Fireworks

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Mom and Dad had fireworks in the attic — they had been sitting there from back when they lived in the Spice Market. As Mom handed them to me, she smiled softly.

“We bought these at the Humor and Hijinks festival over twenty years ago.”

“Wow, these are some oooold fireworks!”

She laughed.

“You have no idea! You were there, too, actually. You didn’t know it but you were there, kicking around in my belly.”

I don’t just kick around is someone else’s belly now, so I’m the one to light up the first fireworks.

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It’s the last of our Pride Day activities!

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Now we can enjoy the pretty lights. Maybe my love for fireworks did stem from hearing them back before I was born.

We’re the only ones in the neighborhood to have gone as far as actually breaking out the fireworks, but the whole neighborhood can see them.

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Mom almost burnt down the house trying to turn on the second set of fireworks, but she only got singed a tiny bit. Cyril stepped up to clean up the ashes and burn marks.

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And then we’re off to bed. This was our first time celebrating Pride Day, and it was a pretty freaking fun day.

Colorful Dinner

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Dinner is ready! The family gathers around, still in our celebratory outfits. We do try not to put too much glitter into our food.

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Well done, Mom and Dad! Congrats on making a meal that tastes good!

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Well, Cyril doesn’t think it’s all that good, but what does he know.

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It doesn’t matter, either. They’re still pretty proud of themselves.

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It’s a nice, fun moment between the five of us.

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Pride Day’s a happy day.

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The heatwave is still going on, so I prepare a round of mint syrup drinks for the twins.

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Mom’s still all about the Cosmos, though.

She might have had a bit too many already, but again, today is about happiness. And partying.

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I have to admit she makes a mean drink. The simple smell of it overpowers my senses. She did tell me she had a past as the life of every party in Windenburg AND Willow Creek, but that was still a hidden skill to me.

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Cleo insists on us switching drinks long enough for her to Instagram it up, but we’re not letting her take a single sip

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Pretty awesome day. It’s already almost over, but I’m already looking forward to what we have planned to end it.

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While I go take a nap, Mom goes to cool off in the swimming pool. Mom is physically incapable of resisting a diving board, so she actually backflips into the pool.

Dancing Sisters

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The days last long in the summer. We don’t have much planned after we come back from the march. Mom and Dad are cooking dinner for tonight, and I just go outside by the pool to revel in the sun, dancing to summer tunes. It’s going to be autumn soon, and though I don’t mind the rain at all, I’ll miss the warmth too much to not make the most of it now.

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Cleo ends up joining me, that little copycat. She’s not quite confident in her dancing skills yet, but that’s alright. Who needs to take it so seriously.

Around the Neighborhood.

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Dad, no, not you too!

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“Don’t look back, don’t look back, don’t look back…”

Cleo has decided she doesn’t like this streaking tradition at all. Come on, Mom and Dad, you knew what time we were coming back.

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Cyril and I chose the long way back home. We took this opportunity to chat, about this and that.  

Mainly, I take this time just between the two of us to try to have a bit of a heart to heart, to tell him how much I enjoyed spending the day with him, and how happy I am we’ve had such a great time together.

Keyword is “try”. The kid is still a teenager, and he goes into “gosh-Hannah-you’re-so-embarrassing” mode pretty quickly.

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Cheers for the awesome day out! It really was perfect. I enjoy nothing more than sunny weather, and today was the hottest and brightest day of the whole summer.

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Once mom is dressed again, I go find her at the park behind our house. She produces a horn out of nowhere — because she does that — and I cheer along.

I also wonder how many Cosmos she’s had. Either that or she’s trying to distract me from the handsome neighbor walking around in the outfit he was born in.

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“And there was a band, and the singer winked at Cyril, and you should have seen him blush! But the best part was the confetti run…”

“That does sound really fun! Around here everybody has just been walking around naked.”