My brother counted the candles. Why? Who has 54 candles on hand anyway?
Dad appreciated the strawberry cake with lemon frosting, so the candles weren’t his focus. The entire family showed up for the celebration.
Due to Covid we’d missed a few birthday parties, so we decided this would be our year to reconnect. Dad got new shirts and pajamas he didn’t need. He told us so. What he needed was family, no matter the candle count.
(she/her) is drawn to the magic of words—poetry, song lyrics, flash fiction, puzzles, and stand-up comedy. Her latest book is Demitasse Fiction: One-Minute Reads for Busy People (Alien Buddha Press, 2023). She lives in Indianola, Iowa, USA with her husband and three cats.
