Episode 36: Claire's Birthday

You are crossing the river on the College Avenue bridge on a snowy Saturday afternoon, heading to Chris and Emily’s house, for Claire’s first birthday party. Giant flakes are falling slowly from the gray sky, laying a frosty blanket over the town. The last stragglers from the weekly farmers’ market walk past you on their way home, and you catch a whiff of the tagine someone is carrying from the North African restaurant in the market square. You feel pinpricks of cold as your eyebrows fill with snowflakes, and you take a slow breath.

You arrive at Claire’s family home on Porter Street a little after 2:00. Emily greets you at the door with a warm hug, and takes your coat. Their rowhome is the width of a single room, with a flight of stairs running up the left wall to the second and third floors. Chris comes up to you bearing a tray full of steaming mugs, and says, “Hello, You! We’re so glad you could make it. Can I offer you a cup of spiced hot cider?”

You tell him, “Yes, that sounds wonderful. I could use a little warming up.” You take the mug Chris offers, and you try a sip of the cider, which is wonderfully rich in cinnamon and nutmeg.

Grace appears at your side, holding a mug of her own, and squeezes your upper arm as she asks, “Did you decide to walk down?”

You nod and answer, “I wanted to stretch my legs a little after lunch.”

The crowd in the living room and dining room parts, and Claire comes running into the room, wearing a hand painted pink cardboard crown. She stops abruptly in front of you, gives you a toothy grin, and yells, “Party!”

You break into a big smile of your own and say, “Indeed.”

As you look around the cozy living room, you notice a large pile of gifts in a basket beneath the front window. They are wrapped in several different kinds of paper, but all appear to be the same size. You tilt your head as you see the gifts, remembering again that Emily had told you not to bring a gift for Claire. Grace touches your arm again, lightly this time, and leans toward you as she says quietly, “You didn’t miss anything. Those gifts are for everyone else. One for each guest.”

You turn to face her as you say, “Really?”

Just then, Emily stands up on the coffee table and claps her hands twice to get everyone’s attention. The room quiets and she says, “Thank you. I’ve gotta say, I actually don’t get a lot of chances to stand on furniture and address a crowd. But I could get used to this.”

The gathered guests chuckle softly.

Emily continues, “We are so happy to welcome all of you into our home. This week is Claire’s first birthday, and we wish her many happy circles around the sun. But we also want to be sure to thank each of you for being part of her life. You have changed diapers, played peekaboo, and taken turns holding her. You have also taken great care of her sleep-deprived parents, and we are so lucky to have you. Please join me now in a moment of shared silence, so we can all feel the love and gratitude that surrounds us in this room.”

Emily says, “Thank you, dear friends. Okay, we have a little something for each of you. Our tradition here in town is that when we celebrate a first birthday, the family gives something to the guests, rather than the other way around. We want to thank you for all your support, and anyway, how many stuffed alpacas does one kid need?”

Jacey the mechanic calls out, “Llama pretend you didn’t ask that,” and everyone groans.

Emily’s eyes sparkle, and she says, “Quite right, Jacey. So. Bear with us for a moment, as we hand out everyone’s gifts.” She hops down from the coffee table, walks behind you, and then taps you on the shoulder, saying, “May I give this to you?”

You tell her, “Yes, of course,” and she hands you a small rectangular package. You remove the beautiful paper slowly, trying not to tear it so you can bring it home for collaging, and you see that it contains a picture frame, with a photo of you holding Claire at the Parade of Lights in December. All around you, the other guests are opening their own picture frames, and sighing fondly as they see themselves with Claire in moments from the past year.

Grace gives you a sideways hug with one arm as you say, “She’s such a great kid.”

Grace replies, “As are you. Sorry, but I reserve the right to call you a kid.”

You lean your head against hers as you say, “I don’t mind.” The two of you stand together in the middle of the crowd, and you feel your own breath fall into a rhythm with hers. You notice the gathering warmth in your scalp at the place where your heads are touching, and you take an appreciative breath.

Emily comes back your way and says in a low voice, “Oh, and there’s a little something extra for you on the porch. We took a family hike yesterday and brought back a bucket of chestnuts from the research station.”

Grace adds, “We all thought you might like to roast them at the winter block party next weekend. You’re planning to come, right?”

You say, “Oh yes, I’m really looking forward to it. Thank you so much!”

A squeal of delight comes from the dining room, and the three of you look over to see Claire hopping up and down in her high chair. Matthew has stuck a dollop of butter on Claire’s nose, and she is scooping it into her hands with messy delight.

Emily tells you, “It’s a custom from when he grew up on PEI. He did it to me on my first birthday, too. Says it makes you too slippery for bad luck to catch you.”

You take in this little home, bursting at the seams with friends and family and heartfelt joy, and you say, “That hardly feels necessary here.”