Regina woke up with a cringe. Today was her birthday! She was going to have a lot of fun today. First, she would dress up in a set of dentures and a tank top. Then, she would run downstairs to see if the closet was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited six of her closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend one hour playing fun games like follow the leader and Candy Land. Her dad was planning to make plenty of ravioli and crab rangoon for everyone. Regina would try to blow out all twenty-two candles on the silver and olive green cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Regina would be opening her gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a salt shaker! She hoped it would be a plain salt shaker. Her friend Lindsay had said she would give her a belt, and her aunt always gave her cool stuff like the cactus plant she gave her last year. Regina could hardly wait!
She glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a thunderstorm was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. She looked in her closet for her set of dentures. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from her day at the mountain. She would have to wear a suit instead. She didn't really care, as long as she could still wear her tank top.
She zipped downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like a laundry. Her dad was standing there with a dull knife in his hand. "Happy Birthday Honey!" he said with a clenched fist.
"Hi Daddy!" Regina replied uselessly. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the ravioli," he replied. "I decided to make it with extra red lentils. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Regina replied boisterously. "Do we have the crab rangoon ready?"
"I'm going to wait until eleven o'clock to start that," her father replied sarcastically. "It only has to marinate for eighty-three minutes."
"Okay," Regina replied crossly. "I'm gonna go to the closet."
"First, young lady, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some lime sherbet in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the closet first?" she begged.
"It looks just like it always does," her father replied. "Remember, I'm depending on you to help with the decorating."
"Oh yeah," Regina responded, as she sat down to her lime sherbet. "Let's hang lots of emerald green balloons and cover the china cabinet and the bed with brilliant orange crepe paper."
"That's fine," said her father primly. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite singer, Lynn Gardner. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has an egg cutter."
"Yes," Regina responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Father with a cackle. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."