Sam's eyelashes fluttered softly as he slowly opened his eyes, the morning rays making his pupils constricted.

He sat up a wiped his tiredness from his eyes. This was the first time in a while he had finally woken up after the sun rose.

Normally, he set his alarm to wake him up around five in the morning, as Alastor instructed him to whenever he wanted to hunt. He did that so much that even his inner alarm clock always woke him up around that time.

Though, today was different. Last night he had stayed up reading a book in the candlelight.

When he saw the book on the floor, it was clear to him that he had actually fallen asleep while reading and he probably swiped it off of his bed in the middle of his sleep.

The teen yawned as he  and bent down to grab the book, placing it softly on his nightstand before changing out of his night clothes and walking the few steps it took to get to Edith's room.

He tilted his head to look past the doorframe and at her bed, fully expecting to see her still sleeping peacefully, but, to his surprise, the bed was empty. She was long gone and the sheets were laid out properly, waiting for her to return, reminding Sam that he had forgotten to make his bed before leaving.

He chuckled quietly to himself, shaking his head with slight embarrassment of how his little sister could remember such a thing when he couldn't. Usually he was the one remembering things and reminding her about it.

As he made his own bed he could almost hear her playfully scolding him for not doing this earlier, it brightened his mood and made him laugh.

Downstairs, things were quiet... a lot quieter than Sam expected it to be. The only sounds that could be heard was the wind outside, the wood floor creaking slightly as he took each step, and his own breath in his ears as he inhaled and exhaled.

When he got to the first floor and still saw no one, it was clear that no one else but him was home.

It wasn't exactly a 'surprise', but he was expecting to at least see Edith... but no... it appeared he was alone this morning.

Sam felt his heartache for a split second...

...could she have forgo-

No, no, no, of course not! This wasn't a rare occurrence after all. In the event that Edith woke up before Alastor left for work, she would, from time to time, ask to join him. She enjoyed leaving the house. Not to mention she was treated like a princess by all the employees at the radio station.

The day was Tuesday, May 31, 1932. a normal working day for the citizens of New Orleans, Alastor being no different. So Sam assumed this is what had happened.

After fixing himself some breakfast and turning the radio on, it wasn't long before Al's morning show began, throughout which, if he listened close enough, he could hear the very faint giggles from Edith as she listened to Alastor telling his classic jokes.

Although Sam was disappointed by the unexpected loneliness, he didn't want to let such trivial emotions get the best of him and his day...

~

By mid afternoon, Sam had grown bored. More bored than he usually is. He tried reading and listening to the radio but it just wasn't enough to keep him occupied.

Usually, his sister would keep him for getting bored with games and her wonderfully overactive imagination. No matter how sad or upset he was, no matter how hard life got, she was always the one to make him smile.

He sighed as he looked blankly at the ceiling. He had been lying on the floor of the library for what felt like hours. The books he had attempted to read throughout the day were sprawled out around him. He would pick up a book that's title sounded interesting, read a few pages, get bored, and add it to the mess of books on the floor.

Back when him and Edith were homeless and didn't have books or radio, Sam would people watch to keep himself sane during the hours upon hours of boredom.

Perhaps that was a good idea!

He sat up and started putting the books back into their spots of the shelves. Alastor was keen on keeping his home organized, especially his books, growing frustrated if he couldn't find something because it was left out of place.

Alastor wouldn't mind him leaving the house and taking a little walk, would he? He's began to trust him a lot more, leaving him alone at home without Mimzy or Rosie, allowing him to use his weapons, even go hunting in the forest by himself... why would the man mind a simple walk? Surely he wouldn't! Though, before he left, he made sure to leave a note in case the others got back before him.

The note said that he had gone for a walk and would be back around sunset. He hoped he'd be back before them so he could simply take the note down when he got back, but just in case, it was there. He didn't want Alastor to get back and panic, thinking he had run away again. No no no. That wouldn't end well.

After that was done, Sam had thrown on his shoes and was off.

When he began his walk down the dirt path, he was hit by a rush of wind, cooling him down. While he was staring at the ceiling from the floor, it wasn't only because of boredom. The weather was beginning to get hot as summer began.

Alastor had prepared for this. He had Sam cover the windows with a tinted sheet while he put away the few carpets that lined the floor and dusting off the ceiling fans, knowing they were going to be used frequently. All in preparation for  the expected hot summer.

Before, all Sam could do to help himself and Edith fight the heat was attempt to keep them in shadowed places, and go into the few cafes that had air conditioning whenever they could.

He only knew when it was truly summer when the heat increased and there were more kids running around on weekdays. That was the indicator that school was let out for summer break.

Sam had been walking for quite a while when he got to a populated area just outside of what would be considered the city.

The people looked at him as he walked by, the young ladies whispering to themselves as he passed. No doubt caused by his freshly cut and brushed hair and new clean clothes.

Nowadays, no one could really afford new clothes so it wasn't uncommon for people to wear the same clothes all day, everyday. This would cause them to rip and become dirty, so dirty that even after the time they got a wash, they were still caked in dirt.

Not Sam's clothes though. Alastor was always on top of the laundry. Yes, like everyone else, he wore the same clothes often, but didn't like it when they were dirty.

Sam asked him about this once. Al explained that he hated the sensation of dirty clothes rubbing against his clean skin.

Now that Sam had experienced such a life and gotten used to it. It was interesting watching the people around him.

Seeing them going about their normal lives. Throughout his walk he watched people running errands, children chasing each other, men with hats and briefcases rushing to their destinations, families enjoying their time together... It was nice.

He used to feel jealousy when seeing these people. Now, he just feels bad for them. They would all give anything to have the life he is living now.

Before, when he and his sister would sit on the side of the road starving and sunburnt, these people would simply walk right by them without batting an eye. The two were looked on as though they were scum. Dirt and wasn't deserving of their thoughts and time.

Now, whenever he walks by someone, they look at him with jealousy. Some even tip their hats to him.

They used to not care and suddenly now that he has nice clothes they do? How pathetic.

Sam began to get tired just as the sun began to set, surprising him. The time had definitely moved faster than he thought it would. He began walking back the way he came while looking up towards the sky, judging how long it would be until sunset. Hopefully he'd get back by the time his note said he would.

Luckily for him, he had gotten back just in time. It was getting dark, but it was still considered sunset.

His anticipation grew as he made his way up the driveway. He was excited to see Edith... maybe she would be waiting for him, to surprise him! That would be nice!

Unlike what he was expected, the house was completely dark. It confused him. Edith and Alastor should have been back by now. Though, he couldn't remember if he saw the car in the driveway or not as he walked up.

As he stepped inside and put his shoes on the shelf next to the door, he truly realized everything was quiet... There wasn't a sign that anyone was near.

Inside, he wished at least one person were home. Even though he wished it were Edith, at this point he'd take Rosie, Mimzy or even Alastor being home with him, just so he wasn't alone on a day like this...

He sighed sadly as he felt that painful heartache in his chest again. It wasn't something he'd felt in a while... he felt... forgotten about... abandoned.

Every year on Edith's special day without fail, he was always on top of making sure she felt special, doing almost everything she asked, almost like a servant, and even trying to get his hands on a pastry or candy for her which of course was very difficult with his lack of money.

Normally, Edith would give him an extra big hug on his special day, last year Rosie even helped her write a small poem for him.

Was it selfish for him to expect something? To expect Edith or anyone in general to remember? With all that's going on, not only in their lives, but the world... how could he expect someone to remember something so trivial as a birthday?...

Sam finished hanging his coat up before walking dejectedly to the dining room where he left his note. Seeing as no one was home, there was no reason for his note to stay taped to the table.

When he entered the large dark room, he suddenly heard an audible clicking sound coming from his left, followed by the bright light bursting into his pupils and two arms wrapping around him.

"Happy Birthday!" A large group of people all shouted together.

Everyone laughed at the startled expression on the teen's face. His eyes were wide, his breathing was heavy, and his jaw was dropped.

He looked down and saw Edith hugging him, her beautifully happy smile making his eyes water with tears of joy.

He laughed lightly and ruffled her hair, looking back up to see the group of people who had surprised him. Nearly all were familiar faces.

Husker, Mimzy, Rosie, Vivienne, and two others he remembered seeing at the radio station were smiling at him. The table in front of them was filled with homemade meals of different kinds, all in different pans and bowls that no doubt the guests had brought.

Alastor was standing at the head of the table, his smile looking as always, but in front of him was a small chocolate cupcake with a singular lit candle and green frosting. His favorite color and flavor. No one knew that was his favorite color expect for...

Edith giggled at his shocked expression, hugging him tighter.

She had planned this the whole time??

Alastor gestured for everyone to sit down, specifically guiding Sam to the seat at the head, the seat Al normally sat in.

Such a small detail made him feel... special...

As the group began singing to him, he felt warmth in his heart. He had never heard this song sang just for him by a whole group before. Edith and maybe his mother, yes... but a whole group?!

It was such a wonderful feeling. A night filled with happiness to end what he thought was a lonely, forgotten birthday.

He was finally 16!

What a fantastic surprise!