Forgotten Birthday

Bernadette walked home with a smile etched on her face. It was her birthday today and she was excited to spend it with Walter and play around with him.

It was 5 p.m. already but it was still early for her to do everything she planned for her birthday. She hadn't planned much anyway and had only put together a few games and bought a few candy bars.

It had been long since she celebrated her birthday in a fancy manner. She couldn't remember the last time she had a party and invited friends over. Most of her friends had urged her to have parties but she had declined every time and they eventually gave up on persuading her.

Ever since she turned 18 and her father started giving her the cold shoulder, her birthdays had been neglected to the point where it was almost forgotten. It was only occasional that her father would buy her a present and tell her 'happy birthday' half-heartedly. It was actually her mother who kept her birthday alive all those years.