It's My Party

Dad saves the day for his Gloria's party

"It's my party!" Gloria sputtered, "I should be able to invite who I want and not have to put up with stinky old aunts who drink far too much and are a family embarrassment."

"Gloria Diane Meyer. You watch your tone. Your father and I are fitting the bill. Family will be there."

Gloria pressed her lips together to keep herself from saying anything more. She knew her mother could and would cancel the whole thing and just have family if she caused anymore flack. She pressed her bottom teeth into her upper lip to keep the tempting eruption of words from scalding the air before her. She should be grateful she was getting a party at all.

"Sweet sixteen. Who ever heard of such a thing? If you're father wasn't such a pushover there'd be no party at all. Family alone was always the way my family honoured a birthday."

Gloria stared at the floor. There was no way she could look at her mother. Fire blazed in her eyes and any of that sort of thing and she'd get nothing at all. Not even a family gathering.

She'd have to hope it all would work out.

Her father had rented a hall. It was large enough to have two areas. One had a dance floor and tables setup around the perimeter of the room; the other had comfortable seating - looking very much like a parlor.

"We'll have the cake and open presents in this parlor area. Your mother will approve," her father said as he winked at her. "The other area will be for the younger partiers. There will be dancing and music. No alcohol will be allowed in the dance hall. That should keep some of the more unsavoury members of our clan cordoned off. Aunt Harriet will not venture anywhere without her gin. So she'll stay far away from your friends."

"Thanks Papa. I knew I could count on you."

"For you, my sweet girl, anything. You only turn sixteen once in your life. Enjoy it."

"I will Papa. Thank you." Gloria said as she wrapped her arms around her father and squeezed. He squeezed her right back as he pressed a kiss to the top of her silken hair.





Word count = 374.

Notes ▼

Written for Writer's Cramp due October 11.