Happy Birthday, Mommy! ;)
Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday, dear mamaboolj!
Happy birthday to you!
A little gift for you...
“Shh…” Hera holds her finger to her lips, a scowl on her face. “You’re too loud, Daddy.”
Karl bites back a laugh. Such a serious expression for such a little girl. “We have to wake her so she’ll see her gift,” he reminds her, but she just rolls her eyes. He glances at Sharon, apparently sleeping soundly in their bed, although he’s pretty sure by now that she’s faking, if the slight twitching of her lips is any indication.
“Of course we do, Daddy, but not ‘til it’s time.” Karl presses his lips together and nods, gestures for Hera to go ahead. Hera carefully places the brightly wrapped box on the pillow beside Sharon’s head so it will be the first thing she’ll see when she opens her eyes, then she looks over her shoulder at Karl.
“Now?” he asks.
“Now,” she replies.
Together, the say “Happy birthday!” in a sing-song chorus, Hera’s voice loud enough to wake the dead.
Sharon’s eyes fly open, but she doesn’t jump, which only strengthens his suspicions that she was awake all along. She focuses on the bright red and gold package - Kara found the paper and Tyrol gave up some thin gold wire from a decommissioned Viper - and their daughter’s wide-eyed face just beyond. “What’s this?” she asks.
“It’s your birthday present, Mommy,” Hera informs her solemnly and then orders, “Open it.”
Sharon glances up at Karl, her eyes dancing, as she sits up in the bed, then sheet pooling around her waist. She smiles at Hera. “How did you know it’s my birthday, baby?”
“Daddy told me, of course.” Hera looks up at her father, who nods dutifully. He and Sharon had decided long ago that her “birthday” would be the anniversary of the day the Old Man had granted her release from the brig, the day she was granted the right to live aboard Galactica as something other than an enemy and prisoner. Three years ago to the day. “You’re supposed to open your present, Mommy,” Hera reminds her.
Slipping the decorative gold wire from the small box, Sharon lays it on the shelf above the head of the bed, then carefully slices through the tape with a fingernail. Karl grins at the reminder of just how practical she is. It’s something he’s always loved about her, once she stopped having to pretend she was Boomer.
The look on Sharon’s face when she opens the box and pulls out the gift is all Karl could have hoped for. “Why are you crying, Mommy?” Hera asks. “Don’t you like it?”
“Oh, baby, I love it.” Sharon looks up at Karl, her eyes shining with tears. She hands the necklace to Hera. “Can you fasten it for me, Hera?”
“I think so.” Sharon scoots closer to Hera and the little girl puts the gold chain around Sharon’s neck, concentrating on working the clasp. Karl moves in closer in case she needs his assistance, but she gets it done without incident and Sharon looks down at the locket resting against her chest with its tiny photos of Karl and Sharon on one side and of Hera on the other.
“It’s beautiful,” she says, looking back and forth between Karl and Hera. “I love you both so much.”
Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday, dear mamaboolj!
Happy birthday to you!
A little gift for you...
“Shh…” Hera holds her finger to her lips, a scowl on her face. “You’re too loud, Daddy.”
Karl bites back a laugh. Such a serious expression for such a little girl. “We have to wake her so she’ll see her gift,” he reminds her, but she just rolls her eyes. He glances at Sharon, apparently sleeping soundly in their bed, although he’s pretty sure by now that she’s faking, if the slight twitching of her lips is any indication.
“Of course we do, Daddy, but not ‘til it’s time.” Karl presses his lips together and nods, gestures for Hera to go ahead. Hera carefully places the brightly wrapped box on the pillow beside Sharon’s head so it will be the first thing she’ll see when she opens her eyes, then she looks over her shoulder at Karl.
“Now?” he asks.
“Now,” she replies.
Together, the say “Happy birthday!” in a sing-song chorus, Hera’s voice loud enough to wake the dead.
Sharon’s eyes fly open, but she doesn’t jump, which only strengthens his suspicions that she was awake all along. She focuses on the bright red and gold package - Kara found the paper and Tyrol gave up some thin gold wire from a decommissioned Viper - and their daughter’s wide-eyed face just beyond. “What’s this?” she asks.
“It’s your birthday present, Mommy,” Hera informs her solemnly and then orders, “Open it.”
Sharon glances up at Karl, her eyes dancing, as she sits up in the bed, then sheet pooling around her waist. She smiles at Hera. “How did you know it’s my birthday, baby?”
“Daddy told me, of course.” Hera looks up at her father, who nods dutifully. He and Sharon had decided long ago that her “birthday” would be the anniversary of the day the Old Man had granted her release from the brig, the day she was granted the right to live aboard Galactica as something other than an enemy and prisoner. Three years ago to the day. “You’re supposed to open your present, Mommy,” Hera reminds her.
Slipping the decorative gold wire from the small box, Sharon lays it on the shelf above the head of the bed, then carefully slices through the tape with a fingernail. Karl grins at the reminder of just how practical she is. It’s something he’s always loved about her, once she stopped having to pretend she was Boomer.
The look on Sharon’s face when she opens the box and pulls out the gift is all Karl could have hoped for. “Why are you crying, Mommy?” Hera asks. “Don’t you like it?”
“Oh, baby, I love it.” Sharon looks up at Karl, her eyes shining with tears. She hands the necklace to Hera. “Can you fasten it for me, Hera?”
“I think so.” Sharon scoots closer to Hera and the little girl puts the gold chain around Sharon’s neck, concentrating on working the clasp. Karl moves in closer in case she needs his assistance, but she gets it done without incident and Sharon looks down at the locket resting against her chest with its tiny photos of Karl and Sharon on one side and of Hera on the other.
“It’s beautiful,” she says, looking back and forth between Karl and Hera. “I love you both so much.”