pleasant. Pleased to meet
you. I’m Trey, Kristina’s…
He crash-lands on fiancé.
Mom’s mouth drops wide,
in perfect unison with mine.
Is that a fact? Kristina
forgot to mention it.
Unfazed, Trey trumps
Mom’s clichéd hand. We
only decided last night.
She wanted to surprise you.
I interrupt the uneasy
introduction with a bouquet
of scentless red roses.
“Happy birthday, Mom.”
Trey, as already noted,
is a major player. Yes,
happy birthday…Mom.
He gifts her with his great smile.
Mom is not appreciative.
Ahem. Let’s go inside…Her
unfinished sentence hangs midair:
before anyone notices you here.
Surprises Await
The first is Hunter, who
can now not only crawl
but also pull himself up
and walk, holding on to
the coffee table. He’ll be
off and running soon.