Baby

own.
    “Mom, he did leave me a present. He’s a golden fairy. Abby, do fairies usually have a tail? His tail glowed. And he left me this.” Pulling out the coin from his pocket, he proudly held it up for his sister and his mom. Taking it from him to examine, his mother carefully scrutinized the coin.
    “This coin is very old sweetie, old is good. That’s what makes it valuable.”
    “Is it a special coin, Mom? It must be special because I got it from the golden fairy and he knew about my birthday.” Scotty’s chest inflated, his wandering eye unexpectedly centered in his eyeball.
    Looking over to the kitchen table, a new birthday cake winked at him. He could tell his mom purchased it at the bakery. He wondered where she got the money but the moment contained so much joy he pushed away his guilt. Jumping up, he tugged on both of them.
    “Mom, let’s have cake. I want to blow out my candles and make a wish.” Hurrying over to the table, she lit the candles as she sang to him. While they blazed with flame, he made a wish and blew them all out. Smiling happily to himself, he realized this time, his birthday wish would come true, absolutely convinced his golden fairy would grant it. He couldn’t wait to wake up the next morning to hear of his father’s death.
    When bedtime came, his mother tucked him in. Noticing his gold coin and his new book in bed with him, she removed them, placing both on his dresser.
    “Sweetie, I think we’ll put your coin someplace safe, it’s probably very valuable. I’ll look into it and see what I can find out. Good night, birthday boy.” As his mother shut off the light, the last thoughts filling his head swam with images of the fairy and the most fantastic birthday ever. Scotty slumbered fitfully, unaware of the probing flashes of residual rainbow light that sent fingers to tumble around in his brain.

    Going off to school the next morning, he took his new book with him. Reading the chapter on wood fairies, he found no mention of the golden ones with long glowing tails. As a matter of fact, he didn’t see any fairies with tails. They all wore wings of some kind. Certainly none of them with horns like his golden fairy. His disappointment acute, excitement dimmed, slowly grasping that he might be wrong about his fairy. No, he knew a fairy when he saw one. What else could he be?
    Riding home on the school bus, his spirits flagged, disappointed to find the rain pouring down. He wanted to return to the big rock and wait for the fairy, afraid if he didn’t show up, the fairy might give up on him and find a new little boy to spend time with. His mom waited for him at the bus stop. Taking her hand, he scooted under her umbrella. Smiling gently, she smoothed back the wisps of hair that refused to cover his ringworm scars no matter how she brushed them.
    “Honey, your father called. He would like to visit this weekend and apologize for his behavior. Would you like to see him?”
    “No. No.” Scotty screamed, his face turning white. His father was still alive? The fairy didn’t come through for him. Something went wrong with his wish. Maybe he needed to tell it directly to the fairy.
    “Mommy, I need to go to the woods today.” His voice frantic, he begged her permission.
    “Don’t be silly. You’ll get soaked. You’re not going anywhere, except home with me, silly.” Arriving at their front door she closed the umbrella and scooted him into the house.
    Hanging up his jacket, he ran to Abby’s bedroom where he found her studying. She belonged in high school now, her time no longer as available to him. He climbed up on her bed trying to fit in her lap like he used to as a tot.
    “Come on, little dude, I need to get my homework done.” Abby laughingly rained kissed down on his sad face, signs of his infant impetigo less a beacon now that a growth spurt looked to be in play. Stroking his patchy fine hair back from his face, she pushed her books aside, cuddling up with her brother on her pillows. “What’s wrong, Scotty?”
    Tears slowly leaked down his chubby cheeks as he snuggled up to his sister. “Abby, I love you.”
    “I love you too, champ. What’s going on?”
    He put his ear up to his sister’s to whisper. “I think daddy is going to move back in with us.” He quickly looked to his sister’s face to gauge her reaction. Abby looked grim but she hugged him tightly.
    “No, Scotty; that will never happen. Mom promised he would never get the chance to hurt her