Work Text:
Grandpa's Fifth Birthday
by Irena Adler
"Grannpa Alan, why don' you wan' us to cel'brate your birfday?"
"Some of us don't get excited about our birthdays anymore," Alan replied, looking at his granddaughter as she stood in the doorway.
"I lof my birfday!" Nena said and pulled out a chair next to Alan at the table. "You get cake `n ice cweam `n pinyotuhs `n pwesents!"
"Birthdays are quite different when you're five, then when you're my age."
"How old's you?"
Alan shook his head, not even wanting to say it out loud. "Too old."
"Too old fer what?" Nena demanded. "Ice cweam? You eats ice cweam! You likes ice cweam!"
"Yes, yes, I do. And I like cake. And presents."
"Scerd of pinyotuhs?"
Alan had to laugh. "No, I'm not scared of piñatas. I just don't like people reminding me how many years I've been on this planet."
"Where elz you been? In space wif Larry?"
Alan laughed again. "It's just another way of saying how old I am."
"Oh," Nena said thoughtfully. She swung her legs on the chair, frowning at nothing for a moment, then her face cleared. "I know ... You cans be five! Like me!"
"Umm..."
"You cans have cake `n stwabewy ice cweam `n a pinyotuh shap'd like a big five wif candy `n
Alan eyed her. "Are you sure you're not just angling for more cake and goodies?"
"Pwesents wiw be for you," she said virtuously.
Alan smiled down at the open present box. It held a print of an old poster from a 1960s Santa Cruz surf tournament, enclosed in a picture frame with surfboards on it.
"Thank you," he said to Colby who nodded, looking pleased with his present as well.
Nena raced by, chasing Monster who had part of the piñata in his mouth. Charlie was taking apart a wooden mind-twister puzzle that he'd given Alan. Don was laughing over something with Will, Larry was gazing off into space, and Megan was eating ice cream. His neighbors were eating 'brauts and watching Nena circle Monster around the koi pond.
Alan set the surf poster aside and reached for his next present. His heart felt light and young. Maybe he'd be five next year too.
end