A Birthday Surprise

Weeks later, Abigail’s relationship with her mother had consistently improved. They always talked and her mother had made enough time to cook dinner every night. Abigail had returned to school by that time and all of her classmates were worried about her since they heard about the beating and kidnapping. She had even made some friends during her return, which made Abigail feel optimistic about her future. Months later, on her birthday night, Abigail got into the car to drive to her last present. At school, Abigail had received small things from her friends and her new friends had become really close making Abigail extremely happy and consequently Evelyn and Lucy had not come out since the beating.

Abigail and her parents finally arrived at her last birthday present, a surprise birthday party at a super fancy restaurant right outside of town. All of her friends and family were there, arms filled with presents. Abigail was pleasantly surprised and couldn’t believe all these people had come together simply for her. She was ecstatic, especially since her uncle was nowhere to be seen. Her and her family and friends sat around the table all night long. Since she had gotten so wrapped up in the excitement, she had forgotten her jacket in the car. She excused herself from the table and walk out the restaurant door. As she was walking out the door, there was a girl, Clara Kate Abigail believed, that looked scared of the door. Abigail thought the pause and absent facial expression was odd but decided nothing of it and continued her walk to the car.

As she locks the car doors back up, she turns around and sees her uncle in a drunken mess. Obviously, he hasn’t showered for days and he smells like an awful odor. He comes up to her but without the usual aggressiveness.

“Happy Birthday beautiful. I am sorry I can’t come and celebrate it with you.” her uncle said. 

“Well I am not sorry. Ever since you have been gone, my life has been great. You know the cops have been looking for you and once I tell them you are here, they will get you and you will spend the rest of your sad miserable life in prison!” 

He pauses. “I just want to say how sorry I am. I didn’t intend to have that kind of relationship with you. It just sort of happened.”

“How does that shit just ‘sort of happen’? Guess what… IT DOESN’T. You knew what you were doing and wanted it to happen every single time you came over to my house. You made my life a living hell on top of the fact that no one believed me. Well, they probably still don’t.  But I need you to stay the hell away from me because you will NOT ruin my good life now!!” Abigail screamed. 

“Please just say you forgive me. That’s all I need to move on.”

At that point, Abigail was so infuriated that she picked up one of the decorative rocks on the restaurants fountain and threw it at him, for it to only to break the restaurant window.  The whole restaurant rushed outside to see what was happening. Abigail’s mother ran up to her to ask her what was going on.

“Uncle came to tell me happy birthday and he just made me so angry.” Abigail said to her mother. 

“The meds are still getting to you. I told that doctor you didn’t need any more meds now. You are fine. Come one. Lets go inside. I will have to pay for the window too. “ her mother answered. 

“Are you kidding me?!!! I just saw him. He spoke to me and apparently just vanished out of thin air when y’all came out here.”

“Honey. I know you didn’t see your uncle because….”

“Because what?!” Abigail said. 

“I didn’t want to tell you this until you got better but… the police found your uncle’s body in Sherwood Park right after the kidnapping. He has been dead for months.”

Abigail was incredibly confused and looked away from her mother only to find her uncle across the street waving at her. He ended his wave and vanished into thin air never to be seen again.