Jayla's Day

Being the youngest of four with three older sisters was okay. I absolutely loved my sisters. JD always made sure that I wasn’t left out when it came to things that all of us could do together. Jayden would when she wasn’t busy, play with me; we’d play anything I wanted to. Jocelyn never minds doing my hair. And whenever my sisters came over I was the happiest I could ever be.

            One day like any other day, Mommy came into my room to wake me up while Daddy made breakfast and let our two Australian Shepard dogs; Juliet and River out in our backyard.  Juliet and River were a present to Mommy from Daddy for their anniversary after I was born. Both Juliet and River followed me everywhere I went when I was awake.  Mommy and Daddy saw the dogs following me around as them being protective of me. In fact when any of the other kids came over or when my sisters came over both River and Juliet would be protective of us.

            Mommy told me once I was fully awake told me that all three of my sisters and my brother-in-law were coming over later on after breakfast for a family barbeque. She then said that all my aunts, uncles and cousins were coming too. I could hardly wait for the barbeque. After that I ran down the down the stairs to see my Daddy and the dogs.

            “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy; we’re having a barbeque today and everyone is coming over.” I said excitedly.

            Daddy picked me up as Mommy brought River and Juliet back in from the yard.

            “I know. Bet you can’t wait to see your sisters.” Daddy said.

            “No I can’t, I can’t even wait to see everyone else; Daddy.”

            Daddy then set me back down on the ground and went back to making breakfast for the three of us.

            “Jayla, while Daddy makes breakfast; can you please feed Juliet and River for me?” Mommy asked me.

            “Okay Mommy.”

            River and Juliet were the same age as me; all three of us were four years old.

            “Julie, River; food!!!!!!!!!” I called.

             Juliet and River bounded in from the family room. Before long I was getting the usual amount of doggy kisses from River and Juliet.  

            “Juliet, River.” Mommy said reprimanding the dogs.

            Juliet and River stopped licking my face to beg for their food. I didn’t like it when Mommy reprimanded the dogs. Soon breakfast ready and I washed up.  After breakfast my sisters and brother-in-law arrived. Then Aunt Jen, Uncle Jethro, Bella, Carson and Jasper came.

At one point after Kelly, Jason and Liza came in; Jocelyn had decided that we should have French braids done. Kelly worked on Aunt Jen’s hair she sat in the back doing Mommy’s. Mommy did JD’s. Jayden was in front of JD, Jocelyn was in front of Jayden and I was in front of Jocelyn. Aunt Ziva worked on Bella’s.

“Hey Mommy.” I called back to my Mommy.

“Yes, Athena.”

“Why are we all having our hair done this way?”

“We are doing our hair like this cause its hot out and I want your hair done this way.”

The boys were outside playing while my daddy and all the other big boys were starting to grill. Before long it was just Mommy and Aunt Jen in the house. I had sneaked in at one point to go potty and saw that Mommy and Aunt Jen had funny drinks. I also noticed that Mommy wasn’t all that happy and I didn’t understand why.

I thought Mommy was always happy. She always said she was whenever she was talking to TV person on the TV. But today she didn’t seem that way.  It confused me why Mommy wasn’t happy after all. Even Aunt Jen didn’t look happy. When I went back outside I tried to find Daddy or Uncle Jethro. It was easier to get to Uncle Jethro.

“Uncle Jethro.” I said as I tugged on his shirt.

“Yes Miss Jayla.” Uncle Jethro said as he picked me up.

“Mommy and Aunt Jen don’t look happy inside and they have funny looking drinks in front of them. What’s wrong with Mommy? What’s wrong with Aunt Jen?”

“Hey Nick, what’s today’s date?”

“It’s the 31st.”

“Jocelyn, come take your sister. Nick come with me.”

“What’s wrong with Mommy and Aunt Jen?” I asked my sister.

“Don’t worry Athena, they’ll be fine. Dad and Uncle Jethro will make sure of it.”

Jayden and JD came over.

“The birthday.” Jayden said to Jocelyn and JD.

“The birthday?” I asked.

“It’s Grandma Emma’s birthday, Jayla. It’s why all of us have our hair braided.  Grandma use to do Mom and Aunt Jen's hair like ours when they were little."” JD said.

 After my sisters told me, Aunt Ziva and Aunt Abby came over to us.

“Why did Gibbs and your Dad go in?” Aunt Abby asked.

“Mom and Jen are commiserating Grandma Emma over cocktails.” Jocelyn answered.

Aunt Ziva decided to go in like Uncle Jethro and Daddy.

“Why did she go in if Daddy and Uncle Jethro went in already?”

“Cause Ziva has been friends with Jen and your Mommy for a long time, Athena; and she wants to be there for them. She knows what it is like to lose a parent.”

A little while later everyone was outside. Mommy gave a great big hug to my sisters and whispered something to them before she picked me up.  Once I was in Mommy’s arms she gave me the same hug she gave my sisters and whispered something to me.

“You’re so much like Grandma.”

Later on I heard one of my sisters say that Aunt Jen had said the same thing to Bella that Mommy said to me.

             Once Aunt Jen and Mommy put Bella and me down, we ran over to the table picked up a cupcake each that had a burning candle on it and looked up to the sky. 


           "Happy Birthday Grandma Emma." we said before blowing out the candles.