>>18239019Colby knows it's her birthday, of course. She has got on a fancy pink dress and the best silly pink hat that she could possibly find. But the scene that greets her in the grand hall of the Divine Mansion is beyond anything she'd ever experienced before. She has never had a birthday like this.
Not her 11th Birthday private party at the skating rink in Fayetteville, where her little brother Dylan had bullied her for falling down all the time and having more of his friends show up than hers.
Not her Sweet 16 Poetry Postcard Slumber Party, where her one remaining friend had showed up and halfheartedly played X-Box while Colby cut out little flowers and butterflies from colored paper and glued them together with stamps and things.
Not her wild and raucous 21st virtual birthday party (done remotely for social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 of course), where she'd mixed up a pitcher of vodka lemonade for herself and gone to all the trouble to set up a VCR to stream classic 1980s wrestling matches online, in between a spicy round of remote virtual Truth or Dare, to the confusion and dismay of the few college friends who'd been curious enough to drop in and check it out.
She walks through the splendidly outfitted party before her, looking around at the assembled guests, decorations, and tables of desserts like she's in a wonderland with an enormous smile on her face. A high-pitched, keening sound of joy escapes her open mouth, and she hurries forward to Amy with wet eyes and a gasp.
>"Ammmyyyy.....! Ohh, this is WONDERFUL!"Colby stares raptly at Amy with moist and starry eyes.
