Justin appears on the ship, exactly in the same position as always, right down to the angle of the face and the position of the eyes.
We’re all there, waiting right where we knew would be the first place he looked at, all there, on a deck filled with colorful balloons.
As soon as he appears, Master Mind, Joy, Suzy, and I yell: “Surprise!”
Justin jumps back as a sword appears in one hand and a laser pistol in the other.
He looks around in panic.
“Happy birthday to you…” Suzy begins to sing and everyone joins.
Joy does not sing in tune. For the first few seconds I’m thinking maybe she doesn’t know the song, when I realize she’s shouting the song on purpose: “Happy birthday to yooooouuuuu! Haaaaaaapyyyyyy birthdaaaaaay!” she shouts at him.
Justin puts his hands on his ears. “Stop! Stop! Stop!”
“You did it to me!” she says, and continues, “Haaaaaaapyyyyyy birthdaaaaaay dear–!”
Justin leaps at her and puts his hand on her mouth. “Mmmmm mmmmmm mmmm!” she keeps singing.
“Joy! Please please please stop!”
“Mmmmmmm mmmmm!”
“All right, all right, I’m sorry I did that to you!”
“Mmmmm mmmm!”
“Finished?”
She nods.
He takes his hand off her mouth and Suzy shouts, “Happy birthday!” and hugs him.
“Thanks, mom,” he says awkwardly.
“Look at you,” she takes a step back and looks at him from top to bottom. “Thirty years old! Oh, so big! Just yesterday you had your first day of school!”
“For god’s sakes, Mom!”
“What? I just can’t believe you’re so grown up.”
“I know! You just told me the exact same thing two hours ago, in Toronto.”
Suzy freezes for a second, clearly hurt. “Well, such a tragedy you have two identical mothers now,” she says. “You’re going to hear the same stupid things two times, because I’m still going to say them!”
Justin exhales impatiently.
Well, we’re off to a good start.
Hashtags: Grampa, Grandma, Joy, birthday, Justin’s birthday, Master Mind