Chapter 26 - The Cake Knife
Three years after the party, Juniper turned ten.
This time she wanted a real cake.
“Big?”
“Medium.”
“Color?”
“Lavender.”
Of course.
We invited twelve children.
Backyard again.
Same lawn.
Different table.
No need to avoid geography forever.
Hadley was not invited.
Not punishment.
They were not close.
Octavia obviously not.
Celeste sent a gift from Hadley.
Juniper opened it later.
Fine.
The cake arrived.
Three tiers?
No.
One large round cake.
Lavender frosting.
White flowers.
Juniper walked toward it.
I felt my body tighten.
She noticed.
“Dad.”
“Yes?”
“You okay?”
“I’m good.”
“You’re weird.”
Correct.
The baker handed me the knife.
I looked at Juniper.
“Your cake.”
She took it.
Molly said:
“Careful.”
Juniper rolled her eyes.
She cut the first slice badly.
Frosting collapsed.
She laughed.
Rebecca took photographs.
No one pushed anyone.
Then one boy, Tyler, dabbed frosting on another boy’s nose.
My entire nervous system stood up.
The second boy laughed and put frosting on Tyler’s chin.
Consent.
Mutual.
Fine.
I breathed.
Juniper saw.
“Dad.”
“What?”
“Not every frosting is crime.”
I almost choked laughing.
“No.”
She handed me a plate.
“Eat.”
I did.
Cake tasted ordinary.
That was the climax I wanted.
Not revenge.
Not Octavia ruined.
Not Hadley begging.
May you like
A ten-year-old cutting her own cake without the past deciding the room.
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