And Your Girl Can Sing

Chapter 76: I Come Bearing Gifts

London, 2010

    "Make a wish!"

    I leaned forward and blew out the candles, felling them all with one single breath. The rich sound of clapping rose around me and it felt like there were more than six people in the room: Donna, Charlotte, Alice, June, and Mum, all bringing their hands together in a celebratory gesture with smiles on their faces as I stepped back, the commemorative candle-blowing signifying the official turning another year older.

    "Here, here, Cora, take the knife. Make the first cut, love." I took the knife from mum and prepared to slice it into the cake, making sure the knife lined up with the kitchen counter behind the cake, when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. There had been more than six people in the room after all.

    "Dad," I stammered, and my hands caused the knife to go halfway into the cake, making a lopsided cut. For a moment there was an awkward lapse of silence before he stepped forward and said, "Can I help you with that, Cora?"

    I nodded, grateful someone was in control. His strong hands took the knife and gripped it. "Come on. Help me out," he offered softly, smiling at me, and I put my right hand over his and we sliced into the cake together, this time in the correct position. I snuck a glance at my mum, she was smiling. I relaxed a little.

The chocolate cake from M&S was now divided into eight pieces. Someone suggested watching the telly while we ate and we all raced into the living room, June grabbing the remote since she knew the house best and pointing it at the telly in a commanding gesture. Madonna appeared on screen: I am a material girl.

    "Let's watch something else," Charlotte protested, but June held her stance. "C'mon, Charlie, this channel is full of old music videos. We can make fun of the way they dressed back then." Charlotte relented. I settled into a corner of the couch and put a bite of chocolate cake into my mouth as the other girls found a spot around me. Madonna's song ended and I remembered my father was in the kitchen with my mother.

    I got up with my half eaten cake and walked into the kitchen area to see my father leaning against the wall of our kitchen, good-naturedly eating some of the cake. I looked round for mum and then she raised her head: she had been kneeling, looking for more plastic forks.

    "Nice of you to come by," she said, not noticing me in the corner as she gripped the forks and rose, shutting the cabinet quietly. "It would have been nicer, though, had you let me know beforehand. But it is... certainly nice to see you."

    "I couldn't miss out on Cora's birthday," he said, putting the cake on the counter. I was torn between making my presence known and slipping away when mum caught my shadow. "Cora, come out and say hi to your father."

    I stepped forward and he held out his arms, to which I gave him an awkward hug. "Hi darling," he said softly as he hugged me tightly. "I'm so glad I stopped by. Are you okay with me coming by?"

    My breath caught in my throat. "Thank you for asking. Seriously. I—uh—I'm fine with it now. It's all good." This came out surprisingly shaky, like the situation before me. Mother and father, fire and water in a room, and yet nothing was clashing. "Your mother and I are doing better, love. Isn't that right? I hope I am, anyways." He addressed my mum, who nodded, holding a cup of tea. Her cake was left untouched, but I attributed this to nerves rather than hostility. I allowed myself a smile. He put an arm round my shoulders and squeezed them. "All right. You'd better get back to your friends."

    "You'll still be here later, though?"

    He looked worried. "Probably not. I have a work meeting later." Visions of a happy family eating dinner together blew away into the corners of my mind, and he must have noticed because he said quickly, "Well, all right. Maybe I'll pop by. I'll see what I can do." He glanced toward my mother. "Are you all right with that?"