Full Bloom

Sweet 18

I didn't get to have a sweet sixteen party, but with some mutual funds and help from Oliver's family, along with my babysitting money, we were able to make my sweet eighteen happen.

We rented the event room at the local firehouse, since it was the most inexpensive place we could find. We had a stereo system, a few greatest hits CDs, some glow sticks, and a strobe light. I got a bunch of clearance decorations from the party store, and my friends and I cooked a buffet of food. We made lasagna, meatballs, garlic bread, and salads. For dessert, we had a bunch of different ice cream tubs from our local Stewart's.

I was really excited to have everyone there. Nassi and Karen brought their entire families. Mary and Annie were there, with the boyfriend of the month. I didn't even know his name. Oliver's whole family came too. But the most exciting part was that my grandma was able to leave the facility and come. They sent an aide with her.

Once everyone was seated with their food, I went to the front of the room. I had baby Chrys on my hip, who wasn't even little anymore. She was already nine and a half months old. She was holding her head up on her own, crawling, and even babbling. I couldn't believe it. Seriously, where did the time go?

"I don't have a microphone, so I'm just gonna yell!" I said. Everyone turned their attention to me. "Just wanted to say to everyone, thanks so much for coming! It really means so, so much to me to have all of your support over this past year. Anyway, just remember to eat the food before it gets cold and so we can get straight to partying!"

"Well said, Jen!" my grandpa said from the back table.

I walked back to his table and put Chrys in the portable highchair we brought for her. I made sure everything was cut up nice and small for her, and that she had her little hat on to keep the spaghetti out of her hair. She liked to put food on her head, for some reason.

"She really does have a mop of hair like her dad, doesn't she?" my grandpa said, chuckling as I made sure that hat was firmly on my baby's head.

"I can't risk anything. Those curls are so hard to maintain. I really hope the next baby has my hair."

"What? The next one? She's not even one yet!"

I sighed. "Relax, Grandpa. We don't want another baby for a few years. We want to at least have our own place first."

"If you say so. Just don't take things too fast. You're only eighteen. You have more time than you could even imagine. Your life is really just beginning," he said.

"I know, Grandpa."

We had our dinner, and then it was time to dance. We played all of our favorite pop and hip hop songs, plus lots of Britney just for Karen. Of course, we did some of the party classics like the YMCA and the Electric Slide.

At one point, someone found a spare broom lying around and we started a limbo competition. My dance flexibility definitely didn't fail me, but my body wasn't the same after having a baby. I got so low that I thought my back was going to get thrown out. But that didn't matter, because I was the winner with all the bragging rights in the world.

The night was starting to wind down, so we all had to get our last few dances in after the ice cream. The aide brought my grandma out to the floor, and she danced next to Grandpa and I. She still had the lost look in her eyes, but she was smiling and having fun. I think she understood that she was at a fun party, but she didn't know who it was for and why she was here.

"Oh, look at Jennifer!" she said, pointing at Chrys, who was a ball of giggles.

"No, Grandma! That's baby Chrys!" I said over the music.