Her Blood Moon

John

Dawn was sitting in a chair, keeping her eyes closed, as she heard her mom and John whispering. Impatiently tapping her feet in her black sneakers, making her bony knees wobble up and down. Chewing on her bottom lip, trying really hard not to peek. Her mom had her messy red hair in a ponytail and had insisted Dawn dress up in nice black pants and a cute frilly pink shirt that was completely not her scene. Dawn had fought against it, trying to explain as well as an eight-year-old could that she was NOT a girly girl and if any of the boys she hung out with saw her in pink frills she would lose her street cred. But when your mom threatens to take back your birthday presents, It's kinda hard to win that kind of battle.

Now she sat in a kitchen chair, trying very hard to be patient as she listened to her mom and John move things around in the room, rolling her eyes behind her eyelids.

John's deep voice reached her ears, making her jump because she didn't realize he was standing right next to her.

"Alright, Dawn, you can open your eyes now."

Grinning, she finally opened them, blinking a couple of times as her eyes adjusted from darkness to the brightly lit room. Her eyes darted around and finally landed on John and her mom standing in front of her, wrapped presents around their feet. John stood directly in front of her, grinning ear to ear, holding an iced chocolate cake that spelled out the words 'Happy B Day Dawn' in light blue lettering with 8 candles stuck on the top.

She giggled with glee, her smile growing so big it hurt her cheeks.

"Omg a birthday cake! And presents! Ooooooo"

Her eyes sparkled. Her mom and John were kinda cheesy sometimes, but Dawn really did like these types of surprises. She really liked mom's husband, John. He was a big, tall buffy dude with balding brown hair and a big bushy beard and twinkling dark brown eyes. He was a gamer (had his own play station in his and mom's room), and he was fun to be around. And he seemed to make mom happy, which was a bonus.

His grin was lighting up his face at her reaction as he moved the cake closer to her, waiting for her to make a wish and blow out the candles.

She looked at the cake, then glanced from John to her mom. Dawn bit her lip, considering her wish.

Everything had been great the last 6 months or so, ever since her mom started dating and got married to John. Dawn had her own room. They hadn't moved in what felt like forever, and she was actually happy for the longest she had ever remembered since her parents divorced.

No weird dudes showing up with mom late at night...or coming to her room while her mom was passed out in bed. No nightmares of touches or rubs or being held down. No hiding under her bed from drunk guys coming into her room....

Goosebumps raised on her arms as the bad thoughts began to overwhelm her in a sudden rush of pain and fear. Dawn shook her head to rid herself of the bad thoughts, took a deep breath, and not, for the first time, prayed as hard as she could.

Please, if there is a God like Grandma says there is. Let this be it. Let mom and John stay together, and we be happy like dad is with Janet. Don't let this end. That's all I ask. Please.

Dad had remarried when Dawn was 6. Janet, her stepmom, was nice enough. Tall and thin, with long blonde hair. She was nice to Dawn, but she could tell she really would rather spend time with her dad alone. Maybe that is why her dad changed from every weekend to every other weekend visits...so him and Janet could be alone instead of Dawn annoying them.

She kept her eyes closed and blew out the candles as hard as she could.

------------------------

She threw the paper to one side of the room. Then she opened another present. This one was coloring books and crayons that she added to her small pile of presents. So far, she had gotten tons of stuffed animals for her to add to her ever overflowing collection on the top bunk of her bunk bed, roller skates, coloring books, barbies, and barbie essentials. She was happy with what she had gotten, and with her pile of presents and her stomach full of chocolate cake and ice cream, she was in a great mood.

It almost made up for the fact her dad and her stepmom Janet didn't make it to her party. And she knew her mom had invited him. She was just on the other side of the door when she overheard her on the phone with him.

They had argued like always. They could never have a conversation without getting mad at eachother.

Sighing, she looked around and figured that was it, when John came back in the room with his hands behind his back.

Hmmmm.....

Dawn tilted her head, some of her shaggy bright red hair falling over her face and her pushing it back in aggravation.

"John, you ain't sneaky at all. What have you got behind your back?"

He grinned at her.

"I might have gotten you something special kid, depends on if you really want it, though."

Dawn danced in her seat. She loved surprises.

"Yeah, duh, of course I do. You know I do! Now, what is it?"

Moving her head side to side, she tried her best to look around his massive frame at the package he held tight against his back. He kept shifting where she couldn't see. It was frustrating her a tiny bit. Okay, maybe more than a tiny bit.

"Dude, seriously what is it?"

"Now, if I give this to you, you have to promise to take care of it. No throwing stuff down on the ground, turn it off when you're done. All of that got me?"

Dawn raised an eyebrow, what the heck did he get her that she had to shut off, and it couldn't be on the ground? She rolled her eyes and huffed in frustration,

"I promise I promise. let me see!"

Dawn stopped trying to look and stared him straight in the face, with the most serious look she could. He chuckled deep in his throat, shook his head, and took the present out from behind his back.

Dawn stood there mouth agape. A Playstation. He had gotten her a Playstation! And games! He was holding, from her count, at least 6 to 8 games. She jumped up and down with excitement.

Her own game system, she didn't have to go and use his anymore and be in their bedroom, which was awkward to say the least.

She eyed the game system like a starving kid eyed food.

"OMG John what the heck! I got my own console? Really? I can play whatever I want and y'all won't kick me out of your guys' room anymore? Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!"

John turned away from her to the big screen television he had hooked up in the living room and started to set it up as Dawn danced around him, talking nonstop about how awesome he was. He was laughing and shaking his head as he kept glancing back at her,

"I'm guessing that means you're a happy kid?"

" You're my favorite person ever, John! I can play in here when you and mom want to have time alone, and I have got my own controller, so I don't have to use yours, and omg, you got me tomb raider!!! I have been wanting to play that forever! Oh my God! Wait til kids at school hear about this! They are gonna be so jealous! Do you have it hooked up yet?"

She came over and squatted down beside him, doing a little bop and jumping as she sat there, too excited to sit still. John laughed, exasperated, and gave her a pointed look.

"Chill child."

Her mom just laughed at them and shook her head. Dawn was on top of the world. She just hoped life would stay like this.