Different Time

Mom’s Birthday Gift


By: jtwriter13

Justin removes his sneakers placing them in the basket, as a blue ID bracelet is placed on his hand. Justin sees a large play structure. He bends down to crawl through the ball crawl, and the tunnels. He makes lots of twists and turns, before going down a colorful slide onto soft padding.


He heads toward another play area. Justin sits at the table with a whole bunch of kids. He leans against the table, having trouble sitting up. He watches their cues, as a woman comes over to him. He recognizes her and doesn’t understand why she is there and not his Mom. He loves this female but nobody compares to his Mom.


She bends down to make eye contact. “It is time for your height chair.” She gently picks him up, placing him in the special chair. She breaks up his piece of pizza with a fork, and gives him a sippy cup.


Justin loves the pizza, and eats the whole piece. He has tomato sauce all over his face and hands. He playfully claps his hands together, as the woman cleans him up. He flashes his adorable smile, as the birthday cake comes into view.

Mom’s Gift- Randi Evans


She sticks the cake in front of him. “It is time to blow out the candles on your cake, Justin.”


Justin is given a piece of cake after the kids sing to him the birthday song. He likes the cake, and eats most of his piece before wanting to get down and play.


She cleans him up, and places him on the ground to go play with the other kids. “You have fun Sweetheart.”


Justin toddles over to the games that are at his level. He rolls the ball up into the hole. He likes the red lights and sounds from the machine. He laughs at the clown sitting on the stool.


He goes through the tunnels and out of the large openings until he notices his Mom. Justin goes down the baby slide into soft padding. He crawls over to her giving his Mom a hug. Justin rubs his eyes, snuggling into her chest. He feels her picking him up.


She carries him to the check out counter, picking up Justin’s sneakers. Carefully she has help placing them on his feet. She gently rocks him.


Justin smiles sleepily as she places him in his car seat. His eyes close after sucking on his pacifier. He sleeps all the way home.


Justin wakes feeling strange. He remembers his party, and being a baby. He examines himself seeing that is body at least appears normal. He slowly gets off his bed and moves with difficulty stumbling. He works out his balance problems and goes downstairs.


He goes to the fridge pulling out his spaghetti dinner from last night. He heats it up, thinking about the fun center, “But this is my reality, no cake, friends, parents or celebration. What’s the sense of getting older, if there is nobody to spend it with?”


He doesn’t eat much, as the doorbell rings. A faint smile casts over his baby face, “Sydney!? What are you doing here?” Justin’s face flushes and breathing becomes heavy. His heart races fast, waiting for an answer.


Her lips kiss his cheek leaving a red spot that smells like fresh roses. “I’m here for you. It is your Birthday. I couldn’t stay away on your Birthday.” She clasps her hands around him, “Are you alright?”

“I think I saw you earlier when I was a baby.”


“Justin, you’re twenty-four. You couldn’t have been a baby and changed back.”


“I saw you and towards the end my Mom. You gave me pizza and cake.”


“That sounds like a nice dream.”


“It wasn’t a dream! Something strange is going on.”


She lies next to him on his bed, rubbing his stomach, “What are you thinking about?”

“I’m just tired. It’s been a long day. I’m glad you came over for my Birthday. You basically saved the celebration. Where have you been lately?”


“I’ve been doing promotional things for the album. I came home to surprise you on your Birthday.”


“Thanks, at least somebody cares about me on my Birthday. I wish my Mom could be here but that’s impossible. She is some place high above me looking down on a cloud, with the angels around her.”


Sydney strokes Justin’s curls. “I’m sure she wishes you a happy birthday in her own way.” She washes away the tears falling from his tender blue eyes. She holds his


Mom’s Gift- Randi Evans


She holds his trembling body close to her, knowing how difficult this birthday has been to him. It is his first Birthday without his Mom.


Justin appears to be asleep, though his body is jerky and breathing seems labored. His breathing slows at the sight of his Mom and Girlfriend sitting together at the entertainment place with a toddler seated on his Mom’s lap, with curls that reminded him of his and the tender innocent face that to him isn’t anything special. On this child’s face his mirrored image is angelic. He calls out to his Mom, hoping she’ll turn in his direction.


The giggling toddler makes contact with him first, in his dazzling white attire. He waves his hands, motioning for Justin to come closer.


Justin moves in closer getting a better glimpse of the child that’s safely in his Mom’s arms, as she turns to see him.


She smiles, “Happy Birthday Son.”


The images blur, as a soft padding surrounds him. He sinks into the warm cotton substance, as his eyes close. His head lands on the fluffiest part to him. His eyes open briefly to a blurry world but not one he should fear as it moves downward slowly. He can’t keep his eyes focused on anything and has the urge to close them. He wishes he could go back to them, but instead he’s drifting away some place.


Justin’s vision clears for a few minutes, noticing a toddler on top of his chest, and his Mom close by, but Justin and the body sail away from his Mom. His vision becomes distorted after she waves goodbye to him. Warm air blows on his face, as he feels small arms grasping around his slender body before blanking out.


He wakes relaxed in Sydney loves arms. He tells her about his dream experience ready to fall asleep again.


Two years later, Justin’s eyes open, to the sight of his two year old Son, Jay. He brushes his hands through the child’s soft curls, and glances into his sparkling blue eyes.

Mom’s Gift- Randi Evans


The small child adorns the same outfit Justin had seen in his dream. “You’re a gift from Grammy.”


He cuddles the youngster in his arms, “I love you!”


The toddler laughs, like in the dream, “Daddy I of too!”