"...dear Bella, Happy Birthday to you!"
The three of them huddled around a single cupcake on the granite countertop. In it was shoved twenty-two lit candles, one in the center above the rest, so that the entire top of the cupcake could not be seen.
Bella took a deep breath and attempted to blow them all out, but as soon as the flames disappeared, they came right back. She furrowed her brows in puzzlement and tried again, only to be met with the same result.
E and his girlfriend Marissa stood across from the redhead on the other side of the counter, barely able to stiffle their laughs.
Bella clicked her tongue and squinted at the two, "Self re-lighting candles. Nice, you guys, very mature." Without breaking her stare, the flames on all twenty-two candles simultaneously went out. She then went on to painstakingly pull each individual candle out of the tiny cupcake.
"Happy 21st, Bells." E pulled a wrapped rectangular box up onto the counter. The wrapping paper was a light blue with baby rattlers evenly spaced out in a grid pattern. He laughed awkwardly upon presenting the gift, "They, um, didn't have anything else available at the store."
Bella smiled at shook her head as she tore the paper away to reveal a simple cardboard box. Using a knife from the cabinet behind her, she cut the tape from the sides of the box, opening it. She gently pulled out a neatly folded grey and navy blue jacket from inside. "What's this?" She asked, examining her gift.
"You know I don't like it how you go out and fight crime every night wearing nothing but a fleece hoodie, so, I have some connections and found a guy who made something a little stronger than that. I don't know how legal it is, but this material will protect you from things like knives and other pointy things, and the chest area is practically bullet-proof. This kind of stuff isn't on the market, but it's super lightweight so you can fight, has a ton of secret compartments, and I've already fire-proofed it... I know it's not exactly what you asked for, but, the hood is detachable!" E watched his sister's face as she examined the jacket, looking for any changes in her expression. Nervously, he ran a hand through his black hair.
The redhead looked over the gift. She ran her hands across the fabric, tugging on it and sending short bursts of flame out of her fingertips and onto the stitching. The sleeves and hood of the jacket were a dark grey, while the torso and zipper that ran up the middle were a deep navy blue.
She was in awe, although her face may not have shown it. "I love it," she breathed out, "E, I love it!" The excitement had built up in her as Bella gave a few hops up and down, holding the gift close to her chest. She practically jumped over the counter to pull her brother into a hug, squishing the cupcake in the process.
Standing next to the pair, Marissa smiled and sighed, "Well, now my gift is going to seem even more lame than it already is," She laughed to herself, admiring the two siblings in their awkward embrace on the edge of the granite countertop. "I got you a weekend spa package. Happy Birthday, Bella!"