, Looking down seeing all the people as small as ants. The Eiffel Tower! What a sight! he says with a twinkle in his eye, But now bound here by a human mistake. Reminded of that mistake by its anniversary. So he drinks to forget but also to remember how it feels to be young. At the same time taking his own youth away with every sip.

Your daddy loves you, she says leaning over and playing with my hair trying to comfort me. I smile and jump up onto my bare feet once again and jump into my moms arms. I rest my head onto her shoulders. My bare feet dangling in the air. My mouth opens wide and lets out a huge yawn. My crown slides off of my weary head and onto the floor. My mom takes me upstairs to sleep. And as the lights go out, all thats left in that immediate darkness is the cold coffee table that the cat has sprawled out on and that little plastic crown.