A tension

She squirmed. Too much attention. Too much love in their voices.

The blur of lit candles. Dinnertime ritual turned upside down. Oh, that poor kid, coming unwound! She buried her face and cried while the family sang, “Happy Birthday to you!”

And all those expectant eyes—did she need to sing back, in return? All by herself? Panicked, she ran from the room. [Read more…]