Silver spoons- an excerpt from " Monnie and the Secrets of the Willow Tree"

A sizzle, a crackle, the fresh warm scent of birthday cake in the oven- any of these would have been nice to wake up to. Instead Monnie found herself face to face with the underside of her sister's cartoon charactered pillow. The only scent she could sense was a hint of stashed oat meal cookies and night breath. The only sound, was the muffled laughter of a tickled six year old.

"Monnie, wake up! It's your birthday!"

"I know Gabby", Monnie answered as she reached from under the covers to free her face from the pillow. She threw it across the room to the other bed. I know, she thought, but I guess everyone else forgot. With a huge stretch and groan she blinked open her eyes, and sat up like an unmanned puppet. The blinds, allowing piercingly bright pangs of sun ray through them, was most obviously forgetting the day as well.

Monny jumped up, reasoning that it was still pretty early for a saturday, and figured she should let her parents off the hook for now. Still warm in her flannel, flower and polka-dotted print pjs, she sloshed her way to the kitchen for a small bowl of oaty o's. She wanted to make sure she would have room for her real breakfast that was soon to come. Gabby of course, trailed behind her, demanding a bowl as well. They sat at the neutral toned kitchen island eating, in milky silence. Here, through the kitchen window, the sun barely made a peek, but it was enough to send golden shimmers across their clanking stainless steel spoons. Monny smiled, and imagined for a moment, that they were stainless, and silver, and just for her on this special day.

(C)2009