First Birthday

Dad brought home a discounted cake and two Tombstone pizzas from Wegman's for Bo Bo's first birthday party . The cake had picture of an elephant holding one giant balloon in his trunk. The pizzas only had cheese on them because Cora's on this big kick about not eating any meat and me and dad not eating any meat, and especially Baby Bo Bo not eating any meat because all the crazy ass shit and lips and stuff the slaughterhouses toss into it. Cora's been watching lots of investigative news reports on the cable we've been stealing from downstairs.

Cora got excited when she saw the cake. She thought Dad was just bringing home the Tombstones. She even gave dad a hug which is rare, rare like Baby Bo Bo getting through a night without waking up.

I held Baby Bo Bo on my lap and tickled his face and his belly while Dad showered and Cora watched the Tombstones cook in the oven. Dad's lady friend from work was going to come over, but she came down with the flu and didn't want to be around a baby with a flu. I asked Cora if she invited anyone she said she didn't even though at the movie theater the other night I heard the girls talking about how she called Sterling for like the first time in months and told him about his boy's birthday.

"That punk won't go," the one girl said to another. "That punk ain't no daddy."

Cora kept watching the Tombstones in the oven until the dinger dinged.