Chapter 10 - The Best Birthday of All
September 14th rolled around once again.
One year had passed since the morning Marcus Elliot Harrington III had woken up completely alone in his $4.7 billion silence.
This morning, however, he did not wake up at 6:00 a.m. to the sound of dead silence.
He woke up at 7:30 a.m. to the sound of whispering, stifled giggles, and footsteps rushing down the hallway outside his bedroom.
Marcus smiled with his eyes still closed, stretching lazily beneath the warm duvet. He didn't check his phone. He didn't care about the market opens in London or Tokyo.
The bedroom door creaked open slowly.
"Is he awake?" a tiny whisper came from the doorway.
"I think he's still sleeping, sweetie. Shh, go slow," a warm, familiar voice replied softly.
Marcus kept his eyes shut, pretending to sleep, hiding a growing grin.
Slowly, carefully, the mattress dipped as a small weight scrambled up onto the bed. Then came a sudden, joyous pounce right onto his stomach.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Sofia shouted, throwing her arms around his neck.
Marcus opened his eyes, let out a dramatic "Oof!", and caught her in a warm hug, tickling her sides until she dissolved into a fit of breathless giggles.
"You caught me!" Marcus laughed, sitting up and pulling her onto his lap.
Rosa stepped into the sunlight streaming through the bedroom window. She was holding a wooden tray filled with a massive stack of homemade pancakes, topped with fresh blueberries, syrup, and a single, brightly burning yellow candle.
Beside her walked her father, smiling broadly, holding a small camera to capture the moment.
"Happy Birthday, Marcus," Rosa said softly, her eyes shining with unconditional love and affection.
Marcus looked at the pancakes. He looked at the single yellow candle dancing in the morning light. He smelled the cinnamon and vanilla in the air, a scent that no longer brought pain, but pure, unadulterated joy.
"Make a wish, Marcus!" Sofia squealed, clapping her hands. "Make a wish!"
Marcus looked at Rosa, who smiled back at him, her hand reaching out to gently touch his shoulder. He looked at Sofia, his heart overflowing with a peace he had once thought impossible for a man like him to find.
He looked at the small flame.
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"I don't need to make a wish, Sofia," Marcus said softly, his voice full of emotion as he drew them all close. "Everything I could ever want in this world is already right here in this room."
He blew out the candle, and as the thin ribbon of smoke drifted away into the bright, sunny morning, Marcus Harrington knew that he would never, ever be alone again.
